Legal Research

South Dakota - Accident Reports -

Posted on November 18, 2009
Copies of officer-completed reports are available from the Department of Public Safety, Accident Records, 118 W Capitol Avenue, Pierre 57501, 605-773-4156. The fee is $4.00 per report. Records are available for ten years to present, five years on paper...

Relocation of Wabasha County Courts in Minnesota

Posted on November 13, 2009
The Wabasha County 3rd Judicial District Court has moved from 625 Jefferson to its new facility at 848 17th Street East in Wabasha, MN. Phone numbers remain the same. The main number is 651-565-3524. The County Recorder's Office is not...

Washington County Tennessee Consolidating Court Locations

Posted on November 11, 2009
Effective October 26, 2009, the four court locations in Washington County, TN will house at the new Justice Center Address at 108 W Jackson Blvd, Jonesborough, TN 37659. The limited jurisdiction civil General Sessions Court and Probate Court are moving...

Heads-up: Idaho Driver and Vehicle Record Fees to Increase

Posted on November 09, 2009
Effective January 1, 2010, the fees for driver-related records and vehicle-related records from the Idaho Transportation Department will increase by $3.00 per record. This is regardless of access method. We will present specifics next month.

To access blog feed reader register for free. (You will also learn about new ways to read and access the freshest law blogs.)

Fee Increases At Clerk's Office - Macomb County, Michigan

Posted on November 06, 2009
November 1, 2009 there will be fee increases for court record copies and for certified copies of certain public records. At the 16th Circuit Court, plain copies will increase from $.40 per page per copy to $1.00 per page. The...

Hamilton County Courts, Indiana

Posted on November 05, 2009
In late September, 2009, the Circuit & Superior Courts of Hamilton County Indiana switched their case file management to the Odyssey case management system provided by the Indiana Supreme Court. As a result, online access to the court record index...

Connecticut DPS Increases Record Fees

Posted on November 04, 2009
Effective October 1, 2009, the Division of State Police, part of Connecticut's Department of Public Safety, doubled the fees for criminal record checks and accident reports. The fee for a criminal record check increased from $25.00 to $50.00 per request,...

Aviation Records

Posted on October 07, 2009
Search Records on Airports One of the best private sites to find detailed information for free about an airport, including ownership and management, is www.airnav.com. You can search by state or by U.S. Territory. Another excellent resource is GCR &....

Be Aware if Asset Lien Searching in Massachusetts

Posted on October 05, 2009
Massachusetts has 4 counties but 21 recording offices. Berkshire and Bristol counties each have three recording offices. Essex, Middlesex, and Worcester counties each have two recording offices. Also, know that cities/towns bearing the same name as a county are Barnstable,...

Sources for Finding Intellectual Property

Posted on September 20, 2009
United States Patent and Trademark Office www.uspto.gov/main/patents.htm This is the ultimate source. If you can spend some time learning to correctly search within the Web site, you will get the best results. Remember, when you are searching for a company,...

About Tribal Courts Tribal Courts

Posted on September 17, 2009
About Tribal Courts Tribal Courts represent a unique legal system that works within the separate sovereignty of the Indian nations within the United States. The impact on using these courts in business investigations is considerable within the gaming industry...

Fee Increases for Alabama Vital Records

Posted on September 10, 2009
Effective October 1, 2009, the fees for copies of vital records will increase from $12.00 to $16.00 per record and from $4.00 to $6.00 for a second copy. Also, the fee for expedited service will increase, from $10.00 to $15.00.

San Bernardino Superior Court Looking to Close Redlands Division

Posted on September 09, 2009
The San Bernardino Superior Court recently announced its intention to close the Redlands Division effective October 12, 2009. The current plan is to transfer all Probate matters to the Civil Division at 303 W Third Street in San Bernardino and...

Certain County Courts Relocating

Posted on September 08, 2009
Nodaway County Circuit Court, Missouri - At the end of August, the consolidated court will move from 303 N Market to 305 N Main in Maryville, MO. The ZIP Code and phone numbers will remain the same. Hancock County Circuit...

Changes at California Courts

Posted on September 07, 2009
For further details, visit the state courts site at A number of statewide changes were recently instituted by the Judicial Council of California. Document Certification Fee - Effective July 29, 2009, the fee for certifying a copy of a paper,...

Civil Judgments in South Dakota - Search Online

Posted on September 04, 2009
Access civil money judgments from 04/19/2004 forward on a statewide system at: https://apps.sd.gov/applications/judgmentquery/login.aspx Charges for searches with a credit/debit card are $4.00 per name or date range search and an additional $1.00 charge to access the judgment docket...

Contra Costa Superior Court Fees

Posted on September 04, 2009
Effective this week, the Superior Courts in Contra Costa County, CA are participating in a Pilot Study Program for criminal record searching. All of the Superior Courts in the county are now adding a $15 surcharge for any name lists...

Many DMV Record Fees to Increase in Florida

Posted on August 31, 2009
Effective September 1, a number of driver licensing and motor vehicle services fees will change. Some increases are significant. Below are the increased fees associated with record access. Driving Records - Fees are increasing for both the electronic and non-electronic...

About Online Access to Public Records

Posted on August 19, 2009
Three important facts? Less than 50% of the available public records from the government can be found online. Usually the searchable and viewable information found online is limited to name indexes and summary data rather than document or document images...

Check out a VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) for Fraud

Posted on August 12, 2009
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) provides a free and valuable online service known as VINCheck. The service assists the public in determining if a vehicle has been reported stolen but not recovered, or if a vehicle has been reported...

