Public Records

The public records maintained by all levels of government are another rich source of information about you. Ownership of real estate, marriages and divorces, court records of civil and criminal cases, birth certificates, driving records and licenses, vehicle title and registration, voter registration, bankruptcy, incorporation, worker’s compensation claims, firearm permits, professional and occupational licenses, and Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) and Security Exchange Commission (SEC) filings are a portion of the available information about you.

Each of these records provides an extraordinary level of insight into many areas of your life. For example, driver’s license records contain accident reports, convictions, police reports, complaints, satisfied judgments, and hearing records in addition to the personal identifying information of age, sex, address, and physical appearance. Many states, such as New York, make these records available directly to the information services for a fee. Illinois sells its records for $10 million per year, and Rhode Island brings in $9.7 million just from the sale of its drivers’ records. The records are provided directly in usable electronic form or are converted by vendors who then resell the information to the database services.

The information that is ultimately compiled by the look-up service is based upon the hundreds of private and public records which are searched and assembled. A report can be customized, depending upon the depth of detail necessary for the investigation. A simple report with credit header identifying information is often sufficient. An advanced report, including a multiple database search with telephone and utility records and financial information on bank accounts, stock ownership, and insurance policies, may be required in preparation for hardball negotiations or litigation.