What Public Records Are Actually Free to Access Online

The Legal Foundation: Why Some Records Are Free

Public records exist because democratic government operates on a principle of transparency: the public has a right to know how its institutions function. The federal FOIA, passed in 1966, established that right at the federal level. Every U.S. state has a parallel open records or sunshine law — meaning the legal infrastructure for free public access is nationwide.

However, legally accessible does not always mean freely available in digital form. Some agencies charge for staff time, certified copies, or database access. Understanding this distinction is the first step to navigating public records without unnecessary cost.

See our overview of the landscape of official public records online for a map of which agencies publish records digitally and where to begin your search.

Record Types You Can Typically Access for Free

Below are the most common categories of public records that are genuinely free to search or view through official channels:

• Property records: County assessor and recorder websites publish parcel data, ownership history, and assessed values at no charge in most jurisdictions. Search your county's official website directly.
• Court records (state level): Many state court portals offer free case index searches. Full documents may require a fee or an in-person visit. For context on what these records contain and why they're public, see court records explained.
• Unclaimed property: Every state maintains a free searchable database. The multi-state MissingMoney.com portal (endorsed by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators) is also free.
• Federal agency records proactively posted online: Under FOIA regulations, many agencies publish frequently requested records — contracts, inspection reports, enforcement actions — on their public websites without any request needed.
• Historical genealogy records: Census records, many immigration documents, and older vital records are freely accessible through platforms like FamilySearch.org and the National Archives online catalog. For a broader view, our guide on digitised archives and what's free is a useful companion.
• Obituaries and death records: Many newspaper obituaries are digitized and searchable for free through library portals. Official death indexes at the state level vary — some states publish them publicly online. The finding obituaries hub covers multiple free avenues in detail.

Where Fees Typically Appear — and How to Avoid Unnecessary Ones

Even within the public records system, fees are common in specific scenarios:

1. Certified copies of vital records (birth, death, marriage certificates) almost always carry a fee — typically $10–$30 per copy — because they require official processing. Uncertified informational copies, where permitted by state law, are sometimes available at lower cost or free.
2. Federal court records via PACER charge per page after a quarterly free threshold. Many documents are also available through individual court websites or the Free Law Project's CourtListener platform.
3. FOIA requests may incur fees for extensive search, duplication, or review — but agencies are required to waive or reduce fees for news or educational requesters, and many simple requests are processed free.

The clearest way to avoid unnecessary fees: always start with the official government source. Third-party aggregators may look convenient, but their charges are not required to access public data. If a site asks for a credit card before showing you unclaimed property results or basic court index information, that is a red flag — not a standard government practice.

Common misconceptions about what's accessible (and what isn't) are addressed in detail in our article on widely believed myths about public records access. Understanding those boundaries will help you search smarter and spend less.