Hawaii Latest State to Put Limits on Use of Credit Reports

Posted on August 05, 2009
Over the Governor?s veto, the Hawaiian legislature passed a new law effective July 1, 2009 that put limits on the use of employment credit history or credit reports unless it ?directly related to a bona fide occupations qualification,? or falls...

Where to Find Federal and State Tax Liens in Oklahoma

Posted on August 04, 2009
Federal tax liens on personal property of businesses are filed with the County Clerk of Oklahoma County, which is the central filing office for the state. Other federal and all state tax liens are filed with the County Clerk. Usually...

New Study on Impact of Past Criminal Record on New Employment Creates More Questions than it Answers

Posted on August 03, 2009
A new study just released by researchers from Carnegie Mellon University has attempted to devise a model to quantify the relevance of a criminal record for employment on the basis that the importance of a past criminal record recedes over...

New Jersey Increases Motor Vehicle Fees

Posted on August 02, 2009
The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission Board recently approved a number of fee increases affecting various motor vehicle related transactions and processes. Fees increased for CDL permits, motorcycle registrations, vehicle titles, lien releases, and record access, among other areas...

Fee Increase for Vermont Driving Records

Posted on August 01, 2009
Effective July 1, 2009, a $1.00 fee increase will take place for accessing certain Vermont driving records. The fee for an electronic accessed record will increase from $13.00 to $14.00. The fee for a manually accessed three-year record will increase...

Fee Increase for Records at South Dakota's Secretary of State Office

Posted on July 31, 2009
Effective July 1, 2009, an increase will occur for many of the filing, registration, and record access fees on records overseen by the South Dakota Secretary of State. For example, expedited service for filing of record copies increases from $20.00...

Minnesota Increases Certain Court Fees

Posted on July 30, 2009
As of July 1st, 2009, a number of fee increases will take place involving the Minnesota Court System. Most of the specified increases affect filings of civil cases, marriage dissolution actions, and the filing of motions or responses. However, there....

New Study on Impact of Past Criminal Record on New Employment Creates More Questions than it Answers

Posted on July 29, 2009
A new study just released by researchers from Carnegie Mellon University has attempted to devise a model to quantify the relevance of a criminal record for employment on the basis that the importance of a past criminal record recedes over...

Searching Recording Offices in Connecticut

Posted on July 29, 2009
There are 8 counties and 169 towns/cities in Connecticut. There is no county recording in Connecticut; all recording is at the town/city level. The recording officer is the Town/City Clerk. Be careful not to confuse searching in the following towns/cities...

Standards for Searching Records at Federal Courts

Posted on July 26, 2009
The typical search fee is $26.00 per item (one party name or case number). Copy fee is $.50 per page. Certification fee is $9.00 per document; double for exemplification, if available. Most courts require prepayment. Mail requests should enclose a...

Fire Closes Attleboro, Massachusetts District Court

Posted on July 17, 2009
The Attleboro, Massachusetts District Court is closed indefinitely due to extensive smoke and water damage caused by a fire that happened on May 22, 2009. Name searches can still be conducted at a neighboring courthouse, but access to record files...

Winchendon District Court in MA Moving

Posted on July 16, 2009
The Winchendon District Court in Worcester County has relocated from Winchendon to the town of Gardner Massachusetts. The court is now housed at the Gardner District Court located at 108 Mathews in Gardner. The case records will not be co-mingled;...

New Hampshire Court Search Fees to Signficantly Increase

Posted on July 15, 2009
We learned that the NH Administrative Office of Courts, through administrative rule, is mandating a significant increase in many court fees, effective August 1st. For example, the current fee for searching civil or criminal records will increase from a flat...

GIS and Mapping

Posted on July 15, 2009
GIS is the acronym used for Geographic Information System. Commonly associated with maps, GIS data can be displayed in a variety of product types with many associated uses. GIS can link and layer data attributes to specific criteria, such as...

BRB Publications Launches New Web Page www.verifyprolicense.com Providing Access to State Licensing Boards

Posted on June 10, 2009
BRB Publications annouced today a new website that enables the public to verify individuals and businesses required to be licensed or have a certification or registration. This free, new resource enables a researcher to check the representations people make to...

Key Trade Associations - Public Record Research Tip

Posted on June 06, 2009
Researching a fact or problem related to public records or finding the right public record vendor can be difficult. People often overlook trade associations as resources of information and companies. A list of the nation's top trade associations whose members...

Ohio Redaction Law on Court Records to Take Affect Soon

Posted on June 05, 2009
Per Ohio?s Public Access Rules and Public Records Act, as of July 1, 2009 the redaction of certain personal identifiers contained on court documents seen by the public will go into affect. ?Personal identifiers? means Social Security Numbers, except for...

Fee to Record Documents in Iowa Increases

Posted on June 04, 2009
Effective July 1, 2009, the electronic transaction fee to record most documents at an Iowa county recorder?s office will increase from $1.00 to $3.00 per record transaction. The purpose of the fee increase is to pay for the redaction of...

New Utah Law for Employers Using Personal Identifiers

Posted on June 03, 2009
The Utah legislation has enacted H.B. 206. The legislation prohibits employers from requesting a SSN, DOB or DL# until either 1) the time in the hiring process when a criminal background check, credit history, or driving record is going to...

South Dakota Driving Record Fee to Increase

Posted on June 02, 2009
Per legislation, the fee for a South Dakota driving record will increase from $4.00 to $5.00 on July 1, 2009. This fee increase affects both online accessible and manually processed driving records. Additional mandated fee increases affect driver licensing and...

