Finding a Party

Collecting your Data 

Start by gathering as much information as you possibly can.  Start with basic information, (name, age, social security number) and then expand from there.  The more information you can gather the better. Good places to start gathering information are old bank statements, loan applications, bankbooks, and financial records.  These documents are often treasure troves of information, such as a social security number or a date of birth.

Once you have this information and write it all down so that you have easy access to it while you are tracking down the person.  Use a Data Collection Work Sheet to help you organize the information you have collected.  When the form is completed, keep it with you when you contact anyone as an easy reference and a place to add any additional information.

Contact their Friends and Family

Ask friends, relatives, old employers, social clubs or religious institutions.  You may be surprised at who has continued to keep in touch with your missing person.

We suggest that you initially attempt to locate the person by calling friends, relatives, and employers.  Some people will not take the time to respond to a letter, so you may get a quicker answer by telephone.

However, letters are a more "official" approach and can be used to document your attempts to locate the person when you are having difficulty finding him or her.

No matter how you start your search, be sure to record dates and to whom you spoke with.  (It is not necessary to make all of the contacts on this list, but do especially try the ones that may respond.) Use this Tracking Log to document your efforts.

Then try the U.S. mail

If you know a recent address of the person you are seeking (within one year), you may be able to locate them if they have left a forwarding address.  To try this approach, address a letter as usual to the address you have.  Add the phrase “ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED / DO NOT FORWARD” to the front of the envelope.  If the post office has a forwarding address, they will place a correction label on the envelope and return it to you.

If you are afraid the person you are looking for may get your address from the return address, you can use “General Delivery” to avoid this.  In the return address location write your name as usual, but where you normally place your street address, write “General Delivery.”  Under that write, your city, state and zip code as normal.  The letter will be returned to your Post Office and must be picked up by you within 30 days. There will be no way to figure out your exact address from the letter but if you are listed in the phone book, they will have the town in which you live. The U.S. Post Office’s description of “General Delivery.”

If you are using the U.S. Mail to show an attempt at serving someone on the other side of a case, you will generally have to use “ Certified Mail - Return Receipt Requested”. The rules on what a court will find to be adequate service will vary.

Tips on Documenting Your Search

Keep track of everyone you speak with and everything you do.  It’s always a good idea to keep records of whom you have talked to.  Use the Tracking Log below to document your efforts.

Whenever a phone call is made, or a letter is sent enter it in the log. Record what happened to each attempt at contact.  If you are searching for someone for the purposes of service, this is another good reason to be sure you keep an accurate record of your attempts.  If you still cannot locate the defendant after an exhaustive search, a record of all the steps you have taken could be enough evidence to prove to the court that you have tried. Remember that the court will have specific rules about what an adequate search might be. This will vary by type of case, however a well documented search is always helpful to show the efforts you have made.

Using Public Records 

Trade or Professional Organizations

If the person you are searching for is a member of a regulated trade or profession, such as a barber, hair stylist, cab driver, undertaker, paramedic, nurse, doctor, lawyer or private investigator, they will be certified, licensed, or registered through a state agency.

If your subject requires a state professional license, you can check that on the net for most of the major states. For a complete list of links to professional licensing, just go to the Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation.  Their web site contains over thirty professions in which licensing or certification is involved and provided contact information for most of them in each of the 50 states.  

The Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation has a very useful database.  If the person you are looking for is employed in Maryland, and is legally practicing in one of these fields, the database will have their name and address:

Architect, Barber, Certified Interior Designer, Certified Public Accountant, Cosmetologist, Examining Engineer, Forester, A Home Improvement Contractor, a HVACR Contractor, Landscape Architect, Land Surveyors, Master Electricians, Pawn Broker, Plumber, Real Estate Appraiser, Real Estate Agent, Professional Engineer, or a "Second hand precious metal object dealer."

Vital Records Offices

Vital records can be a good place to start building your stockpile of information on the person you are looking for.  Marriage, divorce, birth and death certificates are available from the Vital Statistics Administration.

Marriage certificates are useful for finding information about a missing spouse.  Things which you no longer recall such as birth dates or middle names or maiden names.  The marriage certificate will be located in the state in which you were married.

Divorce records can be useful if you have heard rumors that your separated spouse may have divorced.  You will have to look for the divorce certificate in the state and county where the divorce was filed.

Birth certificates can be used to locate an individual if you know or have heard that the person you are searching for has had a child.   If you know where the child may have been born, you may get some clues a parent’s city from information on the certificate.  Information on the birth certificate can lead to more searchable information such the mother, father, or child of the birth.

Death certificates can be used to show evidence of death. 

Maryland State Archives

The Maryland State archives contains a great deal of information, which could be useful in locating a person.  The organization contains records and serves as the central depository for government records such as marriage and divorce information, family histories, county records, church records, newspapers, land records and many other sources of information. The Archives contain a surprising amount of information, most of which is somewhat old, but it could possibly contain that last piece of information that you need.

UCC Filing Records

When someone obtains a secured loan, there is usually a Uniform Commercial Code file that indicates the that there is a lien on the goods. 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. Most states now permit access of UCC records on the net.  In Maryland this information is available online at the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation.  Information on liens, real property and other information is available.

Finding People Who May be in Prison

If you think that the person you are looking for may in prison in Maryland, you can contact the Maryland Division of Correction. You may also search online using the Inmate Locator.

Finding People Who May be on Parole

If you think that the person you are looking for may have been released from prison and on parole, you can attempt to find out by contacting the Maryland Division of Parole and Probation.

Finding People Who are in the Military

Because of the large volume of requests that each service locator receives, this is a slow process. If you think it will yield results, try this first.  It will most likely take four weeks processing time per request.

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. It is not refundable.

United States Army
The Army will help you locate individuals on active duty only, not retirees. The place to start is the Army World Wide Locator. The address is:

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

United States Navy
The Navy's locator service helps locate individuals on active duty and those whose service ended less than a year ago. In addition, the Navy will forward letters, as long as the correct postage is affixed to the envelope. You can call the locator service at 1-703-614-3155/501.

Mail written requests not requiring a fee to:
Chief of Naval Personnel
Bureau of Naval Personnel (PERS-312D)
2 Navy Annex
Washington, DC 20370-5312

Written requests that include a fee should be mailed to:
Chief of Naval Personnel
Bureau of Naval Personnel (PERS-0216)
2 Navy Annex
Washington, DC 20370-5021

United States Marine Corps
The Marine Corps can provide the duty station for active duty personnel and reservists. For retired individuals, the locator service can provide the city and state, but not an address. The service will provide the service member's current rank and unit address; however, the office will not forward mail (except in special cases). Telephonic requests to 1-703-640-3942/43 are free of charge to immediate family members. In addition, if the Marine locator decides the information would benefit the individual, telephonic service will be provided at no cost to any individual, business or organization. Send written locator requests to:

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

United States Air Force
The Air Force can locate active duty personnel, as well as retirees, reservists and guardsmen. This information is not available for those who have separated from the Air Force or are Army Air Corps retirees. Information on individuals stationed overseas or in a sensitive position will not be released. However, the locator service will forward mail to that person for up to 90 days, as long as the correct postage is on the envelope and any required fee has been paid. Parents and spouses may call 1-210-652-5774 for a recorded message or 1-210-652-5775 for non-recorded service. For locator service write to:

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

If You Think the Person May be Deceased

You can search the Social Security’s master death list online for free.  This will provide you with the month and year of a person’s death.  The are at least five versions of the Master Death List online.  Read the description of each one.  Some are updated monthly, others less often.