Most developed countries in the world keep a wide variety of records for many different purposes. These records may include marriage licenses (and equivalents that vary from country to country), census records and birth records. Search functions for these records exist in many different forms both online and in physical form, though this widely varies in convenience based upon country. Regardless
. of the method used to search, public records are generally free to examine, though some records are subject to sealing by official bodies as a matter of legal procedure. Classified government information is also not subject to public access for several years after the fact as a matter of national security - the length of time varies from country to country.Public records may include a wide variety of information necessary for government processing of tax and population statistics, among other functions. A good rule of thumb is that if a fact appears in a newspaper of any level for that country, that fact is a matter of public record and is traceable to a matching official record somewhere. Property records are also a matter of public record, since these are necessary to establish ownership and tax liability. Birth certificates also draw upon information contained in public records, though birth certificates themselves are not considered normally accessible records without permission from a legal body.Free search methods for public records share some similarities between the most developed countries. Searching through government websites is an effective way to find concentrated sources of free public records. In the United States, some of these records may require following additional links to regional government sites - smaller area auditor offices are charged with holding and maintaining public records of importance. For physical copies of records, visiting the physical offices where records are stored is an option. Government websites generally list hours and locations for these offices.
