Person Finder

If you are looking for a person who is probably alive today:

Begin by gathering as much information as you can. Start with the basics:

• Name / nickname / maiden name / also known as
• Age and birth date
• Social security number
• City of birth
• Mother, father, sibling names
• Profession or trade
• Last known address
• High school / college attended
• Physical description
• Religious affiliation or churches joined
• Clubs or organizations joined

Contact Friends and Family To Help Gather Information

Call friends, relatives, and old employers of missing person. Next, contact any social clubs, organizations, schools, religious groups and churches where he/she may have been a member. You may find someone who has continued to keep in touch with your missing person, or you may find someone with some additional information which may give you a lead. Try telephoning friends, relatives, old employers, schools, and churches instead of sending a letter. Letters may get put aside and forgotten, or the person contacted may be hesitant to put anything in writing.

Check the following for a Social Security Number and/or date of birth - old bank statements, loan/mortgage applications, financial records. Find old yearbooks in the local library to find old address, year of graduation (age), and possible interests.

As you search, be sure to record dates and the source of information - whether the person with whom you spoke or a written source. Record every bit of information given as you never know what will turn out to be important to your search. Use this paper as a reference. In addition, always have a place to record any additional information with you so nothing gets lost or left to memory.

If you only know someone's name, you can try to find his/her street address by using online White Pages:

Enter Name, City (if known), and State (if known). If you can narrow down to a few states, try one at a time. Try searching first name, then nickname. If applicable, try searching both married name and maiden name.
Each of the following has a different database, so be sure to try each.

• WhitePages.com
• Zaba Search   - Find Age, Address, City, State & Phone Number

If you only know someone's name, you can try to contact him through Facebook:

Search by name, including maiden name for women. Many times, a woman will add her maiden name in her Facebook name.

If you know someone's previous address:

• If the previous address is less than a year old, it may be possible to locate the person if they have left a forwarding address with the US Post Office. Address a letter to the previous address with a note "Address Correction Requested - Do Not Forward" on the front of the envelope. If the post office has a forwarding address on records, they will place a correction label on the envelope and return it to you.
   
• WhitePages Reverse Directory
  
  • Enter the previous address to find person who lives in the house today. Many times, they will know a forwarding address
  • Click on "find neighbors" on search results page, and call neighbors to see if they have forwarding address.

If you know someone's name:

• Birthday Finder to find someone's birthdate
• Missing Money - Gives Name and Address for those with state unclaimed property records. (Check to see if you have missing money while you are at it.)

If you know someone's social security number:

You don't have to know SS#, but it helps

• Public records searches. (Don't forget to search for possible surname change)
  • Birth, Death, Marriage & Divorce Records
  • State Archives
    The state archives contain quite a bit of information that may be helpful in locating a person. The archives serve as the central repository for government records such as marriage and divorce information, family histories, county records, church records, newspapers, land records and many other sources of information.  
  • UCC (Uniform Commercial Code) Records
    State UCC show land and lien records. When a secured loan is obtained, a Uniform Commercial Code is filed that indicates that there is a lien. This is done on a county level and can be hand searched at the local county courthouse. The information is also forwarded to state records. Many states give access to UCC records on the internet. Information on liens on real property and other information is available.
  
  Civil and Criminal Records
  
  
  
• Social Security Death Index
  To check the possibility that the person may be deceased, you can check the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) which provides the month and year of a person's death. You can search by name or Social Security number or any combination of terms.

If you know someone's profession or trade:

• North American Directory of Regulatory Boards and Colleges
  The directory lists the professions and trades that have licensing or certification. It provides contact information for the US states and Canadian provinces. If the profession or trade of your missing person is licensed or certified, these records are open to the public.
• Search Professional Licenses

If you know someone is in the Military:

Give as much identifying information as possible about the person you wish to locate such as full name, rank, last duty assignment/last known military address, service number, and Social Security number. Again, the more information you have the better.

The locator service is free to immediate family members. Other family members, civilian friends, and others must pay $3.50. The check or money order must be made out to the U.S. Treasury and is not refundable.

United States Army

The Army will help you locate individuals on active duty only, not retirees. The address for the Army World Wide Locator is:

Commander
U.S. Army Enlisted Records & Evaluation Center
ATTN: Locator
Fort Benjamin Harrison, IN 46249-5301

United States Navy

Navy World Wide Locator
Navy Personnel Command
PERS 312E2
5720 Integrity Drive
Millington, TN 38055-3120

United States Marine Corps

Commandant of the Marine Corps
Headquarters, USMC
Code MMSB-10
Quantico, VA 22134-5030

United States Air Force

HQ AFMPC/RMIQL
550 C Street, West, Suite 50
Randolph AFB, TX 78150-4752
 

If the person is missing due to disaster or conflict:

• Red Cross helps those separated by conflict or disaster to find information about their loved ones in order to restore contact.

If the Person May be Deceased:

• Social Security's Master Death Index
  The are at least five versions of the Master Death List online.  Each has a different search engine which allows different search criteria.
• Unclaimed Persons
  A database of deceased persons, submitted by Coroner’s Departments, Medical Examiner’s offices and Sheriff’s departments throughout the United States, for whom next of kin has never been located.

If the Person is a Birth Relative Missing through Adoption

• Adoption Registry Connect
  A worldwide adoptee and birth parent search registry designed to reunite adoptees with their birth parents and siblings.