FAQ / Who can help me locate someone?

There are several organizations that might be able to assist you in locating a private individual. Please review the policies and guidelines for each agency/organization below.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
The IRS may forward a letter to someone when humane reasons are involved. For example:

* To notify someone of a serious illness, imminent death, or death of a close relative
* To seek an individual for a medical study to detect and treat medical defects
* To notify an individual, who cannot otherwise be located, that he or she is entitled to certain assets
* The IRS will forward a letter from an attorney, estate administrator, or other person who directly controls the assets

If you would like the IRS to help you locate an individual, place a personal letter addressed to the individual in a blank envelope. Include first class U.S. postage, and do not seal the letter. Place the unsealed letter in another envelope and address it as follows:

Internal Revenue Service
Office of Disclosure Operations
1111 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20224

Social Security Administration (SSA)
The SSA will attempt to forward a letter to a missing person for reasons similar to those mentioned in the IRS section above. There is a $25.00 charge for forwarding letters to inform people about money or property they may be owed. Humanitarian letters are forwarded free of charge.

Follow the same guidelines above for sending a letter, and address it as follows:

Social Security Administration
Letter Forwarding
PO Box 33022
Baltimore, MD 21290-3022

The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army has operated a Family Tracing Service since 1885. The service is designed to help people establish contact with close relatives they may have lost touch with a few years ago or many years ago. The service is available in many of the 100 countries where the Salvation Army is located.

The Salvation Army will not help to locate someone in the following instances:

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Friends
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Situations where adoptions have taken place
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Alleged fathers of non-marital children
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Young people under 17 years of age
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Former husbands or wives
*
Spouses for divorce purposes
*
Estate or similar business matters
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Genealogies

In the United States, you may contact a Salvation Army territory office for your state. Local Salvation Army office numbers are listed in your local telephone directory.

Department of State (DOS)
The Overseas Citizens Services section of DOS will help locate relatives or friends who are overseas when there is concern about their welfare or a need to notify them of emergencies at home.

The Privacy Act requires that U.S. citizens over the age of 18 provide a Privacy Act waiver before information about them is released to a third party.

People in the United States may inquire about the welfare or whereabouts of U.S. citizens abroad by calling Overseas Citizens Services at 1-888-407-4747 or 1-202-501-4444. You may also contact the American Citizens Service Section of the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate directly.

You will need to include the following information before you call or contact the DOS:

* Your full name, address, telephone number and relationship
* The name of the person abroad
* Their date and place of birth
* Their passport number (if known)
* Their last known address and phone number
* Their itinerary
* Reason for their travel/residence abroad (business, tourism, etc.)
* Date of last contact
* Other points of contact abroad (friends, relatives, business associates, etc.)

For emergency messages, also include:

* Nature of the emergency
* What message should be provided to the person
* Name, address, telephone number and relationship of person you wish to be contacted after the emergency family message is delivered by the U.S. embassy or consulate

The United States Military
The military may also be able to help you locate the address of a servicemember. For immediate family members and government officials, the search is free. Other family members, civilian friends, businesses and others must pay $3.50. The check or money order must be made out to the U.S. Treasury and is non refundable.

You will need to provide as much identifying information on the military member as possible, such as:

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Name
*
Rank
*
Last duty assignment
*
Last known military address
*
Service number
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Social Security number

Please note: Because privacy regulations may limit the government's ability to provide you specific contact information for the person you are trying to locate, many people find that private sector resources can be quite helpful. While there are a number of free or fee-based services available through commercial sites on the Internet that you may opt to use in your search, the government cannot recommend or endorse any such service.



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