About Record Indexing

Posted on June 01, 2009
A record index serves as a pointer system to the location of file documents and is frequently used at recording offices, courts, and state agencies. A record index is often computerized, but indices can be on card files, in books,...

Certification Fee for Iowa Court Records Increased

Posted on June 01, 2009
Effective May 27, 2009, the charge for a certification and seal fee on a court document increased from $10.00 to $20.00. The bill, which was signed by the governor on May 26th, also increased a number of court filing files....

Certification Fee for Iowa Court Records Increased

Posted on May 28, 2009
Per SF 478 and effective May 27, 2009, the charge for a certification and seal fee increased from $10.00 to $20.00. The bill, which was signed by the governor on May 26th, also increased a number of filing files within...

Jurisdiction Alert

Posted on April 20, 2009
1. Harrison County Mississippi On the 18th of February 2009 the Harrison County Circuit Clerk shut down the public access system for researchers. The clerk (Ms Gayle Parker, 228-865-4051) advises that the system will be down until 1 June 2009....

Cass County, Illinois Courts

Posted on April 20, 2009
Circuit Court PO Box 203, Virginia, IL 62691; 217-452-7225; 8:30-4:30PM. Felony, Misdemeanor, Civil, Eviction, Small Claims, Probate. Civil Records: Access: Mail, in person. Visitors must perform in person searches themselves. Search fee: $6.00 per name per year, for search conducted...

Allegheny County, PA Raises Court Filing Fees and RE Recording Fees

Posted on March 07, 2009
Effective February 2, 2009, the Allegheny Department of Court Records and the Department of Real Estate increased a number of filing and recording fees. For example, a 4-page filing that used to cost $45 now is $65. The search and...

NH Looks to Increase Fees for Driving Records

Posted on March 06, 2009
A bill recently introduced in the New Hampshire Legislation would increase the cost of a driving record from $8.00 to $15.00 for paper copies, and from $8.00 to $14.00 for electronic copies. Interestingly, the language in HB 540 states "The...

Two Bills Introduced in New Mexico to Permit Email Requests of Public Records

Posted on March 05, 2009

Dane County Wisconsin Sheriff's Office and Record Requests

Posted on March 04, 2009

MA Registry of Motor Vehicles Looks to Increase Record Fees

Posted on March 03, 2009

Shasta County (CA) Assessor-Recorder Raises Copy and Certification Fees

Posted on March 02, 2009

Oregon's Driver Monitoring Program

Posted on March 01, 2009

Nebraska Driver License Status Check

Posted on February 19, 2009
Nebraska provides its online License Status Check. Enter the full name, DOB and either the DL or SSN. Results include DL reinstatement requirements if any, license status including points, and ending date for SR-22 Insurance Form. There is no fee....

Comprehensive Source Books for Driver History Records & Motor Vehicle Records

Posted on February 16, 2009
Where would you go to investigate the driving restrictions and access procedures for all 50 states? What if you needed to decode a violation on an out-of-state MVR? There is a resource that will answer those questions and more?The MVR...

Wisconsin Driver License Status Check

Posted on February 15, 2009
Check the status of a Wisconsin driver license free at www.dot.wisconsin.gov/drivers/online.htm. The status can be requested using the DL, or by SSN/DOB, or name/sex/DOB. © excerpt from The 2009 MVR Book

Check Status of Florida Driver

Posted on February 04, 2009
Check Status of Florida Driver License The Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles provides a free online status check of any Florida driver license number. Only the license number is needed to access. No personal information is released. Visit...

Missouri - Court Merger in Atchison County

Posted on February 03, 2009
In Missouri, the Circuit Court is the court of general jurisdiction and the Associate Circuit Court is the court of limited jurisdiction. A growing trend is to form Combined Courts. Effective Monday, February 2, 2009, the Associate Court in Atchison....

South Dakota Driving Records Alert

Posted on February 02, 2009
South Dakota Senate Bill 32, introduced at the request of the Department of Public Safety, calls for a fee increase of a driving record abstract from $4.00 to $5.00. The bill contains many other fee increases related to motor vehicle...

The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System

Posted on February 01, 2009
The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) is a U.S. Department of Justice System operated by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA). The NMVTIS is designed to grant available information about vehicle history (such as reported odometer...

New Webpage for Finding Local Record Retrievers

Posted on January 31, 2009
The Public Record Retriever Network (PRRN) is pleased to announce a new webpage at www.prrn.us. The page allows the public to search by state and county (or parish) to find a local public record retriever PRRN member who can research...

Maine - Cumberland County Courts - Criminal Record Search

Posted on January 30, 2009
In Maine, the District Courts handle misdemeanors and the Superior Courts handle felonies. Recently, one of Cumberland County's three District Courts merged its criminal record division with the county's Superior Court. Records from Portland District Court - South 9 were...

Status Checks on New York Vehicle Titles

Posted on January 27, 2009
New York provides an online application to check the status of a NYS-issued vehicle title. Status Check displays the date the title was issued by the DMV, number of liens (if any), and the lien holder. No personal information is...

Commerce Department - Import/Export DBs

Posted on January 22, 2009
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, provides three lists described below that are relevant to import/export transactions. www.bis.doc.gov Denied Persons List The purpose of the Denied Persons List is to prevent the...

