Sunday, November 17, 2013

Florida Public Records Search

By Ben Kingsley


The state of Florida is considered an open state after the Freedom of Information Act has been implemented. With this, the local residents can request for any of the Florida Public Records anytime. Since the documents are opened to the general public, other individuals can request it if they have permission to do so.

The public documents in Florida are categorized into two: personal files and criminal records. Birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates all belong to the personal documents of the state where it is used to prove the identity of an individual. Arrest, police and criminal records are part of the criminal files that the state of Florida issues to individuals who violate the laws of the state and nation.

Each document is used in its own unique way. Updating the family history records are the primary use of personal documents. However, divorce records are usually the last document used as reference since it is not that important in genealogy research. Government transactions would require any of the public documents to use it as legal proof of identity and status. Divorce certificates and marriage licenses are checked when verifying the marital status of an individual. Criminal records are one of the sources of information when conducting a background check. Owners of businesses would refer to criminal files of their people to ensure that they have qualified employees with no criminal history. It is also used as part of the investigation process of authorities and investigators.

Getting a copy of a public document in the state of Florida would cost a certain amount but this usually varies on the type of file that is being requested as well as where it was obtained. In requesting for a public document, it is important to provide the basic information of the record that is being requested. This helps start the search and to simplify the retrieval process. One should also indicate their contact details on the request form since it will be used as reference because the copy of the document can only be given to the individual whose name is found on the file and his/her immediate family. One should give the office several days to process the request. It can take longer if problems are encountered during the retrieval process.

The Department of Health under the Vital Statistics office is where the birth and death certificates as well as the marriage and divorce certificates are archived. The Department of Public Safety is responsible for managing the criminal records of Florida. One can check with the local county clerk office and court house and see if they can provide the record on their end. Requests can also be sent through a mail order but this can take time especially if there are problems during the search procedure. This can be avoided by requesting the record online.

Online retrieval of public records is now possible and has made the retrieval process easy. Not only that it is convenient but it is also fast compared to requesting it from the office. All it takes is to fill out the online form and after submitting it, the needed information is displayed in just seconds.




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