Thursday, September 4, 2014

Where To Search For Public Records?

By Claire Dowell


Minnesota is one of the many open states in the country. As an open state, this means that the state is mandated to allow its residents to freely access their personal documents. All of the state of Minnesota Public Records is opened since the state has implemented the Freedom of Information Act.

The public documents of Minnesota are composed of several documents that the public can access. The birth certificate generated during birth is an example of the public document that residents can obtain. Other documents that can be obtained by the residents are marriage and divorce certificates as well as death certificates. Each of these documents has information about the event it was made for. Residents of Minnesota can also access or request for a copy of a criminal record. The document would show the crimes and charges that an individual who resides in Minnesota has committed.

Each public document is used in different occasions. Although, documents such as birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates are used in genealogy researches or updating the family tree, each document are has its unique function or use. Birth certificates are used primarily to prove one's identity. Government offices would also call for copies of other documents depending on the type of request made. Criminal records in the state of Minnesota are regularly being requested by the local residents when they conduct a background check.

In order to get a copy of any of the public documents in Minnesota, one should know the basic details of the incident or report being obtained. This is important since it will be used as search reference during the retrieval process. Another important thing that should be provided when requesting for a public document is the personal information of the one who requested the file. It will be used to verify one's identity since only the document is only released to the person himself or the immediate family of the individual on the file. A special request should be done when requesting the records of another person. Furthermore, each search would cost a certain fee and this would depend on the document and county where the request is made.

Knowing where to request for a copy of the document can help hasten the search process. The office of the Department of Health under the Vital Records Section is responsible for keeping records of birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates. The Department of public Safety is where one can obtain a copy of a criminal record. The office of the local registrar in the county where the incident has been registered can also provide a copy of the document if it is not available at the state office. Mail requests can also be sent to the state office but the wait time can be longer than usual.

The public records government of Minnesota manages are now easily distributed to the local residents with the use of the Internet. Now, residents can request for any public document online. This made the search faster and convenient.




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