THE RECORD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF

Public records can feel like a treasure hunt — except the treasure is information, and the map is not always easy to read. I had to learn this process the hard way, so I put this simple guide together to help others learn it the easy way.

When searching for records, use the most common names, addresses, dates, and keywords connected to what you are looking for.

For example, if you are searching for records about the River Inn, you could include:

River Inn
9400 W. 4th Street
Reno, Nevada

Then ask for the types of records you want, such as:

• Emails
• Text messages
• Complaints
• Phone calls
• Voicemails
• Police reports
• 911 calls
• Photos or videos
• Code enforcement records

If you know the names of people involved, include those too. You can also include their phone numbers, email addresses, or addresses if you have them.

For example, a request could say:

“I am requesting all public records regarding River Inn, 9400 W. 4th Street, including emails, text messages, complaints, phone calls, voicemails, police records, 911 calls, photos, videos, and code enforcement records involving [person’s name], [phone number], [email address], or [address]. If you do not have names or information for a specific person, you can simply leave that part out.”

You will also need to include dates. If you do not know the exact date, choose a date range that you believe the records may fall within.

For example:

Date range: January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023

The more information you give, the easier it is for the records department to search. Use names, addresses, dates, phone numbers, emails, complaint numbers, report numbers, and keywords whenever you can.

This guide is meant to help people search public records more easily and understand how to ask for the information they are looking for.