How To Get Government Public Records?

By Claire Dowell


The State of Minnesota Public Records have been opened to the public after the Freedom of Information Act been in place. This act mandates the local government of each state to allow its residents to access their personal files. This way, residents would have control and the freedom to access their personal files.

Minnesota has several documents that are open for public access. The most popular is the birth certificate. This document is given at birth which basically contains details about the birth of an individual. Other documents that have been opened to the public also include the marriage, death and divorce certificates. These documents also have details that are unique. Another type of document that is open for public access is the criminal records of the state. This type of document contains details about the offenses and violations committed by an individual.

Each public document is used in different occasions. Although, documents such as birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates are used in genealogy researches or updating the family tree, each document are has its unique function or use. Birth certificates are used primarily to prove one's identity. Government offices would also call for copies of other documents depending on the type of request made. Criminal records in the state of Minnesota are regularly being requested by the local residents when they conduct a background check.

Requesting for any of the public documents of the state would require the basic details of the file that is being obtained. One has to provide important information about the event in order to conduct the search. Also, the personal details of the one who filed the request have to be provided in order to proceed with the search. Certain fees have to be paid to proceed with the search but this may vary on the type of document requested as well as which county it is being requested. Most of the public documents are only released to the one whose name is on the file. The immediate family of the individual on the file is also given access to the files. Other people would have to perform a special request in order to access the files of other people.

Knowing where to request for a copy of the document can help hasten the search process. The office of the Department of Health under the Vital Records Section is responsible for keeping records of birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates. The Department of public Safety is where one can obtain a copy of a criminal record. The office of the local registrar in the county where the incident has been registered can also provide a copy of the document if it is not available at the state office. Mail requests can also be sent to the state office but the wait time can be longer than usual.

The Internet has made the retrieval of the public records government of Minnesota keeps. This makes the retrieval fast and hassle free. With this, residents can obtain a copy of any of the public documents easily without exerting too much effort in the retrieval.




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