Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Florida Public Records Available Online

Florida Public Records Available Online

By Ben Kingsley


The state of Florida Public Records is considered an open document that the residents can access anytime. This was done in accordance to the Freedom of Information Act which allows the residents of the state to take charge of their personal files and at the same time their safety and security.

Residents of Florida can request copies of documents such as birth and death certificates, marriage and divorce licenses as well as criminal records. Birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates are used primarily in government transactions since it would serve as a document to verify one's identity and marital status. Each document can only be used for a certain type of transaction. For example, in order to claim the insurance of a deceased family member, the death certificate has to be presented. The same goes when conducting a background check since it would require only a criminal record to do so.

Since each document is used uniquely, the information that can be obtained from each of the document is unique to itself. This means that information about the death of an individual cannot be found on a marriage certificate, the same for the rest of the other types of document. They may have unique information but they all have one thing in common: the personal details of the person involved. A public document would not be complete and valid without the complete name of the person involved as well as the birth details. Criminal records would contain serious information about the crimes an individual has committed

There are certain offices in Florida where one can obtain a copy of any of the public document. Birth, marriage, death and divorce files are archived at the state's office of the Vital Records. Fees are from $5 to $20 depending on the type of file being requested. Criminal records can be requested at the state's Department of Public Safety and it usually cost a minimum of $20 which may vary as well. If going to the state offices is not possible, the county clerk office can help you with the search.

Although the documents are open to the public, the state of Florida only allows the person on the file and their immediate relatives to get a copy of the document. A special request has to be filed in order to gain access to the records of another individual. It is also important that the basic details of the document being obtained have to be provided during the search. One also has to indicate their contact details on the request form in order to proceed with the retrieval. This is especially true when obtaining a copy of a criminal record.

With the Internet used as a tool for sharing information, getting any of the public documents of Florida is now a breeze. Doing the search online makes it faster and convenient. A lot of websites are now offering to get a copy of any of the public documents of the state. Some would even offer a free government public records search.




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