Free Public Relations Webinar

Posted on January 19, 2009
This topic is outside our normal scope of public records but in the light of the current economy we thought it would be a useful resource. Title: "Public Relations Tactics to Build and Promote Your Business"Date: Thursday, February 12, 2009Time:...

Research Tip - Toxic Hazards

Posted on January 09, 2009
TOXNET TOXNET, the Toxicology Data Network, provides multiple databases on toxicology, hazardous chemicals, environmental health, and toxic releases. TOXNET is managed by the Toxicology and Environmental Health Information Program within the National Library of Medicine (NLM)...

New Pre-employment Screening Blog

Posted on January 07, 2009
Now Online - www.safehiringblog.com - an informational, fact-based blog dedicated to pre-employment screening topics. A valued resource for employers, business owners, HR Professionals, hiring managers, security professionals, screening firms - anyone with hiring and/or screening responsibilities...

VIN Numbers

Posted on January 06, 2009
VIN stands for "vehicle identification number." This number is internationally recognized as the way to identify an individual vehicle. When buying a used vehicle, many people and dealers check the history of a VIN with a private vendor to help...

High School Records

Posted on January 04, 2009
Searching for high school records can be a difficult task. Over the years, schools can close, merge, or be renamed. A high school name can be misspelled or not quite remembered. There are several excellent websites that provide comprehensive lists...

Passport Records for Issuances 1925 ? Present

Posted on December 30, 2008
Passport Services maintains United States passport records for passports issued from 1925 to the present. These records normally consist of applications for United States passports and supporting evidence of U.S. citizenship, and are protected by the Privacy Act of 1974,...

Workers' Compensation Records

Posted on December 27, 2008
Every state has an agency that administrates workers? compensation cases. There is no national database of records. Workers' compensation benefits are paid to people who have suffered an injury during the performance of their jobs. Workers? compensation records will contain...

Massachusetts Vehicle Records ? Online Inquiry

Posted on December 11, 2008
There are two online inquiry systems open to the public and businesses. The Title/Lien Inquiry Transaction enables vehicle owners and lienholders to track a title, to verify lienholder accuracy, or to ensure a title has been sent to the appropriate...

Pennsylvania Sets Copy Fee Range For Public Records

Posted on December 10, 2008
The newly created Office of Open Records has mandated that as of January 1, 2009 Pennsylvania government entities must charge between $.10 and $.25 for copies of public record documents, except in the case of oversized documents. The Courts, the...

Electronically Accessed Missouri Motor Vehicle Records Now Less Than $.04 Each

Posted on December 09, 2008
Effective December 1, 2009, the fee for driving records accessed electronically was lowered from $1.25 to $.0382 per record. This fee decrease is the result of a huge legal mess that started with an agreement the Department of Revenue had...

North Dakota Adopts Privacy Protection Measures for Court Records

Posted on December 08, 2008
Amendments to North Dakota's Rules of Civil Procedure, Rules of Criminal Procedure, Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rules of Court, and Supreme Court Administrative Rules and Orders were adopted on December 3, 2008. On March 1, 2009, significant changes to electronic...

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

Posted on December 03, 2008
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, charters, regulates, and supervises all national banks and federally chartered branches and agencies of foreign banks that are not members of the...

Wyoming Courts

Posted on November 24, 2008
Each county has a District Court of ?higher jurisdiction? and a Circuit Court of limited jurisdiction. Effective January 1, 2003 all Justice Courts became Circuit Courts and follow Circuit Court rules. Circuit Courts handle civil claims up to $7,000 and...

Airplane Registration Numbers

Posted on November 18, 2008
The International Civil Aviation Organization (www.icao.int) maintains aircraft registration standards for participating countries. Each aircraft (over a certain weight) must be registered with a national aviation registration mark and number. This registration is shown on the plane...

Kosciusko County, Indiana Recorders Office Going Online

Posted on November 14, 2008
Kosciusko County, Indiana announced it has a contract with Doxpop to provide county recorder public records online starting January 2009. Fees have not been anounced but there will be a $1 copy fee passed back the county recorder's office. The...

Canadian Criminal Court System

Posted on November 14, 2008
Canadian court records are public information. The court system in Canada is similar to the U.S. system in that there is a federal court system with a supreme court and there are provincial systems with upper and lower courts. An...

About Searching for Criminal Records

Posted on November 10, 2008
There are two primary approaches to searching direct sources of criminal records ? go to the courthouse or go to the state repository. There are pluses and minuses for each method. Most criminal record searches performed by the public at...

About New Jersey's Promise/Gavel System - Beware of Shortcomings

Posted on November 07, 2008
Originally developed for county prosecutors, the Promis/Gavel is an automated criminal case tracking system that provides the function of docketing, indexing, noticing, calendaring, statistical reporting, and case management reporting, etc. Promis/Gavel is interactive with the courts as well as with...

Alabama Vehicle Status Check

Posted on November 01, 2008
A new online service that we came across while doing research for the 2009 MVR Book is the Vehicle Information Check provided by Alabama Interactive, an affiliate providing a variety of online services for the state. The Check provides basic...

Nashville TN Circuit Court

Posted on October 31, 2008
CaseLink is an online tool that provides information pertaining to cases filed in Circuit Court, Probate Court, and General Sessions Court - Civil Division in Davidson County. Effective November 1, 2008, the monthly subscription fee is increased from $20 per...

South Carolina Vital Records

Posted on October 31, 2008
The SC Department of Health and Environmental Control recently announced that their walk-in customer service office for vital records area will temporarily close beginning November 3. The closure is due to construction. The building is expected to re-open in March...

