Hiring a new employee is one of the most common reasons for using California public records. A small business may prefer to take advantage of the free information available online instead of hiring another company to perform this service.

Finding an applicant with the right job qualifications is only part of the hiring process. Background checks should be essential because the employer can be held responsible for an employee’s actions on the job. CA public records can help identify individuals that could be a poor choice due to their credit or criminal history. Employers must also specifically check people who will be working with children or the elderly for any history of abuse.

There are three types of public records of particular interest when performing background checks:

1. Credit reports that show current lines of credit, payment histories and declarations of bankruptcy.

2. California vital records that show past convictions, births or divorces. These may also be useful in determining criminal history, residency requirements and alimony payments.

3. Registered sex offender lists. California requires convicted sex offenders to be kept on a list for a specified period after their conviction.

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Use California court public records to get general information on individuals

Public information can include California divorce records, birth records and death records. Many cities and counties in California have websites with this information that is freely available to the general public.

I recommend: Alameda County provides for online payments of birth, death and marriage certificates. It also allows you to make copies of public records. Sonoma County offers an online search of public records although California law prohibits actually viewing those records on the Internet.

Use California public court records to get information on criminal history

Law enforcement agencies keep criminal records which may be publicly available. Laws vary widely by state as to the specific information you will be able to obtain. Some government agencies may also charge fees.

I recommend: The Office of the Attorney General for California requires fingerprints to obtain a criminal history report. TrustLine is the registry in California for child care providers who have passed a background check.

Use public records to conduct a California background check

There are many sites dedicated to performing background checks for prospective employees. These checks can also include Social Security number verification, education verification and reference checks.

I recommend: A Matter of Fact specializes in background checks in California and also offers a variety of related resources. Sherlock Records provides a list of sites for performing background checks in California and also allows a search by name and state.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  You will first need to obtain some basic information on the individual you are seeking state of California public records for. Job applicants will need to provide this information on the application form or on a separate form for the background check. Individuals must also grant permission for a background check in most cases.

Finding that new employee is more important these days than just finding someone to fill the position or finding a person with the correct qualifications for the job. California companies may need to do a background check on potential employees through the state of California public records because of the nature of the employees' interaction with others.

People who work with children or the elderly must have a record that is clear of abuse. Likewise, an employer may be wary of a person who has a record of sexual assault or violence, because the employer can be held responsible for the person’s actions on the job if a California background check turned up problems. On the other hand, the employer must be cognizant of the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, which sets the U.S. standard on employment background checks, and the California version, which gives the employee greater rights.

Check California public records for the following information:

1. Convictions for sexual or child abuse.
2. Birth records to establish residency.
3. California divorce records and alimony payments.

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Contact the county or state for California public court records

You can obtain an informational copy of California birth records, death records and marriage records, as opposed to an authorized copy to establish identity, under the Public Records Act in California. While you can ask for the information over the phone for free, you must pay fees set by the state if you want a copy of California public court records.

I recommend: You can contact the California Department of Public Health, Office of Vital Records for birth, death, marriage and divorce records, but the backlog can be as much as two years. A quicker course is to contact the county recorder’s office for birth, death and marriage records, and the California Superior Courts for divorce records.

Search online for CA public records

Several online services provide information to employers that can verify basic information as well as provide a California background check on potential employees. This all-inclusive approach can turn up California criminal records without the effort of contacting individual counties and piling up separate fees.

I recommend: Visit Net Detective for California criminal records, birth, marital and motor vehicle records, legal judgments or information regarding California divorce records and compliance on alimony and child support. It has an annual fee, but also a money-back guarantee. Input the person’s name or address to the Family Watchdog site to check for sex offenders on the national sex offender registry.

Be aware of employee rights

California law has been amended so that both job applicants and current employees have greater rights to see information contained in background checks. Know your responsibilities as the business doing a California background check as well as hiring a third party to do the check.

I recommend: Tips on a California background check for employers and employees can be found at the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. Pick up tips from the Federal Trade Commission to deal with reports on potential employees.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Be aware that online sites offering California public records information are not always up-to-date because of the massive amount of personal information processed. Always double-check information whenever possible.

Making the most of California public records will require you to have a guide or referral. You can conduct Internet searches of many government agencies for free but you will spend a lot of time looking at irrelevant links and websites if you have no idea where to start.

