Find a Missing Person in the UK
Whether it's a long-lost relative, an old friend or someone you need to reconnect with, we trace individuals across the UK and overseas with discretion and care.
Behind every search is someone you have never quite stopped thinking about. We know how much finding them means, and we handle your search with the care and discretion it deserves.
- Accredited investigators
- Court-admissible evidence
- 100% confidential
- Fixed-fee quotes
Start your search
Tell us who you are looking for
Whether it is a relative you lost touch with years ago, an old friend, or someone who owes you money, give us what you know and our investigators take it from there. Most people are found within 48 hours.
Not ready to instruct yet? Get a free quote or ask a question first.
Important - please read before completing this form
If you would like us to trace a person for you, please use this form. The fee will be £120.00, payable only once we confirm that we have been successful. This is not a free service and this is not an enquiry or quote form. Do not complete this form on behalf of someone else unless they have agreed to be responsible for the fee that will become payable.
All fees are due within 7 days of completion. We do not provide any details from the report until the fee is paid in full. We do not accept instalment payments against the fee unless agreed in advance. All trace reports are guaranteed on a refund or retrace basis for thirty days from the date of completion.
You need to ensure that every required box is completed. If the form asks you for something that you don't have, please enter N/A. All trace reports are covered by a thirty day retrace or refund guarantee.
Your Rights: You have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict processing, data portability, and object to processing of your personal data. Contact: globalpi@ukprivateinvestigators.com or call 0800 043 1754.
We retain investigation records for 7 years as required by UK law. You can request deletion after case completion (subject to legal obligations).
Your data may be shared with investigation partners (when necessary), legal authorities (when required by law), and payment processors (for invoicing). Full details in our privacy policy.
Whether you are looking for a missing family member, a long-lost friend, a birth parent, or someone who has disappeared, UKPI can help. Our person tracing service uses professional investigation methods to locate individuals across the UK and internationally.
How to Trace a Person by Name
Tracing a person by name requires a methodical approach and access to specialist databases that are not available to the public. Our investigators search multiple legal sources including electoral registers, credit reference data, court records, Land Registry, Companies House, and social media intelligence to build a comprehensive picture of an individual’s current whereabouts.
Even with just a name, we can often locate someone successfully, particularly if we have additional details such as approximate age, last known location, or any previous addresses. The more information you provide, the faster and more accurate the trace.
Find Someone Who Doesn’t Want to Be Found
Locating individuals who have actively attempted to disappear requires specialist investigative skills and experience. People who do not want to be found often leave minimal traces, change their routines, avoid digital footprints, or relocate multiple times. Our investigators are trained in advanced tracing techniques and have successfully found individuals who have been deliberately evasive for years.
We handle these cases with the utmost discretion and ensure that our work complies with all legal and ethical boundaries. Our goal is to establish a confirmed location while respecting the sensitivity of the situation.
Professional Person Tracing Services
UKPI is a licensed and accredited investigation agency with nearly three decades of experience tracing missing persons. Our team includes former law enforcement officers, intelligence analysts, and specialist researchers who combine traditional investigation methods with modern data intelligence. All traces are conducted lawfully, ethically, and in compliance with UK data protection regulations.
We provide detailed written reports that include confirmed addresses, supporting evidence, and any relevant background intelligence. Our success rate for person traces is 87%, and we only charge our fee when a trace is successful.
Who we help find
- Missing family members or estranged relatives
- Birth parents or adopted children
- Old friends or former colleagues
- Beneficiaries of wills or estates
- Witnesses needed for legal proceedings
- People who have moved without leaving a forwarding address
- Debtors or individuals avoiding legal obligations
How we trace people
Our process begins with a detailed consultation to understand exactly who you are looking for and why. We gather all available information including names, dates of birth, last known addresses, employment history, family connections, and any other relevant details. Our investigators then conduct a multi-stage search using electoral rolls, credit reference data, court records, property databases, Companies House filings, social media analysis, and field inquiries where appropriate.
Most person traces are completed within 48 hours to 7 days depending on the complexity of the case and the amount of information available at the outset. More challenging traces involving individuals who have been missing for many years or who have deliberately hidden their identity can take several weeks.
What we need from you
To begin a person trace, we need as much of the following information as possible: full name including any aliases or maiden names, date of birth or approximate age, last known address with postcode, previous addresses, family members’ names, last known employment or profession, any known associates or contacts, photographs if available, and a clear explanation of why you are trying to locate this person.
Even if you only have partial information, contact us. In many cases, we can still conduct a successful trace with surprisingly little to start from.
Call 0800 043 1754 or use the form below.
Common questions about find a person
How do private investigators find missing people?
ClosePrivate investigators use a combination of specialist databases, public records, and field investigation techniques to locate missing people. We search electoral registers, credit reference data, utility records, Land Registry, Companies House, court records, and social media intelligence. Our investigators cross-reference multiple data sources to confirm current addresses and verify identities. In more complex cases, we conduct field inquiries, interview associates, and use surveillance techniques. We have access to professional investigative databases that are not available to the public, which significantly improves our success rate.
Can you trace a person by name only?
OpenYes, we can often trace a person by name alone, although success rates improve significantly when we have additional details such as approximate age, last known location, or a previous address. Our investigators use advanced search techniques and cross-reference multiple databases to narrow down potential matches. Common names can present more challenges, but our team is experienced in using distinguishing factors to identify the correct individual. Even partial information is often enough for us to begin a successful trace.
Prefer a quote or a quick chat first?
Tell us about your situation and we will call you back within two hours. Everything you share stays between us.
- Free, no-obligation consultation
- Response within 2 hours
- 100% confidential
