The Importance Of Having Access To Public Records

Public records are documents that are available for people’s access. Most of these records pertain to property rights, utilities, lawsuit, marriage and divorce, occupational licenses and death records online. Over time, different states and local government agencies have moved towards making all its records accessible online. This is particularly helpful for people who need immediate access to government files needed by local individuals for research and education purposes. However, this doesn’t mean that access to these records has no restrictions. A certain level of restraint is implemented, depending on the type of documents being accessed. Some website offering this service requires searchers to register. But with the Freedom of Information (FOI) that has been legislated, access to public documents has been made easier. However, when it comes to accessing personal information about a person, the restrictions apply. Restrictions vary from one state to another. For example, in California, the California Public Records Act (PRA) says that except for particular clear...

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