Montana Secretary of State Records

Posted on October 30, 2008
Several changes went into effect on October 1, 2008 for the office of the Montana Secretary of State. The fee increased for copies and fax-back services for corporation and other business entity records, and for UCC filing records. The new...

Idaho Driver Services

Posted on October 30, 2008
The Driver Services walk-in counter at the Idaho Transportation Department Headquarters in Boise is closing. After December 31st, 2008, all business will only be conducted by fax, mail, and web. See www.itd.idaho.gov/dmv/driverservices/importantnotice...

Michigan?s Motor Vehicle Registration Status Inquiry

Posted on October 28, 2008
Michigan?s Motor Vehicle Registration Status Inquiry Michigan maintains a searchable web site that allows dealers and others to verify if a vehicle purchaser can be denied registration under Michigan's "Repeat Offender Law" (MCL 257.219). The Web site verifies if the...

Area Codes - North American Numbering Plan (NANPA)

Posted on October 27, 2008
NANPA is an integrated telephone numbering plan serving the United States, its territories, and 18 other North American countries; Canada, Bermuda, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat,...

Connecticut Public Record Research Tip

Posted on October 15, 2008
Local Searching in Connecticut In Connecticut there are 8 counties and 169 towns/cities with signficant public records. There is no county recording in Connecticut, all recording is at the town/city level. The recording officer is the Town/City Clerk...

U.S. Tax Court

Posted on October 08, 2008
The jurisdiction of the U.S. Tax Court includes the authority to hear tax disputes concerning notices of deficiency, notices of transferee liability, certain types of declaratory judgment, readjustment and adjustment of partnership items, review of the failure to abate interest,...

UCC Public Record Research Tip

Posted on October 07, 2008
A significant change in UCC filing took effect in July 2001. Prior to that date UCC documents were recorded either at a centralized state agency or at a local recording office. At the time there were over 4,200 locations in...

Public Record Research Tip

Posted on September 29, 2008
Private Resources on Unions Big Labor.comBig Labor is sponsored by Union Communication Services Inc. Per their website ?Every U.S.-based union with a website ? national and local ? can be found on the Big Labor list in one of three...

Public Record Research Tip - Telephones

Posted on September 23, 2008
Free Directory Service for Cells Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411 information calls when they don't have to. Most of us do not carry a telephone directory in our vehicle, which makes this...

Massive Fee Increases Coming to AZ Courts

Posted on September 23, 2008
Per House Bill 2210 signed by the Governor in June, effective September 26, 2008, fees associated with filing and record searching will substantially increase for all superior and justice courts in the State of Arizona. For example, at justice courts...

Rhode Island Public Record Research Tip

Posted on September 22, 2008
Rhode Island has five counties, but only four Superior/District Court Locations ? 2nd-Newport, 3rd-Kent, 4th-Washington, and 6th-Providence/Bristol Districts. Bristol and Providence counties are completely merged at the Providence location. Civil claims between $5000 and $10,000 may be filed in either...

Dispelling the Myths of Searching Public Records Online

Posted on September 17, 2008
There is no Free Lunch! Tempe, Arizona ? September 17, 2008 ?The scope of information that exists online about people and businesses is staggering. If one needs to search for a public record or to do a background check, one...

VA Public Record Research Tip

Posted on September 16, 2008
In Virginia, fifteen independent cities share the Clerk of Circuit Court with the county - Bedford, Covington (Alleghany County), Emporia (Greenville County), Fairfax, Falls Church (Arlington or Fairfax County), Franklin (Southhampton County), Galax (Carroll County), Harrisonburg (Rockingham County), Lexington (Rockbridge...

AR Public Record Research Tip

Posted on September 11, 2008
In Arkansas, there is no statewide access to county assessor data; however, all counties cooperate with at least one commercial vendor. Registration, login, and fees required to search assessor records for 41 counties at www.arcountydata.com. Access property data free for...

IN Public Record Research Tip

Posted on September 08, 2008
54 Indiana Cities and Towns have the exact same names as Indiana CountiesMost common names of Indiana Cities and Towns include: there are 5 Mt Pleasants - in Cass, Delaware, Johnson, Martin, and Perry Counties there are 4 Buena Vistas...

IL Public Record Research Tip

Posted on September 05, 2008
In Illinois, court fees are set by the Clerk of Courts Act (705 ILCS 105). The statute sets different pricing for court filings and services based on three county population tiers; under 500,000, between 500,000 and 3,000,000, and over 3,000,000....

CA Public Record Research Tip

Posted on September 03, 2008
When searching for public records at California trial courts, per statute there is no name search fee unless the search takes more than 10 minutes, in which case the fee is $15.00. Certification is $15.00 per document plus copy fee;...

Alabama Public Record Research Tip

Posted on September 01, 2008
Although most Alabama county Circuit Courts and District Courts are combined, each index may be separate. Therefore, when you request a search of both courts, be sure to state that the search is to cover "both the Circuit and District...

Georgia Driving Records

Posted on August 31, 2008
Recently a number of entities who purchase Georgia driving records from MVR vendors received a letter from a paralegal with the Department of Driver Services (DDS). The letter demands that they obtain a private investigation license in order to continue...

Chester County Courts in PA are Moving

Posted on August 30, 2008
Effective September 13, 2008, the Court of Common Pleas, the County Prothonotary Office, and the Register of Wills are all moving into the new Chester County Justice Center. The new address is 201 West Market Street, West Chester, PA, 19382....

