What Are Nevada Public Records?

Under the Nevada Public Records Act (NPRA), public records consist of all non-confidential information generated and stored by government agencies. Records can be stored in both print and electronic forms. All such records can be accessed by members of the public except those declared confidential by law. Requests by the public (resident in the State or not) to access public records in Nevada can be made either verbally or in writing to the relevant record custodian.

What Constitutes A Public Record In Nevada?

All information created and kept by government agencies under the Nevada Public Records Act constitutes public records. Some of these include:

• Birth records
• Death records
• Marriage records
• Budget records
• Government financial records
• Licensing records
• Court records
• Voter registration and election records
• Sex offender records
• Court records
• Divorce records
• Missing person records
• Deeds, mortgages, and other related property records
• Criminal records, including wants and warrants
• Statewide records retention schedules
• Local records retention manual
• Crime Trial

What Type Of Information Is Disclosed In Public Records?

Public records provide a variety of information some of which include personal details such as the:

• Subject's name
• Subject's date of birth and age
• Physical description (hair color, gender, eye color, height, race, weight, body markings)
• Nationality
• Location ( prison, state, county of residence)
• Photograph
• Family history (marriage, divorce, separation, children)
• Address or contact information
• Social security numbers
• Qualification

Others include:

• Records of warrants
• Legislation
• Amendments to new laws
• Executive order
• Professional license requirements
• Schools learning outcome benchmark
• Schools entering requirements
• Motor vehicle registration
• Marriage certificate
• Record of marriage license
• Political campaigns finance records
• Criminal justice records
• Court proceedings

Are Public Records Available At Libraries?

Dozens of public libraries actively provide access to a variety of public records. Most of these libraries are also online, making the search for relevant public information easy. The Nevada State Library is among the three biggest libraries in Nevada. It catalogs a large volume of public records, some of them dating back to as far as the 1800s. University of Nevada Las Vegas is also among the biggest and holds vast resources of public records. Other notable libraries in Nevada with a huge collection of public materials include Boulder City Library, Carson City Library, White Pine County Library, and Las Vegas-Clark County Library.

How To Find Free Nevada Public Records

Accessing public records in the state of Nevada is free. Nevertheless, the cost of making copies of records being sought is passed to the applicant. There are five basic steps involved in this process. They are:

Step1. Determine the type of record required

Public records are stored and maintained in categories. To retrieve accurate information from public records, an applicant must first find out the category they fall into. Public records are categorized into:

• Vital records:This sort of public record holds information regarding important events like birth and death records, marriage records, and divorce record
• Court records:All civil and criminal court cases are considered public record and can be accessed in the Supreme Court of Nevada. An applicant for court records in Nevada can also search out case files online by simply using the party name and case docket.
• Criminal record:This record holds information on a person's criminal records. It is available for view and procurement at the Nevada Department of Public Safety Records, Communications and Compliance Division and contains information on a person's arrest and conviction.

Step 2. Determine the government agency with the records.

Public records can be viewed and procured from the particular government agency or department that stores and maintains it. In the state of Nevada for instance, vital records are maintained by the Office of Vital Statistics in the Division of Public and Behavioural Health (DPBH) and National Center for Health Statistics In the office of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. Similarly, records pertaining to how the environment is maintained and regulated in Nevada can be obtained from the Nevada Division of Environmental protection. An applicant must be familiar with State agencies and departments in Nevada, to be able to streamline the search for public information.

Step 3.Determine accessibility

Not all public records can be viewed or procured by individual members of the public. There are certain categories of public records that have been exempted from public access in compliance with the law. Some of them bother on confidentiality, security, and legislative restrictions as spelled out in NRS 239.0105 of the Nevada Public Records Act.

Step 4. Determine the Availability

Records are typically available for public access in the physical location of the government's department or agency that generates, stores, and maintains them. Requesters are advised to keep requests for information simple to enable a record custodian to determine availability. According to the Public Records NAC 2014 statute, the sought information must be easily retrievable and non-confidential.

Step 5. Contact the Record Holder

A person may formally write to a record holder in a public agency or department to request for specific public information. Such a request must be in clear terms to make sourcing of relevant information easy and timely. Such requests can also be made by filling the FOI form which can be obtained from the same office keeping the record.

However, In the case of requesting access to information in Nevada Criminal History Records, a person shall present a valid identification of self. This is to ensure that the information being sought pertains to him. The Nevada Department of Public Safety does not allow individuals to access the criminal records of others.

Government agencies are at liberty to determine fees to be charged for retrieving information for a requester. However, the Nevada Department of PublicSafety charges all applications requesting to access criminal history records a flat rate of $27 (US dollars). When statutory conditions are met, the record holder is required by law to provide the information being requested within five working days. In the case of seeking to procure a criminal history record, the law in Nevada allows a 45days period for the record holder to respond to an application.

How To Find Public Records Through Third-party Organizations?

In compliance with the Nevada Public Records Act (NPRA), public records are accessible by the public, which includes third party organizations. These organizations also charge fees but offer the benefit of more accurate search algorithms in most cases. Given that they are not government-sponsored, record availability may vary from official government channels. Nonetheless, these organizations offer a good place to start a record search as they require less information upfront, and may offer an alternative for citizens seeking information.

Can Public Records Request Be Rejected In Nevada?

Applications to procure public records can be rejected if the record being sought falls under the exemption list as spelled out in the Nevada Public Records Act (NPRA). The act permits the record holder to withhold information from applications that are ambiguous. An application may also be turned down if the information being sought is classified as confidential. It is the duty of the agency to provide a written response to the applicant and cite the status or legal authority that validates the rejection. Should the applicant be unsatisfied with reasons given for rejecting his application, he has the option of seeking redress in court.