Census records?

Question:If you are searching for people on the census records, can those people find out that you have been searching for them?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: If you are searching for people on the census records, can those people find out that you have been searching for them?

One of the MAIN points to census records is that people are told that they are confidential. In the US, access is limited to records that are over 72 yrs old, in the UK, the time frame is 100 yrs. Since I do know persons who are over 72 yrs old, yes, the "limit" fails just a bit, but that is the intention.
So.. if you are working US census, your grandma is 80 yrs old, she should be in the records with her parents. Anyone born after 1930 is not accessible. She would only know if you told her, if she is wanting to keep something secret.
MOST of genealogy concerns finding dead relatives and working back. When starting out, you first have to find parents/ grandparents, etc, and normally all of that is confidential info. With ethics, you can respect their feelings. Other times, it is a matter of compromise.
My absolute, bottom line standard is that my research is NEVER USED for any hurtful reasons. If focusing on historical records, it should not be a problem for you.

no ive already done this and researched it no one can trace it back to you>...

no not at all, you can use ur local library, its completely confidential who you are looking for and waht you are looking for, i used the records in the city library to find my dad! hadnt seen him in 15 years!

No, there is nothing tied to any database back to the person on the census, so the person you are researching, even if alive, would not find out that you have been searching for them.

Probably not, since the overwhelming majority of them are dead. The census began in 1790; the most recent was in 2000. However, the Government keeps a lid on them after 1930. (or for 70 years)

No, they can't tell that it was you.

But even if they could, you haven't done anything wrong. Census records are public records, and therefore anyone can look at them.