In the modern world, it's not uncommon to see new construction, zoning changes, renovations, and other major changes happening all the time. In fact, this is common whether you’re in the city or out in the suburbs. If there's one thing that all of these changes have in common, it's the need for a permit or another type of special approval.
Typically, permits are used when creating new buildings or making changes to a property, and without one of these permits that work can't be done. Since permits are so important, you might be wondering, are permits public records?
The short answer is yes, but there's often more to it than that. Read on to learn everything you need to know.
The legal definition of a permit is that it's an official document that gives someone the right to do something, usually with a property. That said, permits can also be used in other areas including the sale of firearms and visiting specific locations.
There are several types of permits that people can have. Some states may have some unique options, but the most common types of permits include:
Firearms permit
Driver's permits (learner’s permit)
Work permits
Parking permits
Building permits
Depending on the state and Industry, you might come across more permits.
Permits are public records. They tend to be available if you're looking for building permits, zoning permits, work permits, and even most firearm permits.
The only time you may run into problems is if you’re looking into someone's driving records. In these cases, you may need consent to request a motor vehicle report to view their permit information depending on the state.
While permits are public records, they're not held forever. For example, some building permits might be discarded after 10 years. Therefore, you have to view the permit within this window to find information about it. Each type of permit has different lengths, so make sure you check for each type before starting your search.
Several tools can help you view information about permits. While you can jump on Google and start searching, you can also use an online people search engine. It's also possible to ask someone for information about their permit or to work with state and local databases. Learn more about each option below.
The best way to find information about a permit is to use PublicRecord.com. It's a comprehensive public records search tool that allows you to view anything that's a public record. For example, if you want to find out if someone has a firearm permit in New York, you can enter their name, state, and city to find out if they have one.
This also applies to properties, businesses, and other public permits. All you need is a little bit of information to get started, and PublicRecord.com will provide you with a comprehensive full report that contains all available public records about a person or location.
While it's nice to have information about permits, PublicRecord.com will also help you find:
When you want to find information about online databases you can't go wrong with online databases in the specific state. For example, if you’re looking for a building permit in Austin, Texas, you'll want to find the relevant database that contains that information.
Depending on the state, this can be the county clerk's office, tax assessor’s office, and sometimes even courthouses. If you don't know where to start, you can always use a tool like PublicRecord.com to point you in the right direction.
Permits are public records, so you shouldn't have any issues finding permits when you know where to look and you’re within the window that they're still available.
While you can comb through state and local databases on your own, we always recommend starting with a public records search tool like PublicRecord.com. Even if it can't provide you with all the details, it can at least point you in the right direction.
We also recommend checking state and local databases if you run into any issues. These databases will always have the most accurate information available about permits.