There are a number of different types of public records. Some of the most commonly searched for Centre County public records include birth records, death records, marriage records, divorce records and criminal records. There are also a number of other types of records that can be searched including documents related to public meetings such as at the school board or the official city meetings.

The Right to Know Law and How It Affects Centre County Public Records Searches

In February 2008, the state of Pennsylvania signed the Right to Know law into effect for all 67 counties. That law, also called the Sunshine Law, is similar to the laws in other states of the country that give people the right to know certain types of information and to have total access to certain types of public records. There are some restrictions, and there is also a procedure for obtaining this information as well.

For most types of public records, you have to file a request, which must be accompanied by your personal identification. Some searches may take a few days to compile. For instance, if you file a Centre County public records search for the minutes to a series of public meetings, it may take a day or two for that information to be compiled.

Restrictions to the Right to Know Law

While most types of Centre County public records are covered by the Right to Know law, there are some restrictions that must be put in place to protect the public and to prevent crimes such as identity theft. You cannot get social security numbers, driver’s license details or similar information during your records searches, for instance. In addition, you cannot get the personal, home address for public officials whether they have been elected or appointed to their office. You also cannot get this information for law enforcement personnel.

Accessing Centre County Public Records

There are several ways that you can access the Centre County public records, including online and off line. Your search should start by visiting the county’s official website and following the links that are there. You can also go directly to the department for the type of record that you want.

In addition to looking online for these public records, you can go to the county offices for your search. Be warned that there are certain days that these offices can be very busy.