To get information about a person legally, start with the records the government is required to make public — court filings, property deeds, professional licenses, sex offender and federal inmate registries, and certain voter and vital records — and understand that driver’s license data, Social Security numbers, credit histories, and most federal records about a living individual are walled off by federal privacy law unless you are the subject or have written consent. The practical work is knowing which source holds what you need, what it costs, and where the legal line sits before you start searching.
Court Records
Court filings are one of the richest public sources available. Civil cases, divorces, criminal charges and convictions, bankruptcies, and small claims judgments all become public once filed. For state and local matters, that means the clerk of court in the county where the case was heard, or the court’s online portal if it has one. Some jurisdictions post full dockets and documents online for free. Others want an in-person visit or a written request with a copying fee.
Federal cases run through PACER, which covers every federal district, bankruptcy, and appellate court. You register for an account and can search by name, case number, or court. Access costs $0.10 per page with a $3.00 cap per document, and if quarterly charges stay at $30 or less, the fees are waived.1PACER: Federal Court Records. Public Access to Court Electronic Records PACER is the way to find federal criminal cases, bankruptcies, and civil suits that will not appear in any state court search.
Property and Vital Records
Property records show who owns a piece of real estate, when it last changed hands, and the tax assessment. County recorder or assessor offices hold them, and most counties now offer free online lookups. A property search often produces current and past addresses, which is usually the first step in locating someone.
Vital records — births, marriages, divorces, deaths — sit with state vital statistics offices and sometimes county health departments.2National Archives. Vital Records Access is tighter than most public records. Most states limit certified birth and death certificates to the person named, immediate family, or someone with a direct legal interest such as an attorney or executor. Fees run roughly $10 to $35 per certified copy, and mail processing takes weeks.
Federal Criminal and Safety Lookups
A few free federal databases cover the whole country in a single search, which saves you from checking each state.
Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator
The Bureau of Prisons runs a free online tool covering every federal inmate from 1982 to the present. Search by first and last name or by BOP register number. Results include age, race, facility, and projected release date.3Federal Bureau of Prisons. Inmate Locator Someone shown as “Released” with no facility may still be on supervised release or parole. Only federal inmates appear here; state prison and county jail records live with each state’s department of corrections.
National Sex Offender Public Website
NSOPW.gov, run by the Department of Justice, is the only federally maintained registry that pulls from every state, territory, and tribal jurisdiction. Searches are free and can be run by name, ZIP code, or a specific address within a three-mile radius. Results include name, aliases, photograph, home and work addresses, conviction details, and identifying features such as tattoos.4NSOPW. Search Public Sex Offender Registries A single name search covers the entire country.
FBI Identity History Summary
The FBI Identity History Summary, sometimes called a rap sheet, compiles a person’s interactions with the federal criminal justice system. You can only request your own. Pulling someone else’s requires their fingerprints and consent. The cost is $18, submitted through an approved channeler or by mailing a fingerprint card to the FBI.5FBI. Identity History Summary Checks Frequently Asked Questions It is useful when an employer or licensing board asks you to produce your own record, or when you want to see what will show up before someone else runs a check.
Military Service Records
Military service records, including DD Form 214 discharge papers, are held by the National Archives. Access turns on how long ago the veteran separated. Records become fully open to the public 62 years after separation, so as of 2026 anyone can order copies for veterans who left service before 1964, paying only a copying fee.6National Archives. Request Military Service Records
For more recent veterans, only the veteran or the next of kin of a deceased veteran (surviving spouse, parent, child, or sibling) can request the full record. Anyone else can submit a FOIA request for records under 62 years old, but the Archives will release only limited information and redact anything protected by the Privacy Act.6National Archives. Request Military Service Records
Professional Licenses, Federal Exclusions, and Voter Rolls
To verify credentials, go to the state licensing board. Every state runs searchable databases for doctors, nurses, lawyers, engineers, real estate agents, contractors, and other licensed professions. These show whether a license is active, expired, or suspended, along with any disciplinary actions. No account or reason is needed; the information exists to protect consumers.
At the federal level, SAM.gov maintains a list of individuals and businesses excluded from federal contracts or certain government assistance. Search by name without an account. Results show the type of exclusion, the agency that imposed it, and whether it is active.7SAM.gov. Exclusions Search This is useful when vetting a potential business partner or contractor.
Voter registration records are public in nearly every state. The public file typically includes name, address, age, precinct, and polling location, and in some states party affiliation. Rules vary — some states offer free online lookups, others require a written request, and a few restrict who can access the data or how it can be used.
