When a defendant, witness, or debtor cannot be found, a case can stall before it even begins. Skip tracing is the professional process of locating people who have moved, gone unresponsive, or are deliberately avoiding contact. Here is what it involves and when legal teams rely on it.
What Is Skip Tracing?
Skip tracing is investigative research to determine a person’s current location and contact information. The term comes from “skip,” meaning someone who has left, and “tracing,” the work of tracking them down. Professional investigators use licensed databases, public records, and verification techniques to build an accurate, current profile.
When Do You Need Skip Tracing?
- Serving process on a defendant who has moved or is evading service.
- Debt collection and locating judgment debtors and their assets.
- Locating witnesses for depositions or trial.
- Probate and heir searches to identify and find interested parties.
- Due diligence in business and litigation matters.
How Skip Tracing Works
A skip tracer starts with whatever is known, a name, last known address, phone number, date of birth, or employer, and cross-references multiple sources. Utility records, credit-header data, public filings, and address histories are compared and verified to confirm the most likely current location before a report is delivered.
Is Skip Tracing Legal?
Yes, when conducted for a permissible purpose. Reputable investigators follow the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), and only perform searches for legitimate legal, collection, and business needs.
Why It Pairs With Process Serving
Skip tracing and process serving work hand in hand. Once a person is located and verified, the same firm can serve them quickly, often the same day, turning a stalled case back into a moving one.
Need to locate a hard-to-find party?
This article is general information and is not legal advice. For guidance on a specific matter, consult a licensed attorney.