The US Government, as well as state and local governments, creates a plethora of documents. Many of these are available to us as researchers and we can gain a lot of information from them. What exactly is available? There are Social Security forms, tax lists, voter registrations, automobile registrations, driver licenses, census records, immigration records, military records and more. Census, immigration, land, and military records will be covered in separate chapters.

The Social Security Administration issues social security numbers, keeps tracks of who is available for benefits and who is receiving benefits. They also produce a list called the Social Security Death Index (SSDI). Anyone who was working in 1936 and later filled out a form called an SS-5 (application for a social security account or number). These forms are on file, and if your ancestor appears in the Social Security Death Index you can order a copy of the SS-5 form from the Social Security Administration. Here is how to find your ancestor in the SSDI: First, know their full name (married name if a woman) and their last known address. Knowing their exact birthdate will also help narrow down the search. This is really important if you are researching a common name like Jones, Smith, or Shapiro. Even a birth year will help sort out your ancestor from the others. Then lookup the name at one of the many websites that offer the SSDI. http://www.familysearch.org and http://www.rootsweb.com offer this lookup for free. Others may charge you for it. Look for the record that best matches your ancestor's information. Then write a letter to the Social Security Administration to request a copy of the SS-5. There are 2 types of records you can order. One is the numident record. Don't bother paying for this one – it only contains the information you can find online. You want the complete record. This will set you back $27.00 and if they do not find the record, they do not refund your money. However, this gives you all sorts of information like parent's names, mother's maiden name, place of employment, and address. It is well worth the $27.00 because the clues it gives you on where to research next will help.

The next records we are looking at are tax records. Every municipality had tax rolls. In the colonial period only property owners (who were taxed) could be on jury duty or be witnesses, etc. These are pretty important. You can determine when your ancestor first arrived in the area by when they appear on the tax rolls. If they are being taxed, they have tangible property. You can then check for land ownership, slave ownership, or business ownership. In some locations the tax rolls listed slaves by gender and age. Later tax records are not available. You probably cannot get your grandfathers 2002 income tax return sent to you.

Voter records are another list to check. White males 21 and older who were property owners were allowed to vote. This was true up into the 20th century (although the property ownership was dropped by then). You can use these records to determine political affiliation, property ownership (look for land records), addresses, and again to determine when an ancestor first arrived in that location. If they are one these rolls, then they own real estate. Check the land records. They had to have either bought or inherited that land. Their name has to be on a deed somewhere and they received the land from someone (Land grant from the gov't, purchase or inheritance, Homestead Act, or gift). You can also check the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to see if they had land issued to them from the government. The BLM's website is intermittent at best so it is wise to use a search engine to find the latest website.

Older automobile and drivers licenses may be available to research. You can contact the DMV to see if they will look up old records for you. This can be a great way to find out what type of car your ancestors drove. Most DMV records will not be available as they are considered private; however, early ones may be. You might have to go to their main office and search in their old records, but it is worth the effort.

Other records that you may want to search are criminal records, court records, and business records. The State Treasurer will have information of corporate names. Your local governments will have information on business licenses. Research in these areas is usually done in person and on-site. Newspapers are a great source of information as well. Bankruptcy proceedings, foreclosures, tax liens and tax sales, sometimes even court cases are all in the paper. Always check the local paper for information on government records. You never know what might turn up.