How to Authenticate Publicly Available Information
- 1). Visit only legitimate government websites when searching online. Each state has an official law enforcement site, and most have a direct link to criminal records searches. The site should have an official state seal and links to other departments of the government. Your state might have a separate site for its Department of Criminal Records, with a searchable database.
- 2). Be armed when searching online with as much information as you can on the person you're researching. In addition to the person's name, city and state, and age, all required information at most sites, some sites will allow you to enter more detailed information, such as previous addresses or known relatives, to narrow your search. Besides facilitating your search efforts, entering more information will help ensure that you're investigating the right person.
- 3). Visit the courthouse in person, and ask the Court Clerk to search criminal records for you, or to allow you to do so. An official record of every trial that takes place in a courtroom is transcribed and kept on file by the associated courthouse. This will be your most effective way to authenticate publicly available criminal records -- and you might also gain access to more records than you would with an online search. You'll have to present a photo ID to the Clerk. If the Clerk is doing the search, you might have to wait several days.
- 4). Search all records available to be searched. In addition to records of convictions, most criminal records contain data about all offenses, including traffic violations, and details such as dismissed charges, pending charges and acquittals. Often incomplete records don't tell the whole story.
