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Criminal-record and social-profile search option.
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Direct answer
For Olmsted County public records, decide whether you need general county public data or a recorded document. Use the Data Practice Request process for the former and state inspection, copies or both; use LandShark for recorded-document research and keep its document reference and fee information with that source.
An Olmsted County public-data request should say what access you want
Inspection
State when you want to inspect public data
Inspection is a distinct access choice. Naming it can prevent a request from being treated automatically as a copy order.
Copies
Ask for copies when copies are the goal
If you need files delivered rather than inspected, say so and describe the data clearly enough for the county to identify it.
Both
You can request inspection and copies together
That option is useful when you need to review a broader set before deciding which items should be copied.
Identity
Inspection of public data does not require a reason simply to inspect
Olmsted County states that members of the public cannot be required to identify themselves or explain the reason merely to inspect public data. Keep that rule on the public-data route.
Recorded documents belong in LandShark, not in a generic data request
| Task | Olmsted County route | What to preserve |
|---|---|---|
| Research a recorded document online | LandShark | The document or recording identifier that allows the same instrument to be reopened. |
| Obtain a recorded-document copy | Recorded-document / LandShark process | The source-specific copy choice and any relevant document reference. |
| General county public data | Electronic Data Practice Request | Whether inspection, copies or both are requested, plus a clear description of the data. |
LandShark fees belong to the recorded-document product
Olmsted County publishes separate LandShark access, research and copy fees. That fee structure should remain attached to the recorded-document system; it is not evidence that a general public-data request uses the same charges.
The distinction matters when a project moves between sources. A recorded instrument found in LandShark can be paired with other county data, but the retrieval route, price information and identifier for that instrument should stay labeled as LandShark material.
A clean Olmsted County research sequence
1
Decide whether the target is data or a recorded documentThat split determines whether the electronic Data Practice Request process or LandShark is the useful starting point.2
For public data, choose inspection, copies or bothMake the access goal explicit and describe the dataset or records with enough detail for the county to identify them.3
For recorded documents, use the document indexSearch LandShark with the available recording clues and keep the returned document reference with the result.4
Keep privacy assumptions narrowThe county’s statement about identity and purpose applies to inspecting public data; do not automatically convert it into a claim about every specialized record transaction.