Puerto Rico Public Records – Review and Use Guide

Puerto Rico is one of the territories in the United States located on the northeastern Caribbean island. P.R. The Commonwealth officially follows FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act). 

In this article, we are going to tell you about all the records of Puerto Rico and mainly Puerto Rico Public Records.

Puerto Rico Public Records
Puerto Rico Public Records

It is popular for tourism as it’s a landscape of mountains and several small islands. P.R. has a population of 3.6 million people.

Christopher Columbus and the Spanish were the first ones who claimed it in 1493.

However, it was handed to the United States because of the American-Spanish war. 

Besides, it follows a local constitution and has the same citizenship as the United States residents.

But, they are devoid of voting rights in all major elections. It actively participates in the making of records and shares them with the public. 

Under the FRA (Federal Relations Act), Puerto Rico was classified as the unincorporated territory of the United States in 1950.

The government documents of the territory are in the public domain.

The Public Documents Administration Act is what we call the principal public record act, which was initially passed in 1955, and some amendments were made later on in 2000.

Amendments covering the laws of Puerto Rico are explained in chapter 3 of title # 3. With that, it has some other amenities that deal with both the supply and preservation of the records.

Also, title 32 has a statement that says every resident of Puerto Rico has a right to obtain a copy of the public record and can keep it with him.

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Records of Arrest, Criminal and Background Checks

Puerto Rico strongly adheres to the provision of background checks. It assists in protecting the business from criminals or individuals with a bad history that poses a risk to the integrity of companies.

They are done to prove the validation of an individual. The police department is responsible for managing these checks in Puerto Rico.

Moreover, one can easily access criminal checks by searching names, and the system is online now.

However, to have access to that, you must have an identification card such as a driving license or passport, etc.

You can also request a background check one to one at the police department of Puerto Rico, 601 Avenue F.D. Roosevelt, Cuartel General, San Juan, PR 00936-8166.


Inmates and Jail Records of Puerto Rico

Department of Correction Websites should be your stop if you want to discover more about Puerto Rico’s correctional institutions and the information of both victims and inmates.

The system doesn’t have a search page that finds the specific criminal online. You can reach the office of correctional population, Office of Control and Management, at 787 273 6464 for further assistance.


Court Records of Puerto Rico

On the court’s site administrators, you can easily find information on courts of Puerto Rico’s territory.

The calendar of the court is the sole online search that is viable. You need to request the court clerk to have access to records and files of specific cases.


Vital Records of Puerto Rico

In Puerto Rico, the Department of Health and Demographic Registry are in charge of vital records such as death, marriage, birth, and divorce certificates.

You can find the credentials of death, marriage, and birth from 22nd June 1931 to date. If you want to have access to old records, you can obtain that by writing to the local registrar.

To acquire a certificate, you should submit a comprehensive application and demonstrate that you are an interested party.

This will further indicate either you are a member of the immediate family, legal representative, legal guardian, or registered on the certificate.

You can obtain these documents in various ways:

One to One

Order in person at the Department of Health and Demographic Registry, 141 Barbosa Avenue, Lincoln Building, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00925.

Via Post

You have to download the form and complete it with the required information, then mail it along with the copies of the relevant paperwork to the Department of Health, Demographic Registry, P.O. Box 11854, Fernandez Juncos Station, San Juan, PR 00910.

Online: Use VitalCheck.com to place and pay for your order.

In Puerto Rico, you can find divorce records in the local courthouse. You must acquire a marriage license before stepping into marriage in Puerto Rico. 

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The Bottom Line

Any open document for both retrieval and public viewing in Puerto Rico is known as public records.

Puerto Rico arrest records, birth records, criminal records, and vital records are just a few examples of the various sorts of documents available.

These public records are accessible at offices of assessors, recorders, and local, territorial clerks. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are public records free?

There are many types of public records that are available for free at the federal, state, county, and city levels.

Some examples of free public records are census data, property information, tax liens and judgments, criminal records, bankruptcies, and court records.

Where can I find free property records?

Find real estate records. When a house is put on the market, there should be an online listing.

You can use the listing to find out the price and other information, such as the year the house was built or the lot size. 

Realtor.com and Trulia.com are two well-known websites you can use for free.

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