Public Records

Public records are commonly available to the public in some form or fashion. They are generally held within some form of government database and are available to msot anyone that requests them. The process is often times confusing and or labor intensive as you must submit a formal request and or show up in person to request them. However, a little known fact is that thy are actually quite accessible online. Many online services offer access to these records for a small fee and can save a lot of time money and effort.

Public record data is generally created when someone gets married, is arrested or appears in court, files for divorce, files for bankruptcy, generates a death certificate, is widowed, adopts a child, or submits their information when applying for any variety of government service or credential such as driver’s license, state ID, or government job. There are however a variety of non-government services, especially online, that collect personal data and provide it to the public. Virtually any time you submit personal information online, unless there is a stated privacy policy that indicates your information will be kept confidential, that information can potentially become public record and often does. For example when you post a resume online or purchase a home you are generating a public record. We here at RecordSearchNow.com often utilize the combination of both government and private sector public records when conducting people searches.

Public record information is usually volunteered and can include a person’s name, address, phone number, past residences, relatives, neighbors, past criminal activity, past and present employment history, birth date, income levels,

Non-Public Records

Non-Public Records are usually records or information submitted under some type of privacy or confidentiality agreement. It is usually also protected under the privacy act of 1974 and includes such information as your social security number and other important financial or private life information. Where the issue gets a bit fuzzy is when the information is submitted as part of a larger public record data set. In this instance the privacy act data is usually omitted from the result of any public records searches while allowing the public record data to be displayed.

The Grey Area

Some non-public record data, though not available to the general public, is still accessible by non-government agencies. For example when a potential employer is conducting a background check or a merchant or credit lender is conducting a credit history check. Always be sure to read the fine print of privacy policies and or confidentiality agreements when submitting your personal information, especially online. Collectors of private information are required to give full disclosure of how your data might be shared with other agencies. In the case where your information is about to be shared with an entity that was not listed in the confidentiality agreement the issuing agency must notify you first.

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