Vermont Public Record Research Tip

Posted on August 29, 2008
Vermont has 14 counties and 246 towns/cities which have 246 recording offices. There is no county recording in this state. All recording is done at the city/town level. Many towns are so small that their mailing addresses are in different...

Extensive Fee Increases Coming for Arizona's Courts

Posted on August 29, 2008
Per House Bill 2210 signed by the Governor in June, effective September 26, 2008, fees associated with filing and record searching will substantially increase for all superior and justice courts in the State of Arizona. For example, at justice courts...

MN Public Record Research Tip

Posted on August 25, 2008
Minnesota offers the Trial Court Public Access (MPA) at http://pa.courts.state.mn.us/default.aspx. Search statewide or by county. Records available include criminal, civil, family, and probate. Searches can be performed using a case number or by name...

New Book Reveals How Employers Can Protect Their Businesses

Posted on August 25, 2008
A 25-Point Action Plan that Audits Hiring Practices...For Businesses of All Sizes Tempe, Arizona ? August 25, 2008 - Facts on Demand Press announces the publication of The Safe Hiring Audit by Lester S. Rosen, Esq., with Michael Sankey. Hiring...

Rhode Island Public Record Research Tip

Posted on August 22, 2008
There are 5 counties in Rhode Island, but there is no county recording of public records in this state. All recording is done at the town/city level at one of 39 locations. The recording officers are the town/city clerks. However,...

Alaska Public Record Research Tip

Posted on August 20, 2008
The 23 Alaskan ?counties? are called boroughs. However, real estate recording is done under a system that was established at the time of the Gold Rush (1893-1916) with 34 Recording Districts. Some of the Districts are identical in geography to...

Company Unveils List of 2009 Background Screening Trends

Posted on July 07, 2008
News Release: employeescreenIQ, an employment screening company, announced its 2009 list of 10 background-screening trends at the Society for Human Resource Management's Annual Conference and Exposition in Chicago. The list is designed to provide hiring professionals with information about important...

RI "Quash and Destroy" Bill Vetoed

Posted on July 07, 2008
(See April 28 Posting) A bill that would have enabled thousands of convicted criminals to tell state licensing boards and prospective employers that they have never been convicted of a crime was vetoed by the Rhode Island Governor. The legislature...

Florida Raises Court Fees

Posted on July 03, 2008
Effective July 1, 2008, the filing fees, search fees and copy fees increased for Florida Circuit, County and Appellate Courts. The fee increase is part of Senate Bill 1790, which was signed by the governor on June 10th. In general,...

Audit Your Pre-employment Screening Practices

Posted on June 17, 2008
The Safe Hiring Audit, a book available June 23rd, provides a blueprint to evaluate and improve a company's hiring procedures. Companies of all sizes can identify potential problems and insure compliant hiring practices. This essential guide provides a step-by-step action...

Kroll Releases it's Annual Pre-employment Screening Report

Posted on June 10, 2008
Kroll has released the 2007 Hit Ratio Report, providing key statistics for the seven most common employment screening criteria, plus detailed analyses of industry-specific hit ratios for 13 additional industries. The 2007 Hit Ratio Report is derived from a sample...

DC Increases Fees for Electronic Driving Records

Posted on June 10, 2008
Effective July 1, 2008, the Washington DC Department of Motor vehicles is making two significant changes to the fee structure for obtaining electronic driving records. The fee will increase from $7.00 to $13.00 per record. This fee is not mandated...

Florida to Raise Court Fees, Providing Governor Signs Bill

Posted on June 10, 2008
Effective July 1, 2008, the filing fees, search fees and copy fees will increase for Florida Circuit, County and Appellate Courts. The fee increase is part of Senate Bill 1790 which is awaiting the governor's signature. In general, fees will...

Washington State Increases Lower Court Civil Limits

Posted on June 10, 2008
Effective July 1, 2008, the maximum claim amount that can be heard at the limited jurisdiction District Court level will increase from $50,000 to $75,000. The increase will not take place at the Superior Court level; the minimum claim amount...

USIS HireRight Merger

Posted on June 10, 2008
FALLS CHURCH, Va. & IRVINE, Calif. - (Business Wire) US Investigations Services, LLC (USIS), a leading provider of pre-employment and drug testing screening solutions and the largest provider of security investigations to the federal government, and HireRight, Inc...

Colorado Gov. Signs Record Sealing Bill

Posted on June 09, 2008
The Colorado Governor signed HP10-1082 which makes two significant changes. Individuals can petition to seal the records of criminal charges dismissed as the result of a plea bargain in another case after waiting ten years (instead of the previous fifteen)...

Judge Stops MO Motor Vehicle Record Fee Increase

Posted on June 04, 2008
A state judge ordered the MO Dept of Revenue to stop charging the $7 fee for driver license and motor vehicle records. it was the judge's opinion the fee hike violated the the state Sunshine Law. A hearing is set...

Fee Increase for West Virginia Recorded Documents

Posted on May 30, 2008
Effective June 8, 2008, the recording fee for each document recorded in West Virginia recording offices will increase by $5.00. There is no fee increase for document searches, copies or certifications. The new fees will be as follows: Deed will...

Motor Vehicle Record Fee Problems in Missouri

Posted on May 30, 2008
Effective May 1st, the state of Missouri increased the access fee to obtain a copy of a driving record or a vehicle record from $1.25 to $7.00 per record. While this is a major increase, it does place the state...

