The beauty of public records is that they are indeed public, and in these “wired” times access to such information is growing easier and easier. It used to be once, and in some places still is the case, that in order to perform a public records search you had to be present at the courthouse or government office in question to sign forms and pay fees. Now some government agencies offer the ability to bypass that by searching their databases for public records on their web sites.

For example, if you’re planning a public records search for someone’s marriage records, you may be able to find that by visiting the web site of the Department of Health or Vital Records office in the area where the marriage took place. If the agency doesn’t have a web site with search enabled, you can still call or visit. But you can also try any of the many third party web sites created to make it simple for you to conduct your own public records search online.