Background Checks
Public Records Searches
Retrieval of the records you are entitled to see under the Freedom of Information Act and the Texas Public Information Act, from the agencies that hold them.
- #1 Private Investigator in Texas
- Texas License #12818
- Twenty-five years of experience
- Marine veteran owned
- Statewide Texas coverage
- Free confidential consultation
What this is
Public Records, in plain terms.
You have a right to most of this. Under federal law and under the Texas Public Information Act you can generally request public records without explaining why you want them. The obstacle is almost never the right - it is knowing which agency holds the record, what it is called there, and how that agency wants to be asked.
That is the service. We identify the custodian, make the request in the form it will be answered in, follow it up, and handle the exemptions and redactions that come back. Done well it is fast. Done by guessing it is a month of unanswered emails.
The work
What actually gets done.
- Identify which agency or office actually holds the record.
- Draft and file the request in the form that office requires.
- Track deadlines and pursue the response.
- Handle exemption claims and partial denials.
- Retrieve vital, property, licensing, permitting, regulatory and agency records.
- Organize what comes back into something readable.
Background Checks
Searched where the records actually live.
County by county, court by court, agency by agency. The report says which jurisdictions were covered and which were not, because a search without its scope stated is not a search.
What you get
At the end of it.
- The records themselves, as certified copies where that is available.
- A log of what was requested, from whom, and when.
- A written account of anything withheld and the exemption claimed.
- A summary that puts the documents in order.
When people call
The three situations we hear most.
You have asked and been ignored
The most common reason people hand this over. A correctly framed request to the right custodian behaves differently.
You do not know who holds it
Half of public records work is finding the office.
You need certified copies
For a filing or a hearing, a printout is not the same document.
Questions
About this service.
Do I have to say why I want a record?
Generally no. Under the Texas Public Information Act a requestor does not have to state a reason. Some specific record types have their own rules, and we will tell you when one applies.
What if the agency refuses?
An agency withholding information under the Texas act generally has to seek a ruling from the Attorney General. We document the refusal, identify the exemption claimed, and tell you what your options are.
Is this the same as a background check?
No. A background check is an assembled picture of a person. Public records work is retrieving specific documents from specific custodians, and it is often part of a larger case.
Is the first conversation really free?
Yes, and it is confidential. You describe the situation, we tell you whether an investigation is likely to help, roughly what it would involve and what it would cost. There is no charge for that call and no obligation at the end of it.
More in this area
Other services in Background Checks.
Where we work
Four metros, and the rest of Texas.
Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio are where most cases start. Coverage runs to the whole state, and records and asset work is run nationally.
Free consultation
Tell us what is going on. The first call is free.
Describe the situation and we will tell you honestly whether an investigation would help, what it would involve and what it would cost. Confidential, no obligation, and no charge for the conversation.