What Is a Skip Trace?

Long gone are the times when just knocking on a door or having to flip through a phone book was all that could be done to locate someone. In the present, people leave bits of data that can serve as clues scattered across records and social media platforms. When you’re trying to recover debt, serve legal documents or secure a witness, the question shifts from “Where can I find them?” to “How do I find them fast without violating privacy laws or ethical guidelines?”

A skip trace bridges that gap using legal tools and investigative techniques to locate individuals who are difficult to find. Skip tracing works by analyzing public and private records, digital trails, legal filings, and third-party data. However, you should also know that achieving accurate results requires that all gathered data must comply with the necessary federal and state laws.

On-Call Legal Process Servers are not only committed to process service, we combine advanced skip tracing techniques to support attorneys, debt collectors, and private investigators across California and beyond. Our skip tracing experts utilize public records, legal insight, and access to licensed databases that the public can’t access to trace individuals. Schedule a free consultation and gain insights on how we can help you move your case forward while remaining compliant.

We’ve put together this guide to help you understand skip tracing, when to use it, and how the process works. You’ll also learn about the necessary tools, data sources, and compliance standards involved in skip tracing techniques.

What Is Skip Tracing?

Skip tracing is the process of locating individuals who have become difficult to find. The term “skip” itself emerged from the phrase “to skip town,” which describes the individual who has gone off grid, and “tracing” refers to the act of tracking them down. While this process may sound simple, skip tracing is beyond just an internet search. It’s a layered strategy that combines data mining, investigative techniques, and real-world intuition for tracking an individual who doesn’t want to be found or can’t be reached. If multiple people are involved, batch skip tracing is used to streamline the process.

Skip trace plays a good role in helping attorneys, process servers, debt collectors, and investigators continue legal or investigative proceedings when regular contact methods fail. In legal settings, this technique is utilized when you cannot serve someone court papers, such as subpoenas or complaints, or when they are avoiding court appearances. When service attempts fail, time-sensitive cases tend to stop entirely. In fact, you should know that you can’t legally proceed with the case until the intended recipient of the documents has been successfully located and served in accordance with legal service requirements.

When Is Skip Tracing Service Used?

Skip tracing services are used in situations where a defendant, debtor, or witness is not reachable through standard means of contact. In essence, it bridges the gap between being unable to reach someone and being able to move a case, claim, or investigation forward. This process is employed to recover unpaid debt, serve legal papers, resolve a stalled investigation and many other cases.

Debt collection: When an individual is yet to pay up debt and stops responding, skip tracing becomes a strategic way to help find them. The service is widely used by debt collectors, creditors, and legal recovery firms when individuals stop answering calls, change addresses, or sever all known contact to avoid repaying loans, rent, or court-ordered judgments. The skip tracer can gain access to forwarding addresses, updated employment information, or a record of assets that can go a long way in moving the collections forward legally and effectively.

Legal services: In legal practice, or what is commonly called litigation, due process can not kick off until the individual involved is properly served. However, not everyone wants to be reached. Some defendants deliberately change their personal information or relocate without notice to avoid being served. When the standard service attempts fail, skip tracing allows process servers to discover the new address of the person to be served and proceed legally, especially when it involves important cases like subpoena services, which must adhere to Section 1985 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

Private investigations: Skip tracing is a core tool private investigators use to track down people who aren’t responding to legal notices, personal inquiries, or official communication and have no public trail. This includes persons who have been declared missing, estranged relatives, witnesses who skipped town before trial, or individuals tied to unresolved personal or legal matters.

Outside of legal and debt collection cases, skip tracers play an important role in fields like insurance, real estate and asset recovery. Insurance companies use skip tracing to track down claimants or policyholders suspected of filing fraudulent claims or disappearing during a payout dispute. In real estate, a skip trace is useful for finding absent property owners or delinquent tenants who have walked out on leases. 

Regarding vehicle repossession or asset recovery, skip tracing can identify the current location of leased or financed property that was taken or abandoned. In all of these cases, skip tracing automatically solves the problem of silence.

Methods of Skip Tracing

Skip tracing is one of the process server’s tricks of trade. It combines several investigative methods such as looking through public records, private databases, social media clues and personal networks to analyze data and verify any individual’s current location with legal accuracy and speed.

