Top Choice
Instant Checkmate
Criminal-record and social-profile search option.
View RecordsPublic Records
Find Public Records Now
“Find public records now” works best when you first identify the record type and custodian. There is no single federal database for all public records.
Direct answer
Identify the Owner of the Public Record
To find public records now, start with the record owner: PACER for federal court records, the relevant state/local court for state cases, the issuing state/local office for vital records, and the responsible federal agency for FOIA records. Search already-public official material before filing a request.
Source map
Public-record routing map
| Record type | Start here | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Federal court case | PACER | Federal judiciary case records |
| Federal agency record | Agency website / FOIA.gov | Agency owns the responsive federal record |
| Marriage/divorce/birth/death certificate | State/local vital-record office | Vital records are decentralized |
| State/local court case | Owning court or judiciary portal | Court keeps the case file |
Process
Fastest legitimate search order
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01
Name the record
Court case, vital record, police report, property record, license, etc.
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02
Name the jurisdiction
Federal, state, county, city or court.
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03
Search the official website first
Many records are already indexed or published.
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04
File a request only when needed
Use the agency’s public-record process for material not already online.
Compare
What “public” does not mean
Not necessarily online
Some public records still require clerk or agency requests.
Not necessarily free
Copy, certification or search fees may apply.
Not necessarily unrestricted
Privacy, sealing and statutory exemptions can limit access.
Not necessarily centralized
Different agencies own different record classes.
Important
Source before speed
A fast result from the wrong custodian is less useful than a precise result from the office that actually owns the record.
Related Record Guides
Sources
Authoritative next stops
Official federal records source
FOIA.gov
Federal FOIA research and request workflow; recommends checking already-public agency material first For this page, it supports the find public records now research route.
United States federal agencies
Official federal judiciary source
PACER - Federal Court Records
Electronic public access to federal court records by specific court or nationwide index For this page, it supports the find public records now research route.
United States federal courts
Official federal reference source
CDC/NCHS - Where to Write for Vital Records
Vital records are maintained by state/local offices; application information for marriage and divorce records For this page, it supports the find public records now research route.
United States