Before making a trip to a courthouse (or any recor
ds facility), plan ahead and find out the following things:
- days/time of operation
- copy charges and policies
- can cameras and cell phones be used in the facility?
- what about laptops or other electronic devices?
- what can be taken in the facility (paper and pencil only, no personal items, etc.)?
- are any records closed?
If all you “information” needed to look up things is in your phone and you cannot take it in, that’s something you need to know beforehand.
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3 Responses
I’d also ask about parking and security. It’s a bear to try to find even paid parking around our county courthouse, so you need to be prepared to walk a good six blocks…and then return several times to feed the meter, if you stay for more than a two hours. I’ve also heard about some of the county courthouses in my ancestral locations being in areas (typically large cities) where many people feel unsafe, especially after dark.
That’s a good point. On the flip side for those in rural areas it would be advised to determine where the nearest decent motel is located. Some county seats don’t have them.
As a volunteer at my state archives, I often see folks coming in at 4:00 or 4:15 in the afternoon. The microfilm room (where most of the genealogy research is done) closes at 4:30. Some have come great distances, but even the most experienced researcher can’t get much done in 30 minutes!
It also pays to get “all your ducks in a row,” having names, dates, locations, etc. handy.