County Records

Sherriff’s Office

The Sherriff is an elected official and his/her office maintains county records regarding crime, subpoenas, warrants and extensive jail records. 

This information is difficult to get to without going through the district attorney and having properly prepared requests.  Be prepared to appear in person, with an attorney and do your research about procedure first. 

Birth, Death And Marriage

When searching for these records, they can usually be located at both the county and states vital statistics office.  They can be accessed in person or by mail but be prepared to pay a fee and have the following information handy:

• Subject’s full name
• Gender and race
• Subject’s parents full names including mother’s maiden name
• Date of birth
• Place of birth including hospital
• Purpose for which the information is needed
• Relationship to the subject

Birth

Anyone but an adoptee can request and receive copies of an original birth certificate. 

An adoptee will only receive an amended certificate which has all of the identifying information removed.  This includes: the names, ages and places birth of natural  parents, the name of the certifier (physician), and the name of the registrar (county). 

But for our use, there are two items which are usually not deleted and these are the official number that is filed by date of birth in each county.   An adoptee who has these two things from the amended birth certificate and knows what county he was born in may be able to search county records and match up the amended certificate with the original one and find out his/her natural birth name. 

This can be very helpful in discovering the natural parents names.

Death

To obtain death records, the first place to contact is the Social Security office.  If the subject died under normal circumstances, this is the first place contacted. 

If the subject died and was separated from his/her ID (ie driver’s license, Social Security card) the coroner’s office would make all attempts to identify him/her through fingerprints, dental records, X-rays, scars, etc.

If this fails, the subjects particulars are turned over to the  county and such records as there are remain there.  If the decedent is identified but is not claimed, the name is registered with the states vital statistics office and the information may also be retained at the county level. 

These are good places to check.

When applying for these records, plan to supply the basic information listed above except for place of birth.  Include the date and place of death if known.

Marriage

An application for a marriage certificate is the source of a lot of information:

• full names
• dates of birth
• ages
• number of marriages
• date of last marriage
• if the last marriage ended it will show the date
• if it ended in divorce, annulment or death 
• birthplace of a former spouse
• grooms present address
• occupations
• type of employment
• last grade completed
• groom’s father’s name
• mother’s maiden name
• where both were born. 

The marriage certificate itself has some of this information and also includes:

• type of ceremony
• both parties religions
• name of the person who performed the ceremony
• names of the witnesses.

These records are usually filed at the county where the marriage took place and in some states you can find them in the states vital statistics office. 

Unless the couple asks that they be sealed, these are public records and should be available for a fee.

You will need to supply the basic information listed above as well as:

• Names of both the bride and groom and any nicknames
• Their address at the time of the marriage
• date of marriage
• place of marriage

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Putting It All Together

Now that you know what agencies to use, the question becomes, what tools  do I use to contact them. 

Remember that you must respect your subject’s right to privacy in all correspondence. 

You have the right to search for someone, and they have the right not to be found. Their personal information should never be divulged to the people you talk to during your search. 

One of the best tools are a letter of inquiry along with an inquiry kit. 

Decide which public or private agency might have information and choose one of our sample letters.

These agencies could include:

• Veterans Administration
• Social Security Administraton
• a state vital statistics office
• an insurance company
• licensing bureau

 Most government agencies will not give you any information directly, but will usually forward to the subject the stamped postcard you will provide them with. 

• Write a short, clear letter of inquiry (*see sample letters) addressed to the director or supervisor of the agency.
• Enclose a copy of your subject profile and any information that would relate directly to the agency you are contacting, such as military background for the Veterans Administration.
• Enclose a plain, stamped postcard with  a short, clear message to your subject.  Include your contact information including phone number and leave the front of the card blank so that the agency can fill in the address. 

The letter of inquiry a subject profile and postcard make up an inquiry kit. 

It is best if you handwrite or print your letter and postcard because it will get the attention of the agency official quicker than printed material will.  Make sure it is legible. 

Handwritten letters seem more heartfelt and this will highlight the personal nature of your search.

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