United States federal and state public-record systems: courts, securities filings, campaign finance, government contracts, licenses, nonprofits, sanctions lists and corporate registries.
US federal court records system
Register for a free account, then search federal civil/criminal dockets. Documents cost $0.10/page — use CourtListener/RECAP first to check if someone already liberated them for free.
Free legal opinions & RECAP archive
Search case law and federal dockets free. Install the RECAP browser extension to automatically donate and receive PACER documents.
Free legal opinions & RECAP archive
Search case law and federal dockets free. Install the RECAP browser extension to automatically donate and receive PACER documents.
SEC filings & enforcement
Use EDGAR full-text search to find company filings (10-K, 10-Q, 8-K) by keyword, company or ticker. No account needed.
SEC filings & enforcement
Use EDGAR full-text search to find company filings (10-K, 10-Q, 8-K) by keyword, company or ticker. No account needed.
SEC filings & enforcement
Use EDGAR full-text search to find company filings (10-K, 10-Q, 8-K) by keyword, company or ticker. No account needed.
SEC EDGAR company search
Type a company name or ticker to list all its SEC filings chronologically; click any filing to read the documents.
Investment adviser public disclosure
Search a financial adviser or firm by name to see registration status, disciplinary history and Form ADV brochures.
FINRA broker background checker
Enter a broker or firm name to see licenses, employment history and customer disputes — always check before investing.
Federal Election Commission data
Search candidates, PACs and donors; browse individual contributions and download bulk campaign-finance datasets.
Federal Election Commission data
Search candidates, PACs and donors; browse individual contributions and download bulk campaign-finance datasets.
Federal Election Commission data
Search candidates, PACs and donors; browse individual contributions and download bulk campaign-finance datasets.
US federal spending explorer
Search any company or person to see federal contracts and grants received; use keyword search and filters, then export results.
US federal spending explorer
Search any company or person to see federal contracts and grants received; use keyword search and filters, then export results.
US government contracting portal
Search active contract opportunities and entity registrations. Check a company's SAM registration to verify it's a real federal vendor.
US government contracting portal
Search active contract opportunities and entity registrations. Check a company's SAM registration to verify it's a real federal vendor.
US government contracting portal
Search active contract opportunities and entity registrations. Check a company's SAM registration to verify it's a real federal vendor.
GSA open APIs
Read the API docs, request a free api.data.gov key, and query opportunities and other GSA datasets programmatically.
US open-data catalog
Search ~300k federal datasets, filter by format and agency, download or hit the API. The catalog subdomain is best for raw search.
US open-data catalog
Search ~300k federal datasets, filter by format and agency, download or hit the API. The catalog subdomain is best for raw search.
US open-data catalog
Search ~300k federal datasets, filter by format and agency, download or hit the API. The catalog subdomain is best for raw search.
FOIA request portal
Find the right agency, then submit a Freedom of Information Act request online for unreleased government records.
Daily journal of the US government
Search proposed/final rules and public notices; subscribe to docket alerts to track regulatory changes.
US legislation tracker
Search bills by keyword or sponsor, read full text, and track status through committees to the floor.
Official US government publications
Search authenticated PDFs of the Congressional Record, Federal Register, court opinions and more.
Global company registry aggregator
Search 200M+ companies by name or officer; use advanced search to filter by jurisdiction, status and dates.
Global company registry aggregator
Search 200M+ companies by name or officer; use advanced search to filter by jurisdiction, status and dates.
Global company registry aggregator
Search 200M+ companies by name or officer; use advanced search to filter by jurisdiction, status and dates.
FCC licensing & databases
Search the Universal Licensing System (ULS) for radio licenses by call sign, name or FRN.
FCC licensing & databases
Search the Universal Licensing System (ULS) for radio licenses by call sign, name or FRN.
FCC CORES search
Look up FCC Registration Numbers (FRN) and licensees by name.
FAA aircraft registry
Enter an N-number tail code to see the aircraft's registered owner, model and airworthiness status.
FAA aircraft registry
Enter an N-number tail code to see the aircraft's registered owner, model and airworthiness status.
FAA aircraft registry
Enter an N-number tail code to see the aircraft's registered owner, model and airworthiness status.
US Patent & Trademark Office
Use Patent Public Search for patents and the trademark search for marks; Patent Center tracks application status.
US Patent & Trademark Office
Use Patent Public Search for patents and the trademark search for marks; Patent Center tracks application status.
Patent application status portal
Look up a patent application by number to see its prosecution history and documents.
US Patent & Trademark Office
Use Patent Public Search for patents and the trademark search for marks; Patent Center tracks application status.
Trademark search system
Search live and dead US trademarks by word, owner or serial number to check brand availability.
USPTO open data
Bulk-download patent and trademark datasets for analytics.
IRS tax-exempt org search (TEOS)
Verify a nonprofit's 501(c)(3) status by EIN or name before donating or claiming deductions.
IRS nonprofit search
Use the Tax Exempt Organization Search to confirm a charity's status and see revocation lists.
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer
Search any US nonprofit to read its Form 990 filings: revenue, executive pay and grants, free.
Candid/GuideStar nonprofit profiles
Search nonprofits for financials, leadership and transparency seals; some data needs a free account.
National Provider Identifier registry
Look up any US healthcare provider's NPI, specialty and practice address; bulk files on the CMS download page.
CMS NPI bulk files
Download the full NPI database (free, updated weekly) for offline healthcare-provider analysis.
OFAC sanctions list search
Screen a person or company against the SDN and consolidated sanctions lists — a required step before international business.
OFAC sanctions search tool
Use the Sanctions List Search to check names against US sanctions with fuzzy matching.
US Census data portal
Search demographic, economic and business data by geography; export tables or use the API.
Lobbying Disclosure Act database
Search lobbying filings by client, lobbyist or issue to see who is paying to influence Congress.
Lobbying Disclosure Act database
Search lobbying filings by client, lobbyist or issue to see who is paying to influence Congress.
Federal grants portal
Search open grant opportunities by keyword and eligibility; track application deadlines.
FDIC BankFind
Verify a bank is FDIC-insured and view its financial history, branches and mergers.
Mortgage/loan officer license check
Search a loan officer or mortgage company to confirm state licensing and see disciplinary actions.
Money-in-politics tracker
Search donors, candidates and industries to follow campaign contributions and outside spending.
littlesis — Usa resource
Open the site, use its search or query interface with the identifier you have (name, number, domain or keyword depending on the tool), then export or record the results for your research notes.
muckrock — Usa resource
Open the site, use its search or query interface with the identifier you have (name, number, domain or keyword depending on the tool), then export or record the results for your research notes.
publicaccountability — Usa resource
Open the site, use its search or query interface with the identifier you have (name, number, domain or keyword depending on the tool), then export or record the results for your research notes.
No — these are web-based. Open the link in your browser; some platforms require a free account or API key.
Public-record lookups and defensive/research use are generally lawful, but rules vary by country and tool. Only test systems you own or have written authorization to test, respect each site's terms of service, and never use personal data unlawfully.
Start with the web-based tools at the top of the list — they need no setup. Read each card's “How to use it” panel, run one real query, and only then move to installable tools.