Archives in the United States are spread across many levels of government, and no single office holds everything. A birth certificate, a property deed, a police report and a census page can each sit in a different building run by a different agency. Our directory lists 1,161 archive and records offices, from the Potter County Records Archive in Amarillo, Texas, to the Buncombe County Central Records Archive in Asheville, North Carolina. This page explains who holds what, so you can contact the right office the first time.

Who Runs Archives in the United States: Federal, State, County and City

The federal layer is the National Archives and Records Administration, known as NARA. It keeps the permanent records of federal agencies, including census schedules, immigration files, military service records and federal court cases. Its main buildings are in Washington, D.C., and College Park, Maryland. Military personnel files are held at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri. NARA does not hold your local property deed or your child's school file.

Every state also runs its own archive, usually under the secretary of state, the state library or a historical commission. State archives preserve governors' papers, legislative records and state agency files. Some also hold older county records that were transferred for safekeeping. They are the best starting point for state-level history, land grants and historic state court cases.

Most records people actually need sit at the county level. County clerks, recorders, registers of deeds, probate courts and sheriff's offices create the documents of daily life: deeds, marriage licenses, wills, court judgments and arrest records. Several listings in our database show this clearly. Examples include the Columbia County Sheriffs Records Archive in Appling, Georgia, the Huron County Sheriff Records Archive in Bad Axe, Michigan, and the Brandon Rankin Chancery Court Records Archive in Brandon, Mississippi.

Cities and school districts add a fourth layer. Municipal archives keep council minutes, permits and police files, such as the Appleton Police Records Archive in Wisconsin or the Enfield Police Records Archive in Connecticut. School districts hold transcripts, which is why the Alhambra High School Transcripts and Records Archive appears among the California listings. Tax offices keep their own files too, like the Albany County Finance Department Tax Records Archive in New York.

How Archive Rules and Fees Change From One State to the Next

No single national law governs local records. The federal Freedom of Information Act applies only to federal agencies. Each state writes its own public records law, with its own deadlines and exemptions. Texas uses the Public Information Act, California the Public Records Act, Florida Chapter 119 of its statutes and New York the Freedom of Information Law. What an office must release, and how fast, depends on which state you are in.

Fees vary just as widely. Some offices let you inspect records for free and charge only for copies. Others add a search fee, a certification fee or an hourly rate for staff time on large requests. Certified copies, which carry a seal or signature, usually cost more than plain copies. County fee schedules are set locally and change, so call before you go.

Vital records show the differences well. Birth, death and marriage records are generally held by a state health department or vital records office, and some states keep county copies as well. Many states limit recent certified copies to the person named, close family or a legal representative. Older records open to the public after a set number of years, and that number differs by state.

Services you may find at an archive office include:

  • Walk-in inspection of land, court and tax records
  • Certified copies for legal, school or benefit purposes
  • Mail, phone or online requests for people who cannot visit
  • Research rooms with a reference archivist, often by appointment
  • Microfilm or digital scans of older bound volumes

What to Bring to an Archive Office Before You Go

Start with a government-issued photo ID, since most offices ask for one before releasing certified or restricted documents. Next, gather the details that let staff find the file quickly: full names including maiden names, approximate dates, the street address or parcel number, and any case or report number. A request for a deed with a parcel number takes minutes. A request that says only "my grandfather's land" can take days.

Bring a payment method the office accepts. Smaller counters sometimes take only cash, checks or money orders. Ask about hours too, because many county offices close for lunch or on days when court is in session. The Potter County Records Archive at 500 South Fillmore Street in Amarillo lists 806-379-2246, and the Boulder County Clerk Records Archive at 1750 33rd Street in Boulder lists 303-441-3516. A two-minute call to a number like these can save a wasted trip.

Expect some records to be closed. Juvenile files, adoption records, sealed court cases and certain medical or investigative material are restricted by law in most states. If you are not named in the record, bring proof of your relationship or a signed authorization from the person who is.

Choosing the Right State Page for Your Archives Search

Records are filed where the event happened or where the property sits, not where you live now. If you were married in one state, bought land in a second and now live in a third, you will need three different offices. Pick the state page that matches the location of the document, then narrow down to the county or city.

Our largest collections are in Archives in California, Archives in New York, Archives in Texas, Archives in Florida and Archives in Georgia. Every other state has its own page as well, so a smaller state is covered the same way. Start with the state, then look for the county named on your document.

