Act immediately. There is no waiting period to report a missing person in the United States — not 24 hours, not 48. Call now.
Immediate steps
- Call 911 or your local law enforcement agency immediately. Give them the person’s name, date of birth, height, weight, clothing, and when/where they were last seen.
- Ask police to enter the person into the FBI’s NCIC Missing Person File right away.
- If a child is missing, call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST).
- For adults, ask about entering the case in NamUs, the national missing-persons database: 833-872-5176.
- Preserve their room, phone, and belongings — don’t clean or remove anything.
- Gather recent photos, medical/dental records, and a list of friends, routines, and online accounts.
- Designate one person to handle calls and keep a log of every tip and contact.
- Ask law enforcement about engaging local media and social media outreach.
Who to call
Emergency
For life-threatening situations, call right now.
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
Help for missing children — 24-hour hotline.
NamUs (National Missing and Unidentified Persons System)
Report or search adult missing-person records nationally.
FBI tip line
Submit information about a case — by phone or online at tips.fbi.gov.
National Runaway Safeline
Help for runaways and their families.
National Human Trafficking Hotline
Get help or report a trafficking tip.
For families
NamUs
The national, public-facing database of missing and unidentified persons records — where families and the public can search and compare cases.
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
Resources for families of missing children, including a 24-hour hotline and help coordinating with law enforcement.
FBI
Federal law enforcement resources, including the national tip line at 1-800-225-5324 and the online tip form.
Official site: fbi.gov
These are official resources; we are independent and unaffiliated.
For internet sleuths — a short ethics code
- Never contact a missing person’s family to ask questions or share theories.
- Never publicly name someone as a suspect. Ever.
- Send tips to law enforcement, not to comment sections.
- Don’t spread unverified claims; link to sources.
- Remember a real family reads everything you write.
Frequently asked questions
Is there really no waiting period to report a missing person?
Correct. You can — and should — report immediately. The “24-hour rule” is a myth.
What is the difference between NamUs and NCIC?
NCIC is law enforcement’s system; NamUs is a public-facing national database where families and the public can search and compare cases.
I have a tip about a case on this site. Who do I tell?
The investigating agency listed on the case profile, or your local law enforcement. We don’t take tips ourselves.