How to Find a Lost Family Member for Free
Plenty of online businesses charge a fee to track down a lost relative's address and contact information. But those companies use the same public records that anyone can look at for free. Records maintained by local, state and federal agencies can aid in your search, though it can be important to follow a "people train" in addition to the paper trail.
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Instructions
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Compile the information you have concerning the person you're trying to find. Note where they were born, where they lived in the past, where they worked, and where their relatives or friends lived.
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Contact every relative who is familiar with the person you are seeking, as well as your relative's friends. Ask for names of other people who may have known the relative you are looking for. The more names you get, the more information you're likely to receive.
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Visit the town, city and/or county offices that maintain records on locations where the relative may have lived. Ask for property transaction records, which will indicate if and when your relative bought or sold property. Clerks also maintain business licenses, which could indicate businesses in which your relative has been involved. The board of elections can tell you if the person has registered to vote, and whether that status is current. The real property office can tell you if the person owns property locally even if he doesn't live there, and should have contact information.
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You can search state and federal records online. You may have to file a written request in order to search some records. The office of vital statistics maintains death certificates and can tell you if the person has passed away. Check the Uniform Commercial Code to see if the person has made any major business transactions or if any liens have been filed against her; a business address or city may be noted. Some states also have inmate look-ups, where you can search by name to see if your relative is incarcerated. According to Family Search.org, you can also use old census and military records to obtain information.
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Search newspaper archives in your area and in the areas where you believe your relative may have lived, based on the county and state search. Some newspapers offer limited free search capabilities on their web sites, but the articles may go back just a few years. The limited information you do receive under the free search function may only include a headline with the first few paragraphs (along with directions on how to purchase the full article). But if there's a date of publication shown, you can go to a public library and read the archived copy for free.
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Visit the person's former neighborhoods, places of employment, and other areas based on information you obtained in the earlier stages of your search. Acquaintances at these places may know where your relative went, or may refer you to another source of information. Rigorous detective work can help you locate just about any missing relative.
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Tips & Warnings
Free online phone and address directories can be searched by city or state. If the person has an uncommon name, a statewide search may be feasible.
It is also worth trying social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. If the person is not listed there, you can still spread the word that you are trying to find someone.
