Hiring a new employee is one of the most common reasons for using Florida 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. Free Florida divorce 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. Public records in Florida 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. Florida requires convicted sex offenders to be kept on a list for a specified period after their conviction.

Action Steps
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Use Florida court records to get general information on individuals

A Florida record can include information on births, deaths and divorces. Many cities and counties in Florida have websites with this information that is freely available to the general public.

I recommend: The Court Clerk of Alachua County maintains a variety of civil and public records for residents of this county. The Clerk of the Courts for Broward County has a public access search capability by name, case number or citation number.

Use state of Florida public 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 Florida Department of Law Enforcement has several information programs available which may require fingerprints. Florida’s Integrated Criminal History System cross-matches fingerprints and criminal histories.

Use Florida public criminal records to conduct background checks

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: InfoCheckUSA performs background checks and resume verification. They also provide a variety of free resources. BackgroundFerret.com offers national criminal records as well as criminal records by 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 Florida 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.

The Sunshine state places a high priority on making sure that Florida public records are easily accessible to the public. As a result, businesses conducting background checks on a new employee or a new client from Florida can quickly locate and retrieve vital information such as Florida divorce records or Florida public criminal records by contacting any one of the Florida court clerks in the state’s 67 counties.

Florida court clerks are in charge of keeping and maintaining all Florida records for civil and criminal cases handled by a Florida circuit court. In some cases, businesses can view and download a Florida record online, including free Florida divorce records.

Here are three reasons why researching state of Florida public records is good for business:

1. You can track down lawsuits, liens and judgments against a new hire or new client.
2. You can access detailed court documents, including divorce records, involving new employees.
3. You can find out quickly if an individual has a criminal history by reviewing Florida public records.

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Locate Florida records via Florida court clerk websites

Today you can search any one of the 67 Florida court clerks' websites, where you can easily access free Florida divorce records and Florida public records. In addition to court records, you can access documents associated with real estate. Businesses can find out if a potential client or new hire has any outstanding judgments, liens or foreclosures pending.

I recommend: Find websites for Florida court clerks by visiting the Florida Association of Court Clerks & Comptrollers . The clerk websites will have links on their homepage directing you to records available online, including Florida divorce records and other free Florida public records. You can also visit Florida state courts online to search dockets for Florida public records with the state’s district court of appeals and the Supreme Court.

Find Florida public criminal records online

If you want to easily verify that a new hire is not listed in Florida public criminal records, contact the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The agency keeps records on every arrest in the state.

I recommend: Visit the Florida Department of Law Enforcement where you can check if an individual has a criminal history for a $23 fee. With just a click of a mouse, you will be able to download every arrest against an individual by just providing their full name or date of birth. You can also search the Florida Department of Corrections to find out if a new hire has ever been imprisoned.

Learn more about Florida records law

Businesses will be amazed to learn that just about any information submitted to a government entity in Florida become Florida public records.

I recommend: Since Florida’s Attorney General oversees the state’s Sunshine law, business owners should review this thorough guide to what is covered under Florida public records law.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Remember that a Florida record can be tracked with several different pieces of information including aliases, addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers and case numbers.

Making the most of Florida 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 for which you are seeking Florida records for. For example, if you are seeking free Florida divorce records, it will be helpful to know some addresses where that person has previously lived.

There are three general types of public records in Florida:

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 investigate individuals such as prospective employees.

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

3. A general Florida record such as consumer protection information or legislation minutes. You may find these records helpful when researching a product or political candidate.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find state of Florida public records from local government agencies

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

I recommend: The Florida Free Public Records Directory provides access to a variety of public records in Florida including criminal records, property records and general information on individuals. State and Local Government on the Net has many links related to Florida including links to the websites for cities and counties in Florida.

Learn more about the laws regarding free Florida public 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 Attorney General of Florida provides extensive information on Florida’s open government laws. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles provides information on driving records and also summarizes Florida’s open records laws.

Perform searches of Florida court records

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

I recommend: The Court Clerk of Miami-Dade County has an online search capability of the county recorder’s records. Orange County keeps a public record of the people incarcerated at the Orange County jail.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Exhaust free sources of information before you consider paying for Florida public 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.