You will first need to obtain some basic information on the individual or property you are seeking state of California public records on. For example, if you are seeking information on an individual, it will be helpful to know some addresses where that person has previously lived.

There are three general types of public records in California:

1. Criminal records that include files on registered sex offenders, past convictions or current information on current inmates in a particular prison. These records can help you perform a California background check.

2. California vital records such as census records, consumer protection information or legislation minutes. You may find these records helpful when researching a product or political candidate.

3. Real estate records like property appraisals, ownership and taxes. These types of records can be useful when buying or selling a home.

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Find California public court records from local government agencies

City and county clerks in California can frequently provide a great deal of current information on an individual when you know their name and address.

I recommend: The Judicial Council of California lists all of the county courts and also allows a search by city and zip code. The State of California homepage has links to the city websites in California and also allows you to search public records.

Learn more about the laws regarding California criminal records

The records that are publicly available vary widely by state. You will want to have at least a general idea of what information you can expect to find before conducting your search.

I recommend: The Office of the Attorney General provides extensive information regarding the disclosure of public records. The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) provides instructions for obtaining California DMV records.

Perform a search of a specific California public record database

Many cities and counties in California maintain a variety of records on individuals and property that are freely available to the general public.

I recommend: L.A. County Online provides specific instructions on obtaining public records in Los Angeles County. Sacramento County allows the public to access a variety of records that the county tax assessor maintains.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Exhaust free sources of information before you consider paying for California divorce records. Sites that charge a fee may only provide information you could obtain elsewhere for free. Fortunately, libraries frequently subscribe to services that you would normally need to pay a fee to access. You should also bear in mind that many public records are simply not available online.

Knowing how to search for public records can help find vital information on such issues as criminal background on potential employees or people you may be dating; physicians who are licensed to provide care legally, sexual offenders, unclaimed property and birth, death and divorce records.

Public records contain many different types of information that can be used for a variety of reasons. Examples of the types of information include the following key terms.

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Contractors state licenses

If contemplating construction services, check that the contractor is licensed to do the work. The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) provides this as well as citations, licenses, complaint investigations, license suspensions and possible criminal, civil and administrative sanctions against those who are in violation.

I recommend: The California Department of Consumer Affairs Contractors State License Board has a huge amount of educational materials as well as the capability to do an online check of any licensed contractor.

Sex offender registration and exclusion information

The Justice Department of California maintains a list of all sex offenders who reside in California through the Sex Offender Tracking Program.

I recommend: Persons who are convicted of sexual crimes are required by California state law to register as sex offenders with local law enforcement agency in the county in which they reside. This information can be accessed on Attorney General's Department of Justice website.

Unclaimed property

California law requires that any property that has remained in possession of the State without any activity on the part of the owner, generally for three years or more, be listed for possible claim. The most common types of unclaimed property include stocks, dividends, safe deposit box contents, uncashed money orders and checks, bank accounts and other unclaimed accounts.

I recommend: The Unclaimed Property Program has a free online search tool to help find any unclaimed property that either your business of your family may be entitled to claim.

Physician licenses

Knowing that a physician rendering care to patients has a valid license, as well as information about disciplinary actions, convictions or termination/revocation of privileges to provide health care services or any actions again him/her can help consumers make informed health care decisions.

I recommend: The Medical Board of California maintains a database which gives complete information about a physician's license and other pertinent practice data. Details of what can be searched for and how to search are all explained in full.

Vital records

Record of California births, deaths, still born deaths, fetal death, divorce and marriage records are kept and maintained by the California Department of Public Health, Office of Vital Records.

I recommend: Vital records are obtained through the county offices of the State where the event or action took place. A list of the types of vital records available for public search and the procedure to do one is at the California Department of Health's website.

Tax defaulted land sales

Property that have unpaid taxes are tax-defaulted. After 5 years, it then is subject to sale by the county tax collector in order to pay the defaulted taxes. This can be done by public auction, sale negotiated to a public organization or a sealed bid type sale.

I recommend: Public auctions are held by the California State Controller's Office which posts dates of auctions, land location details and bidding guidelines for anyone who is interested in investigating the purchase of these types of land.