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PUBLICREPORTS / SOURCE ATLAS

9 RECORD ROUTES · 0 DATA BROKER FORMS

Follow the record
to its source.

Court file, deed, license, vital record, inmate locator, or unclaimed property—choose the task and take the shortest verified route.

Choose a record typeHow the method works
CHOOSE A TASK→
01
Court recordsCase number / party
02
Property recordsAddress / parcel ID
03
Deed recordsParty / instrument
04
Vital recordsEvent / place / date
05
Business recordsEntity / filing number
06
Inmate recordsName / inmate ID
07
Registry searchName / location
08
Unclaimed propertyName / prior state
09
Professional licensesLicense / profession

SOURCE-FIRST / VISUAL NOTES

Editorial illustrations clarify the workflow. They do not depict a specific office, person, or record.

Illustrative source-first research desk with an archive box, map, notebook, and search screen
ILLUSTRATIVEKeep a traceable route from the task to the official source and the result you reviewed.
Illustrative civic courthouse entrance with stone columns and broad steps
ILLUSTRATIVECourt level and filing place determine the right case-record route.
Illustrative government archive reading room with document boxes and an open folder
ILLUSTRATIVEThe custodian and its archive define what the search can cover.

THE METHOD

Source.
Scope.
Date.
Identity.

  1. 01

    Use the custodian. Start at the agency that creates or maintains the record.

  2. 02

    Read the limits. An index, a document image, and a certified copy are not the same thing.

  3. 03

    Confirm the match. Names repeat. Use dates, locations, case numbers, license numbers, or parcel IDs.

  4. 04

    Check freshness. Read the source's update note and confirm time-sensitive details directly.

ROUTE BY JURISDICTION

The right office depends on who created the record.

ST

State

Vital records, business entities, professional licenses, corrections, and statewide systems.

Browse states →

THE BOUNDARY

A map to public sources—not a people-search database.

PublicReports does not collect a name, phone number, address, or other personal search input. We point to relevant official starting points and explain how to evaluate what you find.

This site does not provide consumer reports. Information reached through these guides must not be used to decide eligibility for employment, credit, insurance, housing, or another FCRA-covered purpose.

Learn to verify a record →