Florida Public Records

By Ben Kingsley


Since the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act, the state of Florida has allowed its residents to obtain a copy of their personal records. This means that they can request any of the Florida Public Records whenever it is needed and other people can also access it provided that they are authorized to access the file.

The public documents in Florida are categorized into two: personal files and criminal records. Birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates all belong to the personal documents of the state where it is used to prove the identity of an individual. Arrest, police and criminal records are part of the criminal files that the state of Florida issues to individuals who violate the laws of the state and nation.

Personal files are primarily used in genealogy research. Researchers would refer to the certificates of birth, death and marriage to update the family tree. Divorce records are the last file that is checked in updating the family history. Divorce and marriage records are also used to verify the marital status of an individual. The criminal records are the source of information when conducting a background check on certain people. Business owners would regularly do this to make sure that they have people with clean criminal history. Investigators would also use it as part of their case investigations.

Getting a copy of a public document in the state of Florida would cost a certain amount but this usually varies on the type of file that is being requested as well as where it was obtained. In requesting for a public document, it is important to provide the basic information of the record that is being requested. This helps start the search and to simplify the retrieval process. One should also indicate their contact details on the request form since it will be used as reference because the copy of the document can only be given to the individual whose name is found on the file and his/her immediate family. One should give the office several days to process the request. It can take longer if problems are encountered during the retrieval process.

It is important that one knows where to request for the document in order to avoid delay. The Vital Statistics of the Department of Health is responsible for managing the birth, marriage, divorce and death records of Florida. The Department of Public Safety office is the one that manages the criminal records of the state. The county clerk and county court house can also provide the record if the state office is too far. Mail order can also be sent to the office but this can take longer. The long wait time can be avoided if the search is done online.

Requesting for public records through the Internet can also be done. This method can help hasten the process. It saves one from going to any office since the request can be done anywhere that has Internet connection and the results are displayed in just seconds instead of days.




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