The
programs below are just a few of the ways the average American
can use free government services to locate people they love or
don’t love.
- Did
His Divorce Really Go Through
Birth, death, marriage, divorce, and adoption
records are handled by the state where these events occurred.
Laws vary from place to place about access and availability.
The National Center for Health Statistics has an online publication
titled Where to Write for Vital Records available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/howto/w2w/w2welcom.htm.
This publication goes state-by-state providing details of what
records are available to the general public, those available
only to specific people, and the fees involved in obtaining
copies of these records.
For instance, in Alabama birth certificates are confidential records
with restricted access for 125 years from the date of birth, but
may be obtained by specific people. Adoptees born in Alabama seeking
original birth certificates may obtain informational copies of
their original birth certificates upon reaching the age of 19.
By Alabama law, divorce certificates are not confidential and
may be obtained by any individual upon payment of the proper fee.
Death certificates are confidential records with restricted access
for 25 years from the date of death. Death certificates more than
25 years old may be obtained by anyone upon payment of the proper
fee. Marriage certificates are not confidential and may be obtained
by any individual upon payment of the proper fee. Please check
the publication listed above to see what records are available
in your state and who you need to contact to obtain copies.
- Did
The Love Of Your Life Disappear Long Ago
As luck would have it, Social Security
loves to keep track of everyone. The Social Security Administration
will be glad to forward an unsealed letter that is accompanied
with a letter explaining your request (the request must be for
humanitarian reasons). You need to supply the name and social
security number of the recipient, or the person’s date
and place of birth. Send to the Office of Public Inquiries,
Social Security Administration, Windsor Park Building, 6401
Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235; 410-965-2736.
- If
You Have A Thing For A Man In A Suit…
If you are seeking information concerning
a licensed professional, often the state licensing board can
help. Licensing documents may be a matter of public record.
Various state agencies or special boards regulate professionals
such as lawyers, doctors, hair dressers, and more. Each licensing
board can provide you with different types of information. You
may be able to find their office location or where they practice.
You may be able to learn if they have received any type of discipline
from the board. To learn who you need to contact within your
state you can call your state capitol or your Secretary of State
office. You can find these offices by going online to www.govengine.com.
- Where
Are His People From
This was always a major concern of my
grandmother. Old Census records can provide a wealth of information.
Census data starts in 1790 and can get you started on your family
tree. From 1850 to 1930, details are provided for all individuals
in each household, such as:
- names
of family members
- their
ages at a certain point in time
- their
state or country of birth
- their
parent's birthplaces
- year of
immigration
- street
address
- marriage
status and years of marriage
- occupation(s)
- value
of their home and personal belongings
- the crops
that they grew
The
data is available on microfilm. For information on how to access
this information contact the National Archives and Records Administration,
8601 Adelphi Rd., College Park, MD 20740; 866-272-6272; www.archives.gov.
The following website at the Census Bureau also provides some
basic search facts www.census.gov/prod/2000pubs/cff-2.pdf.
- Create
Your Family Tree
Tracing your family history has been made
much easier with the creation of the American Immigration Family
History Center at Ellis Island. Once you get to the website
at www.ellisisland.org all you need to do is register by creating
a user name and password, then you can conduct searches of Passenger
Arrival Records. By simply entering in a last name, you will
find all the names from ship passenger logs that match. The
passenger’s name, country of origin, age, and date of
arrival are shown to help you create your family tree. If desired,
you can purchase copies of the original ship manifest, ship
photographs, and passenger record certificates online. It couldn’t
be easier! For more information check out their website at www.ellisisland.org
or contact The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation Inc.,
Attn: History Center, 292 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10017-7769;
212-561-4588; E-mail: historycenter@ellisisland.org.
- Don’t
Even Think Of Marrying If You’re Not Sure What Side Of
The Voting Booth He Prefers
The County Board of Elections (also called
the Registrar of Voters) has public information from voter registration
forms. You can look here to find someone as well. They can do
a search to find out if a voter is registered in their district.
