Companion resource library
Skip-tracing source list.
Skip tracing — locating a person who has moved or is hard to find — is a core skill in judgment collection. Even when a debtor hasn't deliberately hidden, their contact information, employer, and banking relationships may have changed since the lawsuit.
Free tools and resources
Before paying for commercial databases, exhaust free resources:
- State court records — most state court systems have online case lookup tools. Search for other cases involving the debtor; they may list updated addresses.
- County property records — assessor websites list property owners with mailing addresses.
- Secretary of State databases — business filings list agent and officer addresses.
- General web search — searching the debtor's name can turn up social media profiles, news articles, and professional directory listings.
- LinkedIn — many people list their current employer and location publicly.
- People-finder sites (Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified) — compile public data and can provide addresses, relatives, and associated phone numbers.
- PACER (pacer.gov) — federal court case lookup; search for bankruptcy or federal cases.
Employment and bank identification
Finding where the debtor works is essential for wage garnishment: check your state's New Hire Registry access rules, look up professional licenses in the state licensing database, ask your state labor department about unemployment insurance wage records access, and check LinkedIn for a listed current employer.
Finding which bank the debtor uses for a bank levy: review check images from any payment the debtor made to you, ask directly at a debtor examination (under oath), require disclosure of all financial institutions through interrogatories, watch for bank information on pay stubs once wages are garnished, and review business records (contracts, invoices, UCC filings) if the debtor owns a business.
Legal and ethical boundaries
Skip tracing is legal when done using proper methods for a lawful purpose — and collecting a civil judgment is a recognized lawful purpose. The following are prohibited:
- Pretexting — lying to someone to get information about the debtor (e.g., pretending to be a relative to get an address). This violates the FDCPA and potentially state fraud laws.
- Accessing private databases without authorization — using someