Public Records Guides

Guides

Free, practical how-to guides for finding people and public records — starting with inmate and incarceration search.

How to Find an Inmate →

Federal, state, and county — the free official locators and how to search by name.

How to Find a Federal Inmate →

The Federal Bureau of Prisons locator, register numbers, and contacting federal inmates.

How to Find Someone in County Jail →

Why jail detainees aren’t in the prison locators, and how to search a county jail roster.

How to Find an Inmate by Name →

Locate someone in custody when all you have is a name — across every system.

Are Mugshots Public Record? →

What a mugshot is, when it’s public, how to find one, and how removal works.