A lot of information is genuinely free and public, if you know where to look. The trouble is most "records" sites are link farms that send you in circles. This is a curated, plain-English map — the legitimate free sources, organized by what you're actually trying to find, with honest notes on what each can and can't tell you.
One thing worth knowing up front: different records live in different places, and people often look in the wrong one. Court and criminal records sit with the courts. Business records sit with the Secretary of State. Property records sit with the county. Knowing who holds what saves you most of the frustration.
The big one people get wrong. Criminal cases, lawsuits, judgments, and bankruptcies are held by the judiciary — not the Secretary of State. Most are free to search, though access is fragmented by court level.
There is no single national criminal database the public can search. Criminal records are held court-by-court and state-by-state. Anyone promising a "complete national criminal check" for $19 is selling aggregated, often outdated data — not an official record.
The official portal for U.S. federal court records — district, appellate, and bankruptcy cases. Charges a small per-page fee, but it's the authoritative source for anything in federal court.
Most states run their own online case-search systems for state-level civil and criminal matters; many counties add their own. Coverage and quality vary widely — some states are fully online, others still require a courthouse visit.
Confirming someone's identity, history, or whereabouts from public traces. These are starting points — not the people-search data brokers that charge for aggregated (and frequently stale) profiles.
Many states make basic voter-roll data available. What's public ranges from registration status only to name and address, depending on the state's rules.
Surprisingly useful for genealogy and confirming family relationships — obituaries often list surviving and predeceased relatives, hometowns, and maiden names.
Birth, death, marriage, and divorce records. Access is restricted — usually only the person or close family can obtain certified copies — but indexes are often searchable.
Real estate is one of the most genuinely open record types in the country. Nearly every county publishes ownership and value data online, for free.
The county assessor lists property ownership, assessed value, and tax history; the recorder holds deeds and liens. Together they tell you who owns a property and what's recorded against it.
The official multi-state database (endorsed by state treasurers) for forgotten bank accounts, refunds, and deposits owed to a person or business. Genuinely worth a search on your own name.
This is where the Secretary of State actually comes in — business entities, not criminal records. Plus the boards that license professionals.
What the Secretary of State actually holds: business entity registrations (LLCs, corporations), their registered agents and officers, and UCC filings (liens on business assets). It does not hold criminal records — a common mix-up.
Every state lets you look up registered businesses — who's behind an LLC, when it formed, whether it's in good standing, and its registered agent. The first stop for vetting a company or partnership.
Doctors, contractors, lawyers, real-estate agents, and more are licensed by state boards that publish license status and disciplinary history. The way to confirm someone is actually credentialed.
Free background on financial brokers and advisers — employment history, certifications, and any customer complaints or regulatory actions. Essential before trusting anyone with money.
Government-run registries built specifically for public lookup. These are authoritative and free.
The U.S. Department of Justice's single search across state and territory registries. The authoritative way to check this — not a third-party copy.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons locator covers anyone in federal custody since 1982; each state's Department of Corrections runs its own for state inmates.
Decode a vehicle's history, check for recalls, and (via NICB's VINCheck) see if a vehicle was reported stolen or salvaged. Useful for any transaction involving a car.
Federal databases that are fully open and often overlooked.
Every public company's filings — financials, ownership, executive compensation, insider trades. Completely free and authoritative for anything involving a public company.
Searchable record of federal political contributions — who gave, how much, to whom. Public by law.
The Freedom of Information Act lets you formally request records from federal agencies. Slower than a database search, but it can surface things nothing else will.
No single search covers "everything" on a person. Records are scattered across courts, counties, and agencies by design. Anyone claiming otherwise is selling aggregated data, not official records.
Using records to decide on hiring, housing, or credit puts you under the Fair Credit Reporting Act — which requires consent and a formal process. Free public records are for personal knowledge, not regulated decisions.
Credit reports, banking details, sealed records, and most medical information are protected. If a site offers them cheaply, be very skeptical of how they got them.
If the search is complex, time-sensitive, needs to hold up in court, or touches the limits above, a licensed investigator has the tools and legal footing to do it properly.
If you've hit the limits of what's public — or you need results that are thorough, discreet, and court-ready — we'll match you with a verified investigator who handles exactly this, in your state.
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