Shelby County Public Records

The Texas State, through its Open Records Act now referred to as the Texas Public Information Act, has entitled each and every citizen of Texas with a right to complete disclosure and information regarding all affairs of the government. Through public records, the residents will then have a know-how on what is going on with the state most especially on their respective counties.

Requesting access to any public records in Texas can be done by filing an entreaty to the appropriate governmental body responsible for managing such records. Archives kept by public agencies including private ones which exhaust government subsidy are therefore accessible any member of the state who needs to.

In Shelby County, like most counties in the state, public records can be easily be accessed and acquired when you know the proper agency to go to. For requests for records on births and deaths, these are best addressed to the Texas Department of State Health Services’ Vital Records Unit. Such unit is the primary repository for all vital records in Texas. Marriage and divorce decrees, however, must be obtained locally through the Shelby County Clerk’s Office. Arrest records and criminal convictions, should they be requested for background investigations, the Shelby County Sheriffs’ Office and the Department of Criminal Justice can be visited.

All these records are subject to the Open Records Act and are thus available to anyone in the general public. It is the Open Records Division of the Attorney General, as a matter of fact, which ensures and checks whether certain records in the state are really under the Act. In case a legislative requester files a request for a record that is not covered by the Act and is considered protected, a confidentiality agreement will have to be signed. The requester, however, may wish to refer to the Attorney General’s decision first to confirm the confidentiality of the record requested.

Should you wish to get a hold of your desired record faster, you can opt for online providers. Numerous record providers are already available online to help the public with records retrieval. Because it is done through the Internet, it promises a way faster turnaround compared to the manual method. Not only it is fast, it also is economical as it is paperless which makes the transaction cheaper. With alternative service providers, obtaining any Shelby County public records is totally easy.

Public Records Shelby County

Below is a detailed instruction on how you can access and copy Shelby County public archives:

• – Download the request or application form specific for the record you wish to procure. Complete the form in its entirety with all the details asked.
• – For marriage and divorce decrees, indicating the complete names of the couple is necessary. You also have to specify the date and county where the event transpired.
• – For death certificates, provide the complete name of the decedent, date and county of birth, spouse’s name, parents’ name, and the social security number if known.
• – For arrest and criminal records, the complete legal name of the person whose background is investigated must be provided as. Any known aliases must also be indicated. You also have to identify the last known address as well as the social security number if available.