Search Engines and People-Search Sites
A plain internet search is often the fastest starting point. A name paired with a city, employer, or school will surface news articles, professional profiles, social media, and organizational directories. Uncommon names produce cleaner results. For common names, a middle initial or a specific location narrows things considerably.
Social media reveals whatever the user has chosen to make public: profile photos, employment history, location, public posts. Anything behind a privacy setting requires the person’s permission.
Commercial people-search sites aggregate public records, address histories, phone numbers, and social data into consolidated reports. Basic details are usually free; the full report costs money. These services are data brokers repackaging information that already exists in scattered public databases. They do not access private records, though the compiled picture can feel comprehensive. If your own information appears on one and you want it removed, most sites offer an opt-out, but you have to submit a request to each service individually.
FOIA Requests
The Freedom of Information Act lets anyone request records held by federal agencies. In theory, you can ask any federal agency for records mentioning a specific person. In practice, the Privacy Act sharply limits what comes back. Federal agencies cannot release records about an identifiable individual to a third party without that person’s written consent, a court order, or a narrow statutory exception.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 U.S. Code 552a – Records Maintained on Individuals
FOIA becomes genuinely useful when you request your own records, or when you have written authorization from the person whose records you need. Immigration records, for example, can be requested through USCIS with the subject’s written permission.9USCIS. Request Records Through the Freedom of Information Act or Privacy Act It also works well for non-personal government records — agency policies, enforcement actions, organizational data — that might relate to the person you are researching.
What You Cannot Legally Get
Two federal laws draw the biggest lines. Knowing them keeps you from wasting time on information the law will not release.
The Privacy Act
The Privacy Act of 1974 bars federal agencies from disclosing records about an individual to any third party without written consent, subject to limited exceptions for law enforcement, the census, Congress, and court orders.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 U.S. Code 552a – Records Maintained on Individuals That is why the IRS will not discuss someone’s tax filings with you, and why the Social Security Administration will not share earnings history. Most federal records about living individuals are off-limits unless you are the subject or hold their permission.
The Drivers Privacy Protection Act
Before 1994, anyone could walk into a DMV and buy a name, home address, and Social Security number using a license plate number. The Drivers Privacy Protection Act now prohibits state motor vehicle departments from disclosing personal information tied to a motor vehicle record except for a short list of approved purposes, including law enforcement, motor vehicle safety and recall activities, insurance underwriting, and verifying information already provided by the individual.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 2721 – Prohibition on Release and Use of Certain Personal Information From State Motor Vehicle Records “Highly restricted” information such as Social Security numbers and medical data gets stronger protection still and generally requires express consent. Curiosity is not a permissible purpose.
If You Are Running a Background Check
The Fair Credit Reporting Act governs anything you gather through a consumer reporting agency to decide about employment, housing, credit, or insurance. If you are an employer or landlord using a third-party screening company, you are operating under the FCRA whether you realize it or not.
Before ordering the report, give the person a clear written disclosure that you plan to obtain it and get their written authorization. The disclosure has to be a standalone document; you cannot bury it inside a job application or lease alongside liability waivers and other legal language.11Federal Trade Commission. Background Checks on Prospective Employees: Keep Required Disclosures Simple The FCRA also limits who may receive a consumer report to parties with a recognized permissible purpose, such as evaluating credit, making a hiring decision, or underwriting insurance.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 U.S. Code 1681b – Permissible Purposes of Consumer Reports
If anything in the report leads you to deny a job, apartment, or credit, send an adverse action notice. It must include the name and contact information of the reporting agency, a statement that the agency did not make the decision, and notice of the person’s right to a free copy of the report and to dispute inaccuracies within 60 days.13Federal Trade Commission. Using Consumer Reports for Credit Decisions: What to Know About Adverse Action and Risk-Based Pricing Notices Skipping these steps invites FCRA lawsuits, and consumers do win them, especially in class actions where a company systematically failed the disclosure rules.
Just Asking
The simplest route often gets skipped. If any kind of relationship exists, a direct conversation usually produces more accurate and complete information than hours of records work. People generally respond well to an honest explanation — reconnecting after losing touch, verifying professional qualifications, resolving a business matter. When that is not realistic, a mutual contact can sometimes fill gaps: a former coworker confirming employment history, a mutual friend passing along updated contact information. For anything formal or adversarial, such as a lawsuit, a custody dispute, or a fraud investigation, the public records and legal channels above are the right path.