City Records

Public Libraries

Public Libraries are the place to begin searching city records. 
Reference librarians are fountains of knowledge and it is wise to form a relationship with them, particularly at your main branch.  They are helpful and able to help you navigate your way around the records they can supply you with and best of all, this is a free resource.

Take advantage of the cardholder library, while a librarian would be hesitant to supply you with information held in their files, most are happy to address and mail a stamped postcard regarding your search. 

Keep in mind that most libraries are computerized now and this gives you access to library records across the country.

Law Libraries

Law Libraries are located near most courthouses and provide access to current literature on state and federal adoption and child relinquishing laws which may be of use to you and are another free resource.  Some of this information may be available on the internet but in this case, going to the source provides more up to date information.

Police Departments

Law enforcement departments are tied into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computers in Washington DC.  Some of this information is available to you due to the Freedom of Information Act (Public Law 5 USC 552A) and the Privacy Act of 1974 (Public Law 5 USC 552B)  Copies of both acts are available at your public library. 

Read them and don’t be afraid to cite either or both when needed.  (see our sample letters page for help with this)

Each state has a licensing bureau and most of the information regarding which types of businesses require permits or licenses is online. Go to the state governmental website and look for this information. 

City/county requirements vary greatly and a phone call to the city/town office should tell you which, if any of these types of city records you might be able to access

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Federal Records

Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts

It is now our right to have access to all of the information the federal records that the government has accumulated on us if we can provide just cause. 

Go to your local library to read and copy the following: Public Law 5 USC 552A known as the Freedom of Information Act and also the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 USC 552B. 

See our sample letters page for a memo citing these acts that you can use to request information. include a copy of the acts with your letter.

Social Security

Most government agencies are less then helpful when it comes to accessing federal records.  It has been the policy of the Social Security Administration to allow mail contact for “humanitarian purposes” with anyone on their roster who has a current address. 

Send your inquiry kit, including your subjects profile and your forwarding postcard will be sent to your subject. 

Expect it to take some time for the file to be searched and try to make the message on your postcard as “humanitarian” as you can without lying. 

*see sample letters page.

U.S. Postal Service

If you know the address that your subject was using within the past 6 months, you can use the U.S. Postal Service to get the new address. 

Go to your local Post Office and ask how it can be done. 

One thing that has worked has been to send the last known address along with a dollar to Attention Postmaster at the town, state and zip of the address you have.  If they have the new address, you will be provided with it. 

U.S. District Court

Both civil and criminal cases are tried at this court and this is the path used in appeals to get to the U.S. Supreme court. 

To access these federal records, write to the clerk of the U.S. District Court in the federal courthouse nearest to where you think your subject is or has been. 

Bankruptcy Court

Also to be found in the federal courthouse are records regarding bankruptcy.  These are public records and available by writing.

Military Locators

If you think your subject may have joined the armed forces this website has the addresses you need, Official Military Records

It currently costs $3.50 to do a military records search and you can find out how to access all branches of service from this site. 
 
U.S. Marshal

This one is kind of tricky, if your subject might be a fugitive from the law, contact your nearest U.S. Marshal’s office and inquire. 

Give only the full name and date of birth and no other information.  The Marshal’s office knows they are not supposed to give out this information, but they don’t know that you know that, so if they come back to you asking for more information, that is an indication that your subject is among the wanted.  
 

Veterans Administration

The Veterans Administration can be very helpful source of federal records if your subject was in the military. 

If you send an inquiry kit and their files contain a recent address, it is likely that they will forward a postcard for you.  A sample letter is provided for this purpose.

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