Public Records

A very reliable source of information for most skip tracers is publicly available records. They contain data points that are tied to legal, residential or financial activities associated with the said individual. Skip tracers often look through property records to check if the individual has acquired or recently sold real estate. Features like tax assessor sites, genealogy sites, deed registries, and mortgage filings can show addresses, purchase dates, and liens that help place a person geographically.

In addition to property records, skip tracers also review court filings. Civil lawsuits, divorces, custody disputes, eviction cases, and criminal records all involve legal paperwork that contains identifying details about the individual being traced, which are mostly available in state or county databases. These documents may list relatives, employers, addresses, or past residences. A skilled skip tracer may go as far as searching through government databases, voter registration, DMV records, business licenses, and even professional certifications, which can help in revealing patterns that support other data points.

Social Media Platforms and Online Presence

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok posts can reveal cities, work locations, nearby businesses, or known associates through tagged photos, check-ins, or casual updates. For instance, a selfie that was taken in a restaurant may include a street sign, and a birthday party post might tag a relative who already has an online presence. 

Additionally, a job promotion post on a social media platform such as LinkedIn can confirm the current employer and location of the individual. These platforms, in most cases, provide context and confirmation when they are paired with other collected data. So, it’s obvious that besides going through the person’s profile, skip tracers scan their social network to trace their relationships, spot shared locations and understand behavioural patterns.

Private Databases

When public records and social media searches are used, a skip tracer also turns to investigative databases that are legally licensed and regulated for use by professionals and not available to the general public. Tools include TLOxp, Accurint, and LexisNexis offer comprehensive, consolidated reports on an individual’s known addresses, phone numbers, vehicle registrations, utility connections and filings for bankruptcy. 

• TLOxp provides details like addresses, phone numbers, known associates, vehicle registrations, and even utility records, all from a single search. 
• Accurint digs into public records, real estate transactions, and even social media activity to map a person’s movements and connections. 
• LexisNexis combines legal, financial, and business records, which makes it ideal for tracing someone with complex professional or court histories.

In more complex situations, mostly when an individual has made deliberate efforts not to be reachable, contacting known associates such as friends, relatives, or coworkers may provide critical and direct leads that records can’t. This might involve calling a listed family member under a legitimate pretext, reaching out to former employers, or knocking on doors in a neighborhood where the subject was last seen. 

While placing the call, they may pose as surveyors, delivery coordinators, or simply concerned acquaintances, depending on legal and ethical boundaries, to avoid alerting the subject too soon. The approach is usually respectful, legal, and discreet. In some cases, simply asking the right questions or noticing a reaction can lead to a major breakthrough.

How Does the Skip Tracing Process Work?

The skip tracing process works by collecting, connecting, and verifying important data points until the current location of a hard-to-find person is confirmed. Unlike what is done through casual internet searches, it begins with gathering basic information about the skipper and expands into utilizing investigative tools and strategies to gain a clearer picture of where they may be and how they could be reached. Here’s a detailed breakdown of how the skip tracing service works:

Collect Available Information

To have a successful skip trace, you should gather every piece of information about the person you’re trying to locate. Keep in mind that even what may be insignificant details like a previous zip code, an old employer, or a shared phone plan can be of good use when cross-referencing across different sources. These small pieces of information help build a more complete profile and can uncover patterns that lead to the person’s current whereabouts.

Start with compiling the most basic identifiers, as they can serve as solid facts that help you trace the right person and avoid any form of confusion associated with similar names or identities. The basic identifiers you should put together include:

1. Full legal name of the individual, including any known aliases, middle names or maiden names
2. Last known address
3. Previous or current phone numbers
4. Any known associates, such as friends, relatives, former roommates, or anyone tied to the person’s previous residence or work.

In addition to the basic contact details, search for other deeper identifiers. The following additional identifiers can come in handy, especially when you’re verifying results in a large database where multiple people share the same name.

• Social Security number: This information is mostly restricted. However, if accessible, it can be used legally in some instances by licensed professionals under regulatory compliance.
• Date of birth: This has proven to be useful in narrowing down public records, mostly in common-name scenarios.
• Employment history: Getting to know the past employers, job titles, industries, or union affiliations of the individual can all provide insight into geographic movement

Search Public Records and Use Online Databases

Once all available basic information has been gathered, the next phase involves scanning public records and online databases to search out new addresses, activity and points of contact. This is where the whole investigation process kicks off in full. The different public records and online databases that should be assessed include:

Property Records

A revealing sign of where a person might be is attached to their deeds, mortgage filings and county assessor records, which are all considered property records. This record includes both the name of the legal owner and the mailing address. In a case where the subject that is being looked for doesn’t currently own a home, past rental applications or tax record changes can signify a location change. Property records also give clues into the financial status, recent relocation and ties to other people that may be sharing the property.

