A number of different types of court records are available to the public. The most common court records that you will find available include criminal records, case records and land records. Typically, court records are included in public records; however, accessibility to these records can vary from one jurisdiction to the next.

Many different types of cases are searchable as court records. In fact, in most jurisdictions, all case records are made available, such as bankruptcy, civil, criminal as well as cases related to traffic violations. The nature of the document determines the information that is made available, such as the name, birthdate and address of the parties involved.

In addition, you may also be able to find information on the progression of the case, including any filings made by the involved parties as listed in the case log. For civil and criminal trials, the written opinion of the judge presiding over the case is also available in the court records.

Another type of court records that are also sought after quite commonly for a number of different reasons is public land records. Public land records contain the details of every conveyance of a piece of land made, including a listing of all previous owners. Because of this, these court records are often accessed by ensuing buyers of the property to make sure the land conveyances they make are valid.

In addition, public land records will list any easements or liens, both current and prior, which may exist for the property. The deed is also included with these court records. The deed may contain detailed information regarding the defined boundaries of a particular piece of land.

The third type of court records that are often accessed by the public is criminal records. Many times, before hiring someone new, a company will require a background check. This often depends on the nature of the job for which the person is applying. To perform an efficient background check, employers will access public court records. In most jurisdictions, there are statutes in place to protect the privacy of the involved parties. This means that authorization to access such information may be required.

Since they are typically completely public record, documents that detail court proceeding as well as land records are usually accessible to anyone interested in performing a court records search. In some jurisdictions, the information you seek may be available over the Internet. However, since the modernization of court records can prove to be a somewhat costly task, a number of courthouses require you to browse through their records in person.

If the courthouse where you believe the records that you need are located does not have a searchable database posted on the Internet, you may still be able to access the court records you need by visiting the site of a private organization that has done the work of compiling their own online database of court records. Be aware, however, that if you choose to access the records you want via this method, you may have to pay a small fee.