Guides to Public Records

Print Guides and Directories

• The Librarian's Guide to Public Records (HA38.A214 L53 GOVPUB REF)
• MVR Book Motor Services Guide (HE5614.2 .M86 GOVPUB REF)
• Public Records Online
• Sourcebook of County Asset/Lien Records (JS344.P77 S68 1995 GOVPUB REF)
• Sourcebook of County Court Records (CS44 .S67 1995 GOVPUB REF)
• Sourcebook of Federal Courts, U.S. District and Bankruptcy : the definitive guide to searching for case information at the local level within the federal court system (KF8700.A19 S65 1996 GOVPUB REF)
• Sourcebook of Local Court and County Record Retrievers : the national guide to information retrievers who pull files and documents from US, state, and local courts and from county agencies (KF8733 .S68 1995 GOVPUB REF)
• Sourcebook of Online Public Record Experts ( JK468.P76 E76 1996 GOVPUB REF)
• Sourcebook of State Public Records (JK468.P76 S73 1995 GOVPUB REF)

• Finding Aids for State, Local, and County Websites
• National Association of Counties
• State and Local Government on the Net (formerly Piper)
• Finding Aids for Place Names
• USGS Geographic Names Information System.
• Geographic Names Information Server alternate version from the Peabody Museum.
• Thesaurus of Geographic Names a browsable, searchable thesaurus of 1,000,000 names representing 900,000 places worldwide.
• Directories of Online Public Records
• Business Filings Databases--annotated links to business filings by state.
• Free Internet Access to Government Public Records a listing compiled by BRB Publications.
• Internet Prospector includes links to the State Charities Database by state.
• SearchSystems.net A directory of public records databases. The directory links state, county, and national resources such as property databases, occupational licenses, birth and death records, sex offender registries, inmate, incorporations, and other record types. Availability varies by state and county.
• Portico--a collection of links from the University of Virginia's Advancement Office. The Personal Property section of the site provides links to online property, aircraft registration, and other personal asset databases. If you don't find a link for a county in Colorado, try the State of Colorado's links to County Governments. Links to county websites are also available from other sources.
• Public Record Finder A directory of online public records. Access by record type or state.
• Links to Secretary of State
• Virtual Gumshoe A collection of links to organizations, courthouses, locator databases, public records, state licensing agencies, telephone and e-mail directories, unclaimed property, and state parole boards.
• Guides to Public Records
• How Public Are Public Records? "Written in plain English, by Internet For Lawyers President Carole Levitt, MLS, JD, this pathfinder offers lay people and legal professionals alike practical, step-by-step information on researching and locating public records at all levels."
• Investigators' Guide to Sources of Information is "published as a service to the investigative community by GAO's Office of Special Investigations. It is intended to be a useful investigative tool for identifying sources of information about people, property, business, and finance. To make the guide useful in an increasingly electronic environment, we have added Internet addresses wherever possible and a chapter on how to use the Internet to gather information valuable to the investigative process."
• Navigating the Maze of Criminal Records an overview from LLRX (Law Library Resource Exchange.)
• Tapping Officials' Secrets a comprehensive guide to public records and open meetings laws by state. Includes citations to state statutes and case law. Prepared by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
• Bureau of Land Management General Land Office Records "This site provides live database and image access to more than two million Federal land title records for the Eastern Public Land States, issued between 1820 and 1908."
• Campaign Finance (Federal)
• Colorado
• Business Database a searchable database of the business records maintained at the Colorado Secretary of State's Office. Includes images of filings.
• Colorado Fair Campaign Practices Act (FCPA)online search by contributor name, candidate name, committee name, and contributions and expenditures. Includes data beginning with the 1994 election cycle. Images of manual filings are also available.
• Colorado Division of Registrations Automated Licensure Information System Online "This online search, a public service of the Division of Registrations, allows you to obtain information about individuals and companies licensed by the Division." The division regulates licensing in the fields of Accountancy, Acupuncture, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counseling, Architecture, Barbering, Cosmetology, Chiropractic, Dental, Electrical, Engineering/Land Surveying, Mental Health Grievance, Hearing and Audiology, Midwives, Marriage and Family Therapy, Medical Examiner, Nursing and Nurses Aides, Nursing Home Administration, Optometry, Outfitting, Passenger Tramway Safety, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Plumbing, Podiatry, Professional Counseling, Psychology, Social Work, and Veterinary Medicine.
• Colorado Marriage and Divorce Records Includes Statewide Marriage and Divorce Index 1975-2002.
• Property
• Tradenames--Colorado
• Tradenames--businesses registered as single owner or general partnership register their trade names with the Colorado Department of Revenue.
• Business Database a searchable database of the business records maintained at the Colorado Secretary of State's Office. Includes images of filings. Use this database to search for tradenames of Corporations, Limited Liability Companies, Limited Liability Partnerships, Limited Partnerships and Limited Liability Limited Partnerships, whether foreign or domestic, that may register a trade name with the Colorado Secretary of State.
• Environmental Working Group Farm Subsidy Database includes information about the farm bill, farm subsidies, and a browsable and searchable database of farm subsidy payments issued from 1996 through 2000. Browse or search by state, county, city, zipcode, congressional district, and name.
• freeERISA.com "The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) requires U.S. employers to file annual reports on their employee pension plans and health/welfare plans with the Department of Labor and the Internal Revenue Service." Use this service to find and view 5500 filings, 11k filings, public pension funds and terminating pension plans. The site also provides access to a list of collective bargaining agreements, a register of labor unions, and other information. This free service requires registration for use.
• GuideStar includes a searchable database of charitable organizations which file 990 or 990EZ reports with the IRS. "Financial data are taken from the IRS Business Master File and/or the Form 990, a public report filed with the IRS by all 501(c)(3) "public charities" with revenues exceeding $25,000. The descriptive information is derived from the Form 990 as well as from answers to questions provided directly by the organization to Philanthropic Research, Inc., publisher of GuideStar."
• KnowX A fee-based vendor of public records. Selected searches are free, records available for a fee. Requires registration for use.
• Political Organizations Section 527 Search Under a new law (PL 106-230), political organizations must file an initial notice with the IRS, periodic reports on contributors and expenditures, and modified annual returns. The site provides basic information about the organization and, in some cases, copies of filings.
• Privacy Act Issuances "The Privacy Act Issuances, 1995 Compilation Online Database contains descriptions of Federal agency systems of records maintained on individuals and rules agencies follow to assist individuals who request information about their records."
• Social Security Death Index Includes name, date of birth, death, state of residence, date of last benefit, SSN, state in which issued, and date of issue.
• United States Vital Records Information "This page contains information about where to obtain vital records from each state, territory and county of the United States."

• Business and Economic Information
• Colorado State Government
• Freedom of Information