Track Down Offline Public Records

by Julie Hill

Posted on May 27, 2010

Archives just made it easier for you to track down public records by creating the Public Records Wizard. The Public Records Wizard is a tool that allows you to search for public record offices anywhere in the U.S. - and is for anyone trying to locate offline records for ancestors or living relatives.

Only a small fraction U.S. public records are available online, therefore family historians must inquire with state and county public record offices directly for access. The Public Records Wizard searches the Public Record Source Directory, a resource compiled by the premier publisher of sourcebooks used for locating public records.

To search for public records offices anywhere in the U.S., log in to Archives.com. Go to the "Search" tab and select "Public Records Wizard" from the drop-down menu. Choose the state and county that you'd like to find records in, and the results will list contact information for all relevant public record offices, along with record access procedures, restrictions, fees, turn-around times, web addresses, and more. Unrestricted access to this collection is now available as a special benefit to Archives members.

Archives understands that finding records offline isn't easy, but members will save time by searching the Public Records Wizard to find the right office to contact, right away.

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