While we've often heard the term "public records", many people do not realize what this phrase actually means. When one speaks of public records, they are referring to information that has been filed by the various local or state governments or even the federal government or their agencies. The type of information that is submitted into public records could be information such as driving records, criminal charges, marital and death records, property and real estate records or immigration statuses.

So what is public records and how can you use this to protect yourself? Public records is a system designed to record and publicly document all public documentation. This means if someone is arrested, caught stealing, or in any way has a criminal record, they can't hide from public record searches. Although the public has free access to these records, they aren't available freely online. The public records are actually documents available only by going to your local chamber of congress or hall of justice and you could spend many tedious hours looking through files to find what you need.

In some cases, the public records can be made available to the general public at no charge, while still others will charge an administration fee. The availability of the various records is based on the local regulations or state and federal laws. While many records are available on the Internet, it's not quite as simple to obtain them as some companies would have you to believe. Often times these companies will promise access to all records, charge a hefty fee and leave you with only basic information that is available on public websites that are already free.

Because of the Freedom of Information Act, there are various types of public records that can provide important information to interested parties. Such information includes legislation minutes and votes, government reports regarding spending, sex offender registration files, information regarding consumer rights and protection, records from the Census and business licences issued.

Public records are used in many ways these days, from a prospective employer screening his applicants to make sure they have a clean record to home owners screening potential renters to make sure they're not criminals. Furthermore, schools and day care centers often use online public records to verify that their applicants who will be working with children, do not have a a history of sexual abuse. Government agencies also use public records when screening potential adoptive or foster parents.

Home owners often check public records to find out what new businesses have applied for business licences in their area. This is how they can keep undesirable businesses out of their neighborhoods and keep their property values up. Home owners can also check public records to find out if a registered sex offender is moving in their area.