Property Records

• Examples of public property records include land records, deeds, foreclosures, tax liens, permits, assessor and property tax. You can use the information that can be had from these types of records for anything from researching your ancestry to shopping for a new home.
  
  

Licensing Records

• Licensing records cover the licensing of businesses, medical professionals, contractors and other licensed professionals. Having access to this type of information can be helpful in determining the credibility of a professional entity before seeking its services. These records also show any complaints or disciplinary action that was taken against a licensed business or individual.
  
  

Criminal Records

• Jail and inmate records, warrants and sex offender registry information are just a few types of criminal-related records that are available to the public. The department of corrections in most states maintains past and present jail and inmate records. VINElink is the online site for VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday), part of the National Victim Notification Network, which can be used to determine such things as an offender's custody status.
  
  

Vital Statistics

• Births, deaths, marriages, divorces and census information all fall under the vital statistics category of public records. In many locations, it is the health department of a city or state that is the depository for these kinds of records, although marriage and divorce records can also be found at the local or county courthouse in which the event occurred.
  
  

Unclaimed Property

• Every state's treasury or revenue department has a directory that you can search by entering a name to see if there is any unclaimed property in that person's name. Perhaps you or a relative may have forgotten about a bank account or a utility deposit. In some cases, insurance companies cannot locate a beneficiary. Stocks, bonds, wages and even the contents of safe deposit boxes can all be considered types of unclaimed property.
  
  

Additional Records

• States and local jurisdictions often have additional types of records available to the public such as voting and election records, health inspection findings and government employee salary information. You can search your state's official website for a listing of its public records or visit a local library or courthouse to find out more about the vast array of public records that may be available to help you find information you are seeking.