Illinois public records are government-created documents, filings, databases, and communications maintained by state and local agencies that are generally accessible to the public under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), codified at 5 ILCS 140/1 et seq. Originally enacted in 1984 and substantially overhauled in 2010, FOIA establishes a presumption that all records in … Read more
Pennsylvania public records are government-created documents, filings, databases, and communications maintained by state and local agencies that are generally accessible to the public under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law (RTKL), codified at 65 Pa. C.S. §§67.101–67.3104. Enacted in its current form in 2008 and effective January 1, 2009, the RTKL establishes a presumption that all state … Read more
New York public records are government-created documents, filings, databases, and communications maintained by state and local agencies that are generally accessible to the public under the New York Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), codified at New York Public Officers Law §§84–90. The law establishes a presumption that all government records are open to any person … Read more
Florida public records are government-created documents, filings, databases, and communications maintained by state and local agencies that are available for public inspection under the Florida Public Records Law, Chapter 119, Florida Statutes — one of the oldest and most expansive open government laws in the United States. Enacted in 1909, Chapter 119 establishes a presumption … Read more
California public records are government-created documents, filings, databases, and communications maintained by state and local agencies that are generally accessible to the public under the California Public Records Act (CPRA), currently codified at California Government Code §7920.000 et seq. (Division 10, Title 1). The law, originally signed by Governor Ronald Reagan in 1968 and recodified … Read more
Texas public records are government-created documents, filings, databases, and communications maintained by state and local agencies that are generally accessible to the public under the Texas Public Information Act (TPIA), codified in Chapter 552 of the Texas Government Code. The law establishes a presumption that all information collected, assembled, or maintained by a governmental body … Read more
Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) is the process of collecting, analyzing, and verifying information from publicly accessible sources to produce actionable intelligence about individuals, organizations, events, or networks — transforming scattered public data into structured, documented, and independently verifiable findings. Quick Answer: Advanced OSINT investigations combine public records, digital archives, infrastructure data, and online behavioral traces to … Read more
Address history research is the process of reconstructing where a person has lived over time by combining public records, government filings, and verified data sources that document residential locations at different points across their life. Quick Answer: To find someone’s address history, combine multiple public records that contain residential information — property records, court filings, … Read more
Bankruptcy records are federal court filings created when an individual or business seeks legal protection from creditors under the United States Bankruptcy Code (11 U.S.C. § 101 et seq.) — documenting assets, debts, income, creditor relationships, and the court proceedings used to resolve those obligations. Quick Answer: All bankruptcies in the United States are filed … Read more
Public records for journalists are government-created documents, filings, and databases reporters use to verify claims, authenticate documents, trace financial and ownership relationships, and produce evidence-based reporting grounded in primary sources rather than unverifiable assertions. Quick Answer: Investigative journalists use public records to confirm facts that cannot be reliably established through interviews alone. The process begins … Read more