Jasper County Mississippi Adds New Justice Court

Posted on May 30, 2008
Mississippi recently added a new Justice Court in Jasper County in Paulding and is calling it District Court #1. The original Justice Court in Bay Springs is now designated as Justice Court #2. Mississippi Justice Courts are courts of limited...

Fee Increase for New York Criminal Records

Posted on May 30, 2008
The New York Office of Court Administration recently raised its statewide search fee from $52.00 to $55.00. Visit http://www.nycourts.gov/apps/chrs/

Missouri House Rejects Driver Record Increase Fee

Posted on May 16, 2008
The Missouri House of Representatives overwhelming defeated the bill containing an increase to $7 for driver records. The Senate previously passed a different version of the bill. The Senate must approve the House bill or the two groups need to...

Controversy Regarding Missouri?s Increase for Driving Records

Posted on May 08, 2008
Missouri recently raised their fees for driver license and motor vehicle records from $1.25 to $7 per record. Members of the state legislature, press and other groups are challenging the increase. The fees were increased to cover the cost of...

Cooperative Effort to Create New Criminal Records Index for Alabama Criminal Records

Posted on May 08, 2008
Analysts International Corp, VisionWare and the University of Alabama are combining efforts to create a new Criminal Records Index Master for the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center (ACJIC). We have no information as far as when the system will be...

ADP Releases Annual Screening Index

Posted on April 30, 2008
ADP Employer Services has released its annual Screening Index, a yearly evaluation of employment screening and hiring trends. The index reports on statistics pulled from nearly 5.8 million background checks. Two interesting stats include- 1 in 3 candidates have violations...

Rhode Island Legislature to Vote on Criminal Record ?Quash and Destroy? Bill

Posted on April 28, 2008
A Rhode Island House committee has approved a bill to remove thousands of crimes from the public record. If approved, thousands of convicted criminals will be able to tell state licensing boards and prospective employers that they have never been...

Non-Profits Need to be Vigilant

Posted on April 23, 2008
According to a recent report by ChoicePoint, every day at least 144,000 people with criminal records seek employment or volunteer opportunities with non-profit organizations. Common offenses include larceny, writing bad checks, drug possession, assault, burglary, sex-related crimes, disorderly conduct and...

Kroll Releases Their Annual Pre-employment Screening Hit Ratio Report

Posted on April 22, 2008
Kroll publishes an annual Hit Ratio Report which provides key statistics for seven common employment screening criteria. It also provides detailed analyses of industry-specific hit ratios for 13 industries. The report is created from a sample of Kroll?s Background Screening...

Problems Forecast for Nebraska's UCC Filing and Searching Systems

Posted on April 07, 2008
Nebraska's governor signed into law LB 851 which revises § 9-506(b) effective July, 2008. This revision gives UCC filers the ability to file a statement with only the correct last name of the debtor if the debtor is an individual....

Free DL Status Check in Idaho

Posted on April 06, 2008
Another newsworthy record access item in Idaho is the new free Driver License Status Check. Requesters input the name including middle initial, DOB and either the DL# or the SSN. The system reports if the license is commercial or non-commercial,...

Fee Increase for Electronic Access to Idaho Motor Vehicle Records

Posted on April 05, 2008
Effective May 1, 2008, Access Idaho, the web portal that provides the gateway to driving records and vehicle records, is raising access fees. The fee for a driving record will increase from $5.50 to $6.00. The fee for a vehicle...

Maryland Courts and Recent Changes

Posted on April 04, 2008
Several changes have taken place over the past few months. 1) The old dial-up system proving access to the record dockets to Circuit and District courts has been shut down. All users have migrated to the web interface at http://casesearch.courts.state...

Missouri to Increase Fees for All Motor Vehicle Records

Posted on April 04, 2008
The Missouri Department of Revenue announced this week sweeping changes to it's motor vehicle (driving and vehicle) record access. Effective May 1st, the new fee will be $7.00. This is across the board and affects online access as well as...

Oklahoma Supreme Court Rescinds Redaction Ruling

Posted on March 26, 2008
Update to the March 12th posting on this site. The Oklahoma Supreme Court rescinded the rule closing selected online court records and redacting information from court files. A statement issued by the the court on 3/25/08 indicated the ruling was...

Improve Your Public Record Searching

Posted on March 13, 2008
Facts on Demand Press is announcing the release of a new title, The Public Record Research Tips Book. The book provides ?Insider Information? for searching for public records at thousands of government public record agencies and web pages. This resource...

Publicrecordsguy.com

Posted on March 13, 2008
A California PI has an interesting blog regarding public records. Most of the material pertains to California Government but he also provides information on documents, pacer filings, notable cases and other items. He recognizes that the media can shape the...

Oklahoma Supreme Court Decision Limits Online Access to Public Records

Posted on March 12, 2008
A recent decision by the OK Supreme Court requires filers to redact personal data identifiers including SSN's, taxpayer ID's, names of minors, dates of birth, financial account information and home addresses from all pleadings or other documents filed with the...

New Employee Verification Act Proposed to Replace E-Verify System

Posted on March 03, 2008
On February 28, Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas) and three cosponsors introduced H.R. 5515l. The purpose of the legislation, which would replace the E-Verify system operated by the Homeland Security Department, is to stop the use of stolen identities and fraud...

Criminal Record Searching Added to Connecticut Judicial Site

Posted on February 29, 2008
The Judicial Branch of the state of Connecticut recently unveiled a new web service to look-up criminal records with dispositions. The Branch now offers web look-up to docket information for civil, family, criminal, motor vehicle, housing, and small claims cases at www...

