Since the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act, the state of Florida has allowed its residents to obtain a copy of their personal records. This means that they can request any of the Florida Public Records whenever it is needed and other people can also access it provided that they are authorized to access the file.
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.
Personal files are primarily used in genealogy research. Researchers would refer to the certificates of birth, death and marriage to update the family tree. Divorce records are the last file that is checked in updating the family history. Divorce and marriage records are also used to verify the marital status of an individual. The criminal records are the source of information when conducting a background check on certain people. Business owners would regularly do this to make sure that they have people with clean criminal history. Investigators would also use it as part of their case investigations.
Fees have to be paid when requesting for a copy of any of the public records in Florida. It would depend on the type of document being requested as well as where it was filed. It is important that one needs to know the basic information of the record of interest in order to proceed with the search. The personal information of the one who requested for the file has to be indicated clearly on the request form. This is very important since most of the public documents are only given to the person himself or his/her immediate family. Wait time can also differ depending on the simplicity or the complexity of the search especially if there are problems with the retrieval.
Birth, marriage death and divorce files are managed by the state’s Vital statistics office under the Department of Health. Criminal records, on the other hand, can be requested at the state’s Department of Public Safety. The local county clerk office and court house can also assist in getting the needed documents if going to the state office is not possible. Both offices accept mail in requests. But it usually takes longer than the usual delivery time. This is why the Internet is used as a medium to deliver information to the public.
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.
The most critical step in conducting Free Florida Public Records is selecting the source. Come and share our research findings on Government Public Records and make the right choice.. Also published at Florida Public Records.