Court Filings and Legal Documents

Civil and criminal cases, divorce proceedings, restraining orders, evictions, and lawsuits are legal documents that include addresses, phone numbers and other basic personal identifiers. Once a skip tracer gets hold of this information, they can use it in finding the whereabouts of individuals who decide to be unreachable.

Voter Registration and Licenses

State and local government sites often publish voter rolls and professional licenses, such as real estate, nursing, or contractor certifications. The information on these licenses can reveal the person’s most recent address or confirm employment-based leads.

Social Media Searches

As stated earlier, social media platforms remain one of the most direct sources of real-time information. Profiles, friend lists, and interactions also help build a behavioral profile that supports other research findings. 

Credit Reports and Financial Trails

When legally permitted for use and accessibility under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a skip tracer can gather vital information from credit reports, including the most recent address, phone number, or employment info tied to financial accounts. This report is also very useful as it shows the actual consumer activity, including applying for credit cards, renting property, or signing utility contracts.

Search for Employment Information and Social Networks

While official records can reveal where someone used to live or what they previously owned, they don’t always reveal their current location. As a result of this limitation, skip tracing focuses on the subject’s current employment status and analyzes their social and professional networks. This phase is also of utmost importance because, while the subject may disappear from mailing lists or property filings, they tend to stay active in their career or social environment in most cases.

Additionally, employment information is treated as valuable in skip tracing as it tends to be more current than address histories or credit reports. When deemed necessary, skip tracers may place calls to employers or HR departments, always within legal boundaries, to verify whether the person is still working at that location.

Professional licensing also helps in providing real-time information. For individuals who work in industries that are highly regulated, such as healthcare, real estate, education, or construction, both federal and state boards maintain licensing databases that include current employer names, work addresses, and status updates. When accessed, these records help confirm that the individual is still professionally active and reachable through lawful means.

Cross-Reference Information and Confirm Person’s Location

Once multiple addresses, phone numbers, associates, and activity logs are pulled together, the skip tracing process enters the validation stage. A single source is rarely enough, as the information could be outdated, duplicated, or refer to the wrong person. Most professional skip tracers take their time to cross-reference details by looking for consistency across different records. This often involves:

• Checking for recent mail delivery or parcel activity at the address
• Verifying utility bills or credit data tied to the address
• Matching employment location with commute distance from the home
• Reviewing social media posts from the neighborhood or city

If digital tools and data don’t fully help with verification, the skip tracer utilizes manual methods. This includes placing phone calls to neighbors, employers, or landlords to confirm property occupancy as well as engaging in subtle conversation with third parties who may know the subject indirectly.

Are Skip Tracers Legal?

The short answer is yes, skip tracers are legal. However, every skip tracing service must be performed within the limits of already defined federal and state laws. As is associated with most investigative practices, skip tracing is governed by legal frameworks that guard individual privacy and prevent any form of abuse.

Professional skip tracers are legally permitted to use different tools, like public records, licensed databases, and open-source platforms, such as social media. However, on no account should any ethical or legal line be crossed, which implies:

• No impersonation of law enforcement
•  No unauthorized access to private accounts
• No bribery
• No stalking
• No deceitful attempts to obtain confidential information like Social Security numbers or financial records.

These ethical guidelines are also backed by legislation. So, to operate legally, every skip trace activity carried out by skip tracers must comply with the following core laws:

Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): Enacted in 1970, the FCRA regulates how consumer credit information is collected and utilized. It protects every individual’s privacy by making sure that personal data used for decisions related to credit, employment, housing, and insurance is fair, accurate, and legally obtained.

Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA): Also known as the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999, this law requires financial institutions to protect sensitive consumer data and explain how they share it. GLBA strictly prohibits the unauthorized disclosure of personal financial information.

State-Specific Privacy Laws: States like California have some of the most robust privacy regulations in the country. These laws include the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), which provide consumers with enhanced rights and control over their personal data.

DIY vs. Hiring a Professional Skip Tracer

While skip tracing may seem like something every attorney or investigator can do on their own, there’s a significant difference between casual searching and professional techniques. It’s normal to think that, as this is the era of Google searches, artificial intelligence and social media, anyone with time and curiosity can track a skipper down.

