In the United States, most vital records are maintained state by state. A government authority that has oversight over professional behavior of its licensees, maintains records regarding the licensee, such as specific personal information, education, complaints, investigations, and any documented disciplinary actions.

Government Records Repository

Available access to public records in the United States at the federal level is guided by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Each individual state maintains its own version of FOIA. In some of the jurisdictions, vital records can also include records of civil unions or domestic partnerships.

In the United States, the Brady Bill requires a criminal background check for persons wishing to purchase handguns from licensed firearms dealers. In Colorado is the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) and in New Jersey the same type of law is known to be the Open Public Records Act (OPRA). Large numbers of employers choose to search the most common records such as criminal records, driving records, and education verification.

Abundant private matters such as the full accounts of divorce cases, insurance lawsuits, voter registration (varying from state to state), and almost any other transactions people make with the government or conduct in a courthouse, is included in public records and made available for all of society to consider.   

While each individual state has its own standards concerning what information is public record, the following information is generally available below the Freedom Of Information Act. Criminal records Real estate appraisal records Sex offender registration files Legislation minutes Government spending reports Consumer protection information Professional and business licenses Census records Court dockets Visit also Freedom of information legislation Privacy laws in the United States Sex offender registration Public records in China References.

The California Public Records Act (PRA) states that "except for certain exceptions, personal information maintained on an individual will not be disclosed without the person's written consent. " Searches into databases such as the sex offender registry, credential verification, skills assessment, reference checks, credit reports and Patriot Act searches have increased since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.


Some of the reports provided by pay sites are only expanded versions of a basic people search sometimes providing a 20 year history of information like addresses, phone numbers, marriages and divorces, if businesses are owned and property ownership.   

However, the advent of the Information Age and electronic databases has promoted efficient large-scale shuffling and mass-compilation of personal information that some believe has created a "dossier society" - a society in which everyone is subject to perpetual electronic profiles that document and amass everything known about an individual's private life.


This can create a jarring effect of invading the privacy of millions, stopping or delaying any social forgiveness for embarrassing types of matters that go through courts (civil and criminal) no matter how much time goes by, and creating a growing disenfranchised group of society. Government Records Repository.

Results of a background check typically include past employment verification, credit score, and criminal history types of data. Vital records are records that include life events kept under governmental authority, including birth certificates, marriage licenses, and death certificates.