Legal Records: So Many Sources, So Little Time!

The United States is one of the most open in terms of making legal records available to the general public. If you're searching for, say, court records in the US, a main difficulty you'll have to deal with is the multiplicity of resources available on the Internet.

Legal Records: Who Gathers Them?

A sure source of court and other legal records is a government agency. Although access may be restricted depending on the type of record, US information access laws mandate government agencies to make court documents and other legal records as accessible as possible. Of course, the best way to do this is via the Internet.

So, who gathers public, court, and legal records? There are three major groups that do so, and they do make their records available online, albeit with varying degrees of access.

County Agency – These agencies gather county court records, land records, liens, etc. A county court will normally have its own web page, with instructions on how to access legal records.

Any search engine should help locate what you need. Just type in “name of county” + “kind of records.” (e.g., orange county + court records).

If you know the details of the legal records you're looking for (i.e., location down to the specific county), then county agencies can offer you the easiest, most hassle-free access. If you can't find what you need online, you can always pick up the phone and make arrangements for copies of county court documents, etc. to be sent to you by mail.

State Agency – All fifty plus states and territories will have their own web pages for each purpose, such as DMV, inmate, and medical board records, as well as licensing and permits agencies.

Of course, state court systems may have their own web pages, although access to state court records is generally NOT centralized. For example, you will not find a criminal records state search engine, even if you're likely to find a statewide inmate locator (not the same thing).

To search court records by state, you have to search online district court records at PACER. PACER users get quarterly statements e-mailed to them – and only pay if costs go above $10 per year!

Federal Agency – A bankruptcy court is an example of a federal agency. There are also civil and criminal federal trial courts. Access to federal court documents IS centralized at this page.

Other examples of federal agencies are the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Legal Records: Tips to Save Time & Money

Veteran legal records researchers offer us the following tips.

- If the legal records you need involves a minor or a crime, check your state laws first regarding restrictions to public access.

- Check government maintained archives first, as their services typically cost less than what a third party website will charge you.

If you intend to visit a place because you need multiple legal records photocopied, check how much photocopying services cost. Some places charge a dollar per page and online access through a government website like PACER may cost as little as $.08 per page.

Browse around RecordsSiteReview’s Court Records page for all the data you need for understanding the importance of court and other legal records and how to obtain them.