They may be able to verify the person’s full name, date
of birth, current address, and political party. To learn how
to access this information, contact your local County Board
of Elections.
- Is
He A Good Driver
The State Department of Motor Vehicles
in most states can help your search with public information
from driver’s license and car registration forms. You
will need to provide them with the person’s full name,
date of birth, and maybe the person’s driver’s license
number. You may also need to put your request in writing, and
there might be a fee for this service. Your State’s Department
of Motor Vehicles is in your state’s capitol. Information
accessibility varies from state to state, so you need to find
out what information your state will provide.
- Find
A Military Man/Woman
Requests for military addresses should be sent to the respective
service of the individual whose address is being sought. Because
of the large volume of requests that each service locator receives,
please allow four weeks processing time for written requests.
The following information is needed for all requests for all
locator services:
- Give
as much identifying information as possible about the person
you wish to locate such as full name, rank, last duty assignment/last
known military address, service number, and Social Security
number.
-
The locator service is free to immediate family members and
government officials. Other family members, civilian friends,
businesses and others must pay $3.50. The check or money order
must be made out to the U.S. Treasury. It is not refundable.
Remember to include your check if necessary to the appropriate
branch of service.
-
United States Army
The Army will help you locate individuals on active duty only,
not retirees.
Commander
U.S. Army Enlisted Records & Evaluation Center
ATTN: Locator
8899 East 56th Street
Fort Benjamin Harrison, IN 46249-5301
-
United States Navy
The Navy's locator service helps locate individuals on active
duty and those whose service ended less than a year ago. In
addition, the Navy will forward letters as long as the correct
postage is affixed to the envelope. You can call the locator
service at 901-874-3388.
World Wide Locator
Bureau of Naval Personnel
PERS 312F
5720 Integrity Drive
Millington, TN 38055-3120
-
United States Marine Corps
The Marine Corps can provide the duty station for active duty
personnel and reservists. For retired individuals, the locator
service can provide the city and state, but not an address.
The service will provide the service member's current rank and
unit address; however, due to the locator's staffing, the office
cannot forward mail except in special cases. Telephone requests
to 703-640-3942/43 are free of charge to immediate family members.
In addition, a telephone service will be provided at no cost
to any individual, business or organization, if the Marine locator
decides the information would benefit the individual. Send written
locator requests to:
Commandant of the Marine Corps
Headquarters, USMC
Code MMSB-10
Quantico, VA 22134-5030
-
United States Air Force
The Air Force can locate active duty personnel, as well as retirees,
reservists and guardsmen. This information is not available
for those who have separated from the Air Force or are Army
Air Corps retirees. Information on individuals stationed overseas
or in a sensitive position will not be released. However, the
locator service will forward mail to that person for up to 90
days, as long as the correct postage is on the envelope and
any required fee has been paid. Parents, spouses, and government
officials may call 210-652-5774 for a recorded message or 210-652-5775
for non-recorded service. For locator service, write to:
HQ AFMPC/RMIQL
550 C Street, West, Suite 50
Randolph AFB, TX 78150-4752
- Find
The Federal Bureau of Prisons has an inmate
locator service for those inmates in Federal prisons. Check
it out online at www.bop.gov/iloc2/LocateInmate.jsp
- Searching
For A Lost Family Member
If you need help getting word to a family
member at a time of emergency or locating a lost loved one,
try contacting the Salvation Army or the Red Cross. In many
instances, they can help you find your family member. Try contacting
these organizations at Salvation Army National Headquarters,
615 Slaters Lane, P.O. Box 269, Alexandria, VA 22313; 703-684-5500;
www.salvationarmyusa.org/
or American Red Cross National Headquarters, 2025 E Street NW,
Washington, DC 20006; 202-303-4498; www.redcross.org/services/afes
- Is
She Just A Gold Digger
You can find out who owes money to whom
by checking out the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) available
through your Secretary of State’s office. Some states,
like Ohio, let you search by the individual name of the debtor
in a secured loan transaction. To see which information your
state offers, contact your Secretary of State’s office.
You can find the office by going to www.govengine.com
|
