Public Records
By Seme Research Team · Updated May 22, 2026
Definition
Public Records are government-maintained documents and databases that are legally accessible to the public. These include court records (civil and criminal cases), property ownership records, business registrations, voter registrations, professional licenses, corporate filings (SEC, Companies House), bankruptcy records, marriage/divorce records, and birth/death certificates. Public records are classified as E1 (Primary Sources) in identity investigation because they are official government documents with high evidentiary weight. Access methods vary by jurisdiction: some records are freely available online, others require in-person requests or paid database subscriptions. In the United States, public records are governed by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) at the federal level and equivalent state laws.
How It Works
Public records research follows a systematic search strategy. Step 1 — Jurisdiction Identification: determining which government agencies maintain relevant records based on the subject's known locations. Step 2 — Database Selection: choosing between free government portals (PACER for federal courts, state secretary of state websites), commercial aggregators (LexisNexis, Westlaw), and specialized databases (property records, corporate filings). Step 3 — Query Execution: searching by name, date of birth, address, or case number. Step 4 — Record Retrieval: obtaining full documents or certified copies. Step 5 — Verification: cross-referencing retrieved records with other sources to confirm accuracy and completeness.
Example
Investigating a potential business partner through public records reveals: Property records show they own 3 properties in California (E1 — county assessor). SEC filings list them as a director of a publicly traded company (E1 — EDGAR database). Court records show one civil lawsuit (breach of contract, settled) and no criminal history (E1 — PACER + state court database). Business registrations show they are a registered agent for 4 LLCs (E1 — secretary of state). Professional license records confirm an active CPA license (E1 — state board of accountancy).
Applications
- •Asset verification for litigation support
- •Corporate structure analysis for investment research
- •Regulatory compliance verification for financial institutions
- •Real estate due diligence for property transactions