Public Records

Factual Questions
1

I want to locate somebody from high school about 25 years ago. On line detective agencies claim they can search public record data bases and will do so for a 25.00 or more charge. I’m a do-it-yourselfer and would enjoy the thrill of the hunt. I have been frustrated at every turn. “Public records” don’t seem to be very public at all. Anybody know how to access all this information that the paranoid conspiracy people claim is being gathered on everybody?

Thanks,
JohnP

2

Most of us leave some sort of paper trail. We get driver’s licenses, SSNs, buy property, get traffic tickets, get birth certificates, etc.

These are all “public” records. However, the government doesn’t make it easy for everyone to search them. They are, in theory, some restrictions. Getting past those restrictions are not overwhelming. There should be books in your local library on how to search public records.