What is the minimum you need?
A full legal name and the last known address or city. That’s enough to begin. If the name is common, you’ll want more, because a search for “Michael Johnson” in a big state returns a lot of people.
What details make the search stronger?
Anything that helps tell one person from another. Useful details include:
- Date of birth or approximate age
- Previous addresses and the dates you remember
- Phone numbers and email addresses
- Employer or line of work
- Names of family members, spouses or roommates
- Vehicle make, model and plate, if you have it
- Social media names or usernames
You don’t have to have all of it. Send what you have and tell us what’s missing.
Why does a common name cause trouble?
Because records for different people can blend together. A date of birth or a past address lets us confirm we have the right person before anyone is served, which protects you from serving a stranger.
What about the reason for the search?
We work on lawful requests such as locating a person for legal service. We’ll ask what the search is for, and we can’t take every request. Tell us about your case up front so we can tell you if it’s something we can do.
What do you get back?
You get a current address and contact details when we find them, plus what we know about how confident the match is. If you’re also hiring us to serve the papers, the same team handles delivery and sends back proof of service.
What should you do while you wait?
Keep your own notes on what you tried and when. If the person can’t be found, your court may want to see that you made a real effort before it allows another method of service.