{"id":57586,"date":"2022-04-01T15:35:39","date_gmt":"2022-04-01T10:05:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.the-next-tech.com\/?p=57586"},"modified":"2022-04-01T15:33:21","modified_gmt":"2022-04-01T10:03:21","slug":"whats-included-in-public-record","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.the-next-tech.com\/review\/whats-included-in-public-record\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s Included in Public Record?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you\u2019re interested to learn more about a person, you might start with a simple online search of their name<\/a>. In some cases, what you might find in doing so is a collection of public records.<\/p>\n

What shows up in public records isn\u2019t necessarily what would show up in a full background check for something like employment.<\/p>\n

You may wonder what does show up and what\u2019s meant by the public record<\/a>, which we talk about in more detail below.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s Public Record?<\/h2>\n

The term public record is a reference to information filed or recorded by a public agency. The federal and local government creates public records, or an individual does in some cases.<\/p>\n

Loosely, the term can also refer to communication or mail<\/a> between state agencies and lawmakers.<\/p>\n

Public records are held in physical files but are often available online.<\/p>\n

The term public can be a little misleading here because even though they are available to the public, that doesn\u2019t mean accessibility is always free or easy. There are often state policies<\/a> that dictate what information is available in public records and how it can be accessed.<\/p>\n

A public record is not considered confidential.<\/p>\n

When searching for a public record, what most people are referring to is information about a particular person. Not all records that the government holds are considered public. For example, things like tax returns, juvenile court records, or school records are held by government organizations<\/a> but are not considered public information.<\/p>\nAlso read:<\/span> Top 10 Websites And Apps Like Thumbtack | Hire Best Local Pros With Thumbtack Alternatives<\/a><\/span>\n

Federal Public Records<\/h2>\n

Important to note when talking about public records is something called the Freedom of Information Act<\/a>. The Freedom of Information Act applies mostly to the federal government, and every state has a law that covers its agencies.<\/p>\n

Also known as FOIA, this is a public records law dating back to the 1960s that requires U.S. government agencies are transparent. Anyone can submit a request for public records<\/a> from a government agency. The agency, when receiving these requests, is required by law to provide the information in a timely way, with some exceptions.
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