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When you are searching public records, you are only getting a small piece of the larger picture. You may find an arrest record, but the details are almost never included. Oftentimes reports will contradict each other, as they come from different sources with data gathered at different times. Always take everything you read with a large grain of salt, and do your best to verify any information through other means. Even information such as the person's favorite movies or music could be largely incorrect. They may have made that list five years ago and their tastes are completely different now. Common information obtained from public records can include simple things such as name, address and phone numbers. In addition, birth, death, marriage & divorce records and criminal, court, sex offender registries can be searched in some areas. Licenses, property information and a number of other records are kept by the government and certain organizations. There are a variety of sites online that will allow you to search public records for free, and even more that will do so for a fee. Keep in mind that all public records aren't necessarily free, and getting the appropriate permit and authorization can take a significant amount of time. Likewise, any records that a site returns may be outdated or incomplete. Here are a couple good places to start: Free Public Records Search Directory - This site allows you to search public records from any state or on a federal level. If the record cannot be obtained by the search, it will often tell you who to contact to obtain it. You will need to know the general location of the person you are investigating. Family Watchdog - This site contains the National Sex Offender Registry, and allows you to search for offenders by name or location. Keep in mind that details are often not provided, which can contribute to an unwarranted negative view. Your local department of corrections website - Almost all states will allow you to search publicly available criminal records. The address is different for each state, but searching for "<yourstate> department of corrections" should quickly get you there. A paid public records search may yield more results than a free search, but keep in mind that all of the records it retrieves are available if you put the time in contacting the various agencies. If you don't have time to do this, paying for a search may be a better use of your time and money.

Summary:
Know what to expect. Understand what is made public. Use a free public records search. Use a paid search.