Reed Elsevier to Acquire ChoicePoint

Posted on February 22, 2008
Per a 02/21/08 press release:  Reed Elseveir, owner of NexisLexis, is seeking to  buy ChoicePoint .  The press release reports: Combination of ChoicePoint with the LexisNexis Risk Information and Analytics Group will create a risk management business with $1...

Order Vermont Vital Records Online

Posted on February 20, 2008
Vermont vital records can be ordered online at https://secure.vermont.gov/BGS/vitalrecords/.    The records are sold to the public for a $10 fee (credit cards accepted)  and mailed within 5 -7 business days.  Available records include birth, death, marriage, divorce, civil union, and civil union dissolution certificates.

First Advantage Acquires Verify Limited

Posted on February 19, 2008
Per a press release by First Advantage Corporation- First Advantage Corporation (Nasdaq: FADV), a global risk mitigation and business solutions provider, today announced the purchase of Verify Limited, a premier Asian Pacific employment screening company, by the Employer Services segment of First Advantage...

Free Webinar on Finding People Information

Posted on February 19, 2008
Donna Fryer, who has been intricately involved in the information research industry for almost 20 years, is offering a free webinar titled Finding People Information: Free Sources and Web 2.0.  Research projects, business development, sales calls, recruiting and often  due diligence requires quick research on individuals...

Pennsylvania Reforms State's Right -to-Know Law

Posted on February 15, 2008
After 13 months of effort Pennsylvania finally reformed it's 50 year old Right-to-Know law (SB 1763).  The previous law was widely considered one of the weakest in the nation.  Per the Governor's Press Release -- Under the new law, written requests may be submitted in person, by mail, e-mail, fax or any other electronic means as provided by the agency...

Connecticut Criminal Records Online

Posted on February 06, 2008
Connecticut?s judicial system has placed all felony and misdemeanor convictions online.  Juvenile records are not displayed.  Records go back to January 1, 2000.  Misdemeanors are removed after 5 years.    Users can search by last name and first initial...

Woodford County Courty Online

Posted on January 21, 2008
Woodford County Illinois court records are now accessible online. The free database allows users to search by name or case number and view case information such as charges, dispositions, sentences, civil judgments and the history of proceedings. The court is linked to www...

Changes to West Virginia Driving Record Access and Fees

Posted on January 10, 2008
Effective February 1, 2008, electronic access of West Virginia driving records will be through a designated third party - West Virginia Interactive LLC (WVI). WVI, a state affiliate of NIC Inc. (www.nicusa.com), will build and manage the official state government web site and associated eGovernment services at www...

Forsyth County Register of Deeds

Posted on January 04, 2008
After January 29, 2008, the Forsyth County NC Register of Deeds will bemoving to the new County Government Center.  The new address is201 N Chestnut St, 2nd Fl, Winston-Salem NC 27101. Telephone numbers will remain the same.

Sexual Offender Databases

Posted on December 21, 2007
A valuable tool available to employers is the use of sexual offender databases.  These state sexual registration requirements, popularly know as Megan?s Law, were signed into law in May 1996.  The law had two primary goals.  The first goal was to require each state and the federal government to register sexual offenders...

Homeland Security Releases Real ID Grant Guidelines

Posted on December 15, 2007
The Homeland Security Department released grant guidelines to assist states applying for $35 million to begin implementing Real ID requirements for handling personal information associated with driver?s licenses.  The Real ID Act prohibits the federal government from accepting state-issues driver?s licenses or identification cards for any federal purpose (e...

Slight Fee Increased Scheduled for Electronic MVRs in Montana

Posted on December 14, 2007
A firm date has not been, but Registered Users at Montana's https://app.mt.gov/dojdrs/ will see an increase for a driving record from $7.00 to $7.25 right after the first of the year.

About Minnesota's New Online Access to Trial Court Records

Posted on December 14, 2007
Minnesota recently unveiled the state's new Trial Court Public Access (MPA) at http://pa.courts.state.mn.us/default.aspx. Search statewide or by county. Records available include criminal, civil, family, and probate. Searches can be performed using a case number or name...

White Paper on SSN Redaction

Posted on December 13, 2007
A white paper designed to help government agencies develop policies for removing Social Security numbers and other sensitive information from public documents has been released by the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) along with the National Electronic Commerce Coordinating Council (eC3)...

Ohio - No Criminal Record Checks for Legislators

Posted on December 13, 2007
Ohio House Bill 104 requires a criminal records check of an applicant for an initial license for a number of professions including accountants, contractors, and dental hygienists . . . but not state legislators.  The bill passed committee and is going to the house but an amendment requiring checks on legislators was voted down...

Proposed $25,000 Fee Increase to Obtain Electronic MVR?s in DC

Posted on December 13, 2007
An item has slipped under the radar which could greatly affect access of motor vehicle records from Washington DC. On November 16th, a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in Vol.54 - NO.46 of the District of Columbia Register was published that, among other items, raises the annual fee of an entity purchasing electronic driving records from $100 per year to $25,000 per year...

Proposed Amendments to Ohio Court Record Access

Posted on December 12, 2007
The Supreme Court of Ohio is accepting public comments until December 19, 2007 on proposed amendments addressing access to court records per the Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio. The proposed amendment list is extensive and includes among other items: 1) modifications to the current process of sealing court records; 2) partial redaction (only the year on the DOB) or omission of personal identifiers when a case is filed; 3) any party to the case or any individual who is the subject of information in a case record may request that the court limit public access to the case information...