No doubt, in some cases that seem straightforward, basic information may be available within just a few searches. However, the DIY approach has severe limitations, mostly when individuals are actively avoiding contact or have scrubbed their digital presence:

1. You may not have access to private databases like TLOxp, Accurint, or LexisNexis because they are only licensed for use by professionals.
2. Most DIY searches don’t cross-check data from multiple sources, so you risk following outdated or misleading leads.
3. Without legal training, you could unintentionally cross ethical or legal boundaries, such as harassing contacts or attempting to access restricted information. These actions imply violating privacy laws that could automatically lead to punishment.

Professional skip tracers, on the other hand, are trained to work within those legal frameworks. They have access to licensed databases that aren’t available to the public and the experience to interpret complex records and spot inconsistencies. In addition, they are also skilled at knowing when a lead is solid or not. 

When Should I Hire a Skip Tracer?

You should hire a skip tracer when the situation you’re involved in requires speed, legal compliance and accuracy. Furthermore, they are needed when traditional methods aren’t an option because of the depth at which you need to dig, or when you need to perform batch skip tracing to locate multiple individuals. There are also other specific situations where hiring a professional skip tracer is paramount:

• When legal deadlines are approaching: Court documents, subpoenas, or summons can’t be served unless the subject is located. If service of process fails due to an incorrect address or unknown location, the case could be delayed or dismissed. Skip tracing is a way to locate the individual quickly, so the legal process doesn’t lag.
• When the subject is avoiding contact: It’s one thing to lose touch with someone over time. However, it’s another when a debtor, ex-tenant, or party to a lawsuit is not reachable on purpose. In these cases, the subject may have scrubbed their online presence, changed jobs, or even moved states without a trace. This is also where licensed databases and data-linking methods used by skip tracers are beneficial.
• When the situation involves legal risks: Certain databases and records are restricted by law, and accessing them improperly can land you in legal trouble. A licensed skip tracer knows the boundaries and works strictly within legal limits to make sure your case remains compliant with laws like the FCRA, GLBA, and CCPA.

When multiple leads are conflicting: If you’re seeing two or three addresses show up in different databases or receiving outdated phone numbers from old records, you’re likely dealing with a case that needs the intervention of a skip tracer.

Need Help Finding Someone Who’s Hard to Locate?

Without clear trails, you need more than just public searches to locate a hard-to-find individual. In this case, skip tracing helps you to dig deeper in a smart, legal and precise way. Meanwhile, as is with any high-stakes process, getting a skip trace right the first time is of utmost importance. 

Furthermore, while skip tracing could be something you can handle all by yourself, you should also know that there are high chances of things going wrong because of a lack of experience, no access to information and inadequate legal understanding. Professional skip tracers deliver faster, more reliable and legally approved results than a DIY search would ever provide, especially in situations where time-sensitive cases can’t risk being delayed and court deadlines won’t wait.

With more than a decade of experience, On-Call Legal Process Servers help attorneys, debt collectors and investigators locate people who are not reachable. Every skip tracing process is carried out by licensed professionals who bring experience, legal expertise and real-time tools to deliver results that count. Schedule a free consultation to discover how we can help you develop a strategy that complies with privacy laws.

FAQs

How Long Does a Skip Trace Take?

The time it takes to complete a skip trace varies and is dependent on the complexity of the case and the amount of information available. Some skip traces are completed in 24–48 hours, while more complicated cases can take several days or even weeks.

 Can I Do Skip Tracing Myself?

Yes, you can do skip tracing yourself using public tools like Google, social media, and basic records. However, you’ll be limited as you don’t have access to professional databases and legal training, which often leads to incomplete and unreliable results. 

How Much Does It Cost to Skip Trace?

The cost of a skip tracing service ranges from $20 to $350, depending on the depth of the search, the provider, and whether rush services or fieldwork are involved. Contact On-Call Legal Process Servers for clear pricing and custom options based on your case needs.

Is Skip Tracing the Same as a Background Check?

No, they are not the same. Skip tracing is focused on locating a person’s current whereabouts, while background checks are broader and include details like criminal history, credit reports, and employment records.

Do I Need a License to Do Skip Tracing?

In most states, individuals don’t need a license to search public records for personal use. However, professional skip tracers often operate under investigative or process server licenses to legally access restricted data and ensure compliance.