Local structure can surprise you. Louisiana has parishes instead of counties, as in the Rapides Parish Fire Prevention Records Archive in Alexandria, Louisiana. Virginia's independent cities, such as Alexandria, keep their own court and land records rather than sharing a county's. Several states have a town in one county and a similarly named town in another, so confirm the county before you call.

Common Mistakes That Slow Down an Archives Request

Most delays come from a few avoidable errors:

  • Contacting the wrong level of government, such as asking NARA for a county deed
  • Using the state where you live instead of the state where the record was created
  • Assuming every record is online, when many older volumes are paper or microfilm only
  • Arriving without photo ID, a reference number or the right payment method
  • Sending a vague request without names, dates or addresses
  • Overlooking restrictions and then treating a denial as a final answer, when many states allow an appeal

Confirm the office, the fee and the documents required, and your request will usually move quickly.

Archives by State
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Archive Offices From Busy Counties to Small Towns

California leads our database with 110 archive listings, followed by New York with 65, Texas with 62 and Florida with 61. A large total does not make a search easier, though. A small county office such as the Stoddard County Archive in Bloomfield, Missouri, may keep a century of land and court files in one building under one clerk. Larger systems, such as the Bellevue Public Records Archive in King County, Washington, divide the work among departments. Place names also repeat across the country. Athens has a city records archive in McMinn County, Tennessee, and a county archive in Limestone County, Alabama. Amherst has one in Lorain County, Archives in Ohio, and a police archive in Hampshire County, Massachusetts. Always match the county and street address in the listing before you drive or mail a request. Use the phone number on each listing to confirm hours, fees and the documents the office wants to see.

In most states the answer is the county itself. Deeds and mortgages go to the county recorder, register of deeds or clerk of court, depending on the state. Wills and estate files sit with the probate or surrogate court, and civil and criminal case files stay with the clerk of the court that heard them. A few states divide these jobs differently, and Louisiana's parish clerks of court handle many of them. Find your county in our listings, then call to confirm which counter handles your document type.

Usually not. NARA holds federal records such as census schedules, passenger lists, military files, patents and federal court cases. Your local deed, school transcript or city police report belongs to a local office. Census records are released 72 years after they are taken, so the 1950 census is open while later ones are not. Veterans' military service files are held at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. If your question involves a federal agency, start with NARA. If it involves your town, start with the county or city archive.

Costs are set locally, so there is no national price. Many offices charge per page for plain copies and a higher flat fee for a certified copy with a seal. Some add a search fee when staff must look through older volumes, and large requests may be billed at an hourly rate. Inspecting records in person is often free. Ask the office for its current fee schedule before you travel, and ask which payment types it accepts, because smaller county counters sometimes take only checks, money orders or exact cash.

Often in part. State public records laws usually make basic incident reports and arrest logs available, while withholding active investigations, juvenile matters, victim details and sealed files. Offices like the Appleton Police Records Archive in Wisconsin or the Huron County Sheriff Records Archive in Michigan handle requests under their own state's law. Bring the report number, date, location and your name if you were involved in the incident. Expect some redactions, and ask about the appeal process if the agency denies part of your request.

For a simple counter request, such as pulling a deed, most county offices accept walk-ins during business hours. Research rooms at state archives and historical collections often require appointments or keep set days, and some limit how many boxes you can request per visit. Small offices in towns like Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, or Bloomfield, Missouri, may have reduced hours or lunch closures. Call the number in the listing first, ask what ID and reference numbers to bring, and confirm the office is open on the day you plan to travel.

Counter requests for indexed records can often be filled while you wait. Mailed or online requests usually take several days to a few weeks, depending on staffing and the age of the record. Under state public records laws, many agencies must acknowledge a request within a set number of business days, though a full response can take longer for large or complex requests. Older volumes stored off-site take extra time to retrieve. Give complete details up front, because vague requests lead to follow-up questions that add delay.

First confirm you have the right office, county and date range. County boundaries have changed over time, so a record from before a county was formed may sit in its parent county. Retention schedules also allow some files to be destroyed legally, while others were moved to a state archive. Ask the clerk which office would hold the record now, and request a written no-records letter if you need proof. Also check towns with the same name, such as Athens in Tennessee and Alabama.