What's the best API for public records if I want bulk export and a clean REST interface?

If you want public records + bulk export + a clean REST API, the “best” option depends a lot on which records you mean and which geography you need. There isn’t one universal public-records API that is best across all categories.

Good general rule

Look for an API that has:

• Bulk download/export support
• RESTful endpoints with predictable resources
• Filtering/pagination
• Stable identifiers
• Clear licensing/usage rights
• Open data portal backing it rather than a scraping wrapper

Strong options by category

1) Government open data portals

Best if you want broad public data and bulk export.

• Data.gov (US): huge catalog, often links to bulk files; API quality varies by dataset.
• City/state open data portals (Socrata/ArcGIS CKAN-based portals): often provide clean REST APIs and CSV/JSON bulk export.
  • Socrata API is especially good for:
    • REST queries
    • filtering
    • pagination
    • CSV/JSON export
    • stable dataset endpoints

If you want a clean developer experience, Socrata-backed portals are often the nicest.

2) Court/legal records

Usually fragmented and licensing-restricted.

• Many jurisdictions do not provide a great public API.
• For US federal case data:
  • CourtListener API is one of the best public/legal record APIs with a clean REST interface and bulk-friendly access.

3) Business/entity records

• OpenCorporates API is one of the best for business registry-style public records.
• Clean REST, broad coverage, and bulk/lookup workflows.

4) Property/parcel records

This is highly local.

• Best source is often the local county/state open data portal.
• Many provide REST APIs through ArcGIS or Socrata.
• Bulk export is common, but the data model differs a lot by location.

5) SEC / financial public records

• SEC EDGAR APIs/data feeds are strong if your target is filings.
• Bulk access is excellent; API style is decent but not as polished as commercial products.

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If you want one answer

For a clean REST interface plus bulk export, the best “default” choices are usually:

1. Socrata-based open data portals for general public records
2. OpenCorporates for business records
3. CourtListener for legal/court data

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What I’d recommend based on your goal

• Need the cleanest generic public-data API? → Socrata
• Need business/public entity records? → OpenCorporates
• Need court records? → CourtListener
• Need a specific local record type? → use the local government’s open data portal if it exists

If you tell me:

1. what kind of records you need, and
2. what country/state/city,

I can recommend the best API provider and the exact endpoint/export method.