Digital Scanning & Document Management for State, County, & Local Government
For every department that keeps records — health, finance, public works, social services, and more.
You’re a public agency, so you’ve got records … stacks of them. Permits, case files, personnel files, invoices, reports, maps. Keeping all of it organized, secure, and ready for a public records request isn’t easy, and the hours your staff spends digging through it only add up over time.
That’s where we come in. We take your paper, microfilm, and microfiche and turn it into secure, searchable digital files. Whether you want it hosted in the cloud or running on your own system, we’ll cut the wasted staff time and keep your records safe and compliant.
Run a court, building department, law enforcement agency, or handle land records?
We’ve built pages just for you:
Everyone else, you’re in the right place.
Solutions for any government department
Whatever your department does, the records problem is the same → too much paper, not enough time, and rules about how long you have to keep it all. Here’s how we solve it.
Document scanning & conversion
We turn your paper files, drawings, and books into searchable digital files: permits, personnel records, invoices, case files, you name it. Scanned, indexed, and easy to pull up in seconds.
Microfilm & microfiche conversion
Still storing records on rolls of microfilm, sheets of microfiche, or aperture cards? We’ll digitize them so you’re not stuck hunting through a reader. Ask us about
Data entry & indexing
Scanned files are only useful if you can find them. We index your records by the fields that matter to you, such as names, dates, parcel numbers, case numbers, so the right document is one search away.
Secure hosting & access
Want your records in the cloud? We’ll host them in a secure application your staff — and your constituents, if you choose — can access from anywhere. Prefer to keep everything on your own system? We’ll deliver it that way instead.
Not sure where you fit? Get a free records assessment.
Departments we work with
If your department isn’t a court, recorder, building department, or law enforcement office, this is your home base. Here’s a sampling of the agencies we help.
(and if you don’t see yours, we can almost certainly still help!)
Health & human services
Public Health, Environmental Health, Mental Health Services, Social Services, Family and Children’s Services, County Hospitals
Public safety & justice
Fire Departments, Public Safety, Probation, Public Defender Offices
Finance & administration
Finance Agencies, Tax and Appraisal, City Clerks
Infrastructure & operations
Public Works, Waste Management
Proof of Client Satisfaction
➡️ City of Duluth, MN
“Life is much simpler now for our staff. In the past it might have taken us 3 days to find a document, attempt to print it … and then hope to read most of it. We’ve now streamlined that to a few minutes. It’s easy to adjust the quality of the document and print it directly from within the Digital ReeL application.”
— Bobbi Pirkola, Assistant City Clerk
Read the City of Duluth case study →
➡️ Halifax County Public Health System, NC
“BMI Imaging Systems did a microfiche and microfilm digitization project for our agency. They demonstrated excellent knowledge during our various conversations via phone and email which made us feel confident in our company selection and purchase. The digital items received of the data presented were of very high quality, which was very impressive being that some of the data was from the very early 1900s and some were very obscure. Their team was exceptional to work with, especially Jim Detrick and Bernard Tayag! They were very precise and took pride in accurate, careful details that make the most difference. Due to their professionalism, customer service, and high-quality digitization, we will continue to use BMI as necessary for all of our imaging needs.”
— Amber Lynch, Computer Systems Administrator
➡️ San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, CA
“We’ve been working with BMI Imaging for a few years now on several projects. I had no experience digitally scanning boxes of files before and did not know exactly what to ask for. The work they’ve done for us has been top notch and the digital files are easy to read. We’re very happy with the results.”
— Ingrid Anne Russell, Curator of Animal Collections
Read the San Francisco Zoo case study →
➡️ Silicon Valley Power (City of Santa Clara), CA
“BMI helped us digitize thousands of critical records and made the entire process far easier than it would have been internally. Their team was responsive, flexible, and handled several last-minute challenges without hesitation. Having immediate digital access to over 15,000 files has saved our team significant time and freed up valuable storage space.”
— Jean-Paul Hill, Principal Engineering Technician, Asset Management Group
➡️ California State Agency
“BMI helped our organization convert more than a million microfiche and several hundred microfilm reels. The entire team was responsive, knowledgeable, and extremely helpful throughout the project. The processes were well defined resulting in our staff being able to view all historical records using a web-based system which increased productivity!”
— Chief Information Officer
FAQ
Which government departments do you scan records for?
Just about any county or local agency — public health, social services, finance, public works, fire, probation, city clerks, and many more. If your department keeps records, we can digitize them.
We’re not a court or recorder. Can you still digitize our records?
Yes! That’s exactly what this page is for. Courts, recorders, building departments, and law enforcement have their own pages, but every other government department is right here. Same process, same security, same team.
How much does a government scanning project cost?
It depends on how much you have, what kind of media it’s on, and how you want it indexed and delivered. We scope every project individually and give you an itemized quote — no guesswork. The fastest way to a ballpark idea is to use our Project Price Estimator. Just enter a little bit of info about your project and you’ll have a quote.
Is our data secure during scanning?
Yes. We keep a secure chain of custody from the moment we pick up your records to final delivery. You can read the full rundown on our Security page.
Does scanning help us meet records retention requirements?
It does. We deliver your records in digital formats and can organize them to match your retention schedule, so the records you’re required to keep are preserved and easy to produce.
Can our staff and the public access records online after scanning?
Yes. We can host your digital records in a secure cloud application your staff can search from anywhere, and you can open up the right records to the public if you choose. Prefer to keep everything in-house? We’ll deliver to your own system instead.
What happens to our paper records after they’re scanned?
That’s your call. We can return them to you or securely destroy them once everything’s digitized and verified. Nothing happens without your approval.
What types of records and media can you handle?
Paper of all sizes, microfilm, microfiche, aperture cards, and large-format documents like maps and plans. If it holds a record, we can probably digitize it.
Helpful Resources
Just getting started on your digital conversion? These are good places to learn more about scanning projects:
- BMI blogs — plain-language articles about paper scanning, microfilm conversion, secure processes, and more.
- The Digital Imaging Channel — our YouTube channel that gives you long-form videos and shorts all about digitization projects.
- Project Estimator — before talking to anyone, you can see what your project may cost with our estimator tool. Great as a starting point.
Ready to get your records out of the filing cabinets?
Tell us what you’ve got and we’ll show you the fastest, most secure way to digitize it — no obligation.