What Public Records Are Available for Free Online in 2026?
Public records have moved online steadily, but unevenly. In 2026, a large share of U.S. public records can be searched free from a browser — yet pockets remain stubbornly offline or behind small fees. Here is a clear map of what's free online right now, organized by record type.
Business records: almost entirely free online
This is the most digitized category. All 50 states offer free business entity searches through their Secretary of State (or equivalent) portals — California's BizFile, Florida's Sunbiz, and New York's DOS database among them. You can confirm an LLC's status, registered agent, and formation date instantly. Certified copies of filings sometimes cost a few dollars, but the search is free everywhere.
Court records: mostly free, with a federal exception
Federal court records are centralized in PACER, which is free to search; viewing fees are waived under $30 per quarter. State court access varies: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Washington, and Arizona offer strong free statewide portals, while California and Illinois still route you to individual county courts. The trend is toward unified statewide systems — North Carolina's eCourts rollout is a 2026 example.
Property records: free to view, occasionally fee for deeds
Assessor and parcel data — owner of record, assessed value, parcel maps — is free online in nearly every county. Recorded deeds are increasingly online too, though some counties still charge for deed images or require an in-person visit for older documents. Texas appraisal-district sites are excellent and free; a handful of non-disclosure states simply don't publish recorded sale prices.
Vital records: searchable indexes free, certified copies restricted
This category is the most restricted. You can often search free statewide indexes and genealogy databases to confirm a birth, death, marriage, or divorce exists, but certified copies of recent records are limited to the person and immediate family and carry a fee. Older records — commonly births over 75–100 years and deaths over 50 years — become public and are frequently free at the state archives.
Criminal records: pieces are free, compiled histories are not
Inmate locators, jail rosters, warrant lists, and the National Sex Offender Public Website are free. A compiled statewide criminal history from the state repository, however, usually requires consent and a fee and is not FCRA-compliant for employment. So you can find a great deal for free, but not a single guaranteed-complete rap sheet.
Voter records: status checks free everywhere
Every state offers a free 'Am I Registered?' tool. Some states (North Carolina, Florida) allow public name lookups of any voter; others restrict you to your own record. Bulk voter files range from openly downloadable to restricted to political committees and researchers.
Unclaimed property: completely free
Searching and claiming unclaimed money is always free. Use your state Treasurer's site and the NAUPA-endorsed MissingMoney.com. Never pay a 'finder' an upfront fee for information you can get yourself in minutes.
Federal records: free and centralized
SAM.gov (federal contracts and exclusions), the SEC's EDGAR (public-company filings), and the USPTO's trademark and patent databases are all free and authoritative national sources.
The 2026 bottom line
If you go to the official source, the majority of what people pay aggregators for is free. The friction isn't cost — it's knowing which of roughly 3,000 county offices and dozens of state and federal agencies holds the record you need. That's the gap Searchadex closes by linking directly to the official portal for each record type and state.
Frequently asked questions
Are free public records as accurate as paid services? Often more so — you're reading the authoritative government source directly, not a resold copy that may be stale.
Why do some records still cost money? Certified copies fund recordkeeping, and a few records carry fees to deter bulk misuse. But searching is free in the large majority of cases.