How to Search District of Columbia Public Records

District of Columbia's court, criminal, vital, property, voter, and licensing records are maintained by D.C. government agencies. Use the tabs to filter by record type, or jump directly to any source.

  • Courts: The D.C. Court of Appeals sits at the top of the system; trial-court business is handled by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Most courts publish dockets and case lookups online.
  • Criminal history: The state's criminal-history repository handles official background checks. Fees and procedures are set by the state agency — see the linked official source.
  • Vital records: Birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates are issued by the DC Health Vital Records Division. Marriage records are filed with the Marriage Bureau of the D.C. Superior Court.
  • Property & recorded documents: Maintained by the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue (Real Property) and the D.C. Recorder of Deeds.
  • Business filings: The Secretary of State (or equivalent) operates the official business-entity search.
Population
1,051,917
Households
411,859
Median Income
$101,027
Median Home Value
$705,000

Property Records Databases

In the District of Columbia, recording is handled by the D.C. Recorder of Deeds.

Property Records

District of Columbia - A DC Real Property Assessment Mapplication by Real Property Tax Administration
Official Free
The DC Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR), Real Property Tax Administration (RPTA) values all real property in the District of Columbia . This public inter...
🌐 catalog.data.gov
Recorder of Deeds | otr - DC Office of Tax and Revenue
Official Free
Your Trusted Source for Real Property Records and Document Services The Recorder of Deeds, is a part of the Office of Tax and Revenue . This office keeps all official records about land and property in Washington, D.C. It collects taxes and fees when people file documents involving property.
🌐 otr.cfo.dc.gov
DCGIS.PublicEasementsLN
Official Free
... Introduction: The Vector Property data was developed with the oversight of the Office of Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) - DC GIS, Department of Consumer of Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) - Office of the Surveyor (OS), and Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) - Real Property Tax Administration (RPTA). This effort was undertaken with 2 primary goals: - Support and improve the daily business processes of the two DC agencies that originate and manage land record in the District of Columbia.
🌐 dcatlas.dcgis.dc.gov
Sales & Use Tax | otr - DC Office of Tax and Revenue
Official Free
Sales and use tax is applied to the sale, lease, or rental of tangible personal property and certain services in the District of Columbia. OTR provides tools, resources, and guidance for businesses and individuals to accurately report, pay, and comply with sales and use tax requirements. ... Learn which services are subject to sales and use tax in the District and which are exempt. ... Find examples of property maintenance services that are taxable versus those that are exempt. ... Review which types of data processing services are subject to sales tax and which qualify for exemptions.
🌐 otr.cfo.dc.gov

Frequently Asked Questions

District of Columbia's official criminal-history repository is operated by the state law-enforcement agency. Free public access to a complete criminal history is generally not available; an official background check typically requires fingerprints and a fee. Court records can be searched at no cost through the D.C. Courts case lookup.

District of Columbia's court system is headed by the D.C. Court of Appeals. Trial-court business is handled by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, which includes Civil, Criminal, Family Court, Probate, and Tax divisions. Many D.C. courts publish docket searches and case lookups online — see the Court Records tab above for direct links.

The District of Columbia Secretary of State (or equivalent agency) operates the official business-entity search. You can typically search corporations, LLCs, LPs, and other registered entities by name or registration number. See the Licenses or Business tab above.

The D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) determines property values for tax purposes. The D.C. Recorder of Deeds records deeds, mortgages, liens, and other property documents. See the Property Records tab above for direct links.

District of Columbia vital records (birth, death, marriage, divorce certificates) are issued by the DC Health Vital Records Division. Marriage records are issued by the Marriage Bureau of the D.C. Superior Court. Fees and ID requirements are set by the issuing agency.

D.C. property and recorded-document searches are free for basic information through OTR Real Property and the D.C. Recorder of Deeds. Certified copies of deeds typically have a per-page fee. Direct links are in the Property Records tab above.

The District of Columbia sex offender registry is maintained by the state law-enforcement agency under the Sex Offender Registration and Community Notification Act. The registry is searchable by name, ZIP code, or address.

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