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The state of North Carolina has a wide collection of vital records that are open to the public, just like in all the other US states. Designated government agencies and departments are tasked to house and maintain these public documents for future reference. The state’s Vital Records Office keeps most of the North Carolina Public Records, except for criminal history data, which are under the care of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), through its special section called Criminal History Record Information, or CHRI. Although they come from the same machine, the policies and procedures involved in acquiring public documents vary between each of these government agencies. In genealogy and background research, having access to public information is an indispensable resource that is beneficial to the researcher. The many different government agencies and file access methods that are available these days have definitely played an invaluable role in the proper dissemination of vital data to the general public. Nevertheless, the birth information that are available in the Vital Records office is only from October 1913 and onwards. And the death reports that it houses only go as far back as January of 1930. While other states go further back when it comes to recordkeeping, some states, North Carolina included, don’t really have much to go on except for the archives. Furthermore, other vital records like marriage certificates and divorce decrees are accessible through the county Register of Deeds office or the Clerk of Court’s office in the county where the event materialized. Although the Vital Records office has these documents as well, they only handle data that were filed on or after 1962 for marriage information; and 1958 and beyond for the divorce accounts. But just to be certain, you can give the Vital Records Office a call for additional enquiries on how and where you can obtain the public documents you are seeking. Criminal records are public information that is also open to the public, albeit the procedures involved in acquiring such data is somewhat different from other public accounts mentioned above. Individuals who want access to their own criminal history profiles must complete a specific request form, pay the $14 fee, and have their fingerprints taken at the local law enforcement office. For third party accounts, the state only allows people in law enforcement and authorized personnel to have access to the state’s database of criminal dossiers, which is done by way of State Fingerprint Check or State Name Check. Going through all the proper channels to gain access to public information is sometimes time consuming and demanding because of the lengthy procedures and tough requirements. But the policies that government agencies put in place are meant for our own protection, whether we want it or not, since most of the information contained within public documents are quite personal in nature. Luckily, the presence of alternative sources of this type of information has allowed us to have the option to go for an online record search website to get the information we need, instead of settling for the traditional methods. Today, just by turning on your computer or tablet PC, you can almost immediately run a thorough background search without having to wait in line or submit requirements. Accessing free public records online isn’t as hard as visiting a government office to file for a request. It’s easy, quick, and the only payment you need to deal with is the one-time membership fee. You can practically conduct a genealogy research right in your own home. Gathering information on State of North Carolina Public Records can be so easy with Public Records Access tools on the web.
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North Carolina Public Records, Public Records Search, Arrest Records,
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