Thursday, February 26, 2015

Government Public Records Available Online

By Claire Dowell


When it comes to public records, the United States federal and state regulations decide what records are made available to the public and the corresponding procedure to get them. New York public records range from birth and death records to military and property records. Basically, anything that is recorded by the county, state, city or federal agency can be accessed by the general public. The Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act describes the kind of file and related data that are available to the public. A number of agencies store and manage the records because of the several other agencies involved in recording the events.

Public agency records comprised of local building permits, city council meeting minutes, and local building permits are the public information kept at the area level. Common personal records are maintained by the state of county level. These include certificates for birth and marriage. Church and cemeteries are good sources of local records too as they may have the files.

For recent events, the first place you can approach is the clerk office of the county. The records filed at the county level ultimately get transferred to the state's repository. If you need to find older files of marriage, birth or death, you need to go to the state. For example, if the individual was born in New York, then his record would have to be searched at the recorded, assessor or county clerk in the same state.

All states have an office that maintains public information. The public health department of the state has a division for this named the Office of Vital Statistics. To get a copy of the public documents like marriage licenses, birth and death certificates, an application form must be filled out. First off, you have to confirm if you are qualified to ask for a record. For instance, if the person's records have not been on public domain, sufficient proof must be provided to gain access to it.

If you are the person named on the birth certificate, or the person's legal guardian or representative, then you qualify to request the record. Expect to pay a small amount for the search fee and document copy. Federal records include immigration records, federal court records, military records and other files related to federal issues. Like county and state records search, you will need to contact the specific agency involved.

When it comes to searching public information, knowing who to go can be crucial to finding it quickly. There are few ways to have a free public records search. The online scene has become more useful with its way of letting you meet credible record providers. New York City has a lot of options for people who request for records such as federal and state sites, membership pages and genealogy websites. Being a member of an online commercial records provider' site and avail of the unlimited searches that they offer is one method most people use. These often come with a number of monthly, yearly or unlimited searches depending on how frequent you are looking for a record.




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