Public records are formal government records that are accessible by the general public. Some examples of these types of records include marriage certificates, birth records, and death records. State public records also often include land deeds and other property records.
Any document that is managed by the state may be considered a public record. State public records are supposed to be easily accessible by the general public and should be available with a simple request. These documents are typically used as proof of heritage, ownership, or citizenship.
When a couple gets married, they are typically required to obtain a marriage license. This license is an agreement between the couple and the state that permits a lawful wedding to be completed. A marriage record is an example of state public records that prove a couple has been lawfully married in a state on a specific date.
Much like a marriage license, a divorce certificate is a formal document that terminates a marriage. This state record documents the exact date a couple has ended a marriage. Divorce records are most important for obtaining new wedding licenses because an individual must prove he has been legally divorced before he can remarry.
State public records typically include real estate deeds. These are financial commitments for real estate between an individual and a bank. This document is considered a state public record because the property is located within a specific state.
A birth certificate is an official government document that certifies a child was born in a state on a specific date. Any individual within the United States is required to have a birth certificate completed when he is born. These birth certificates becomes state public records and can be used as proof of citizenship for an individual.
When a person dies, a death certificate is created by the state in which he died. This death record is a state public record. It identifies when and where an individual was pronounced dead. This requires a doctor’s signature verifying the individual died.
A cemetery record is another example of a state public record. This is a formal document detailing when a person was buried in the cemetery plot. The cemetery record is managed by the cemetery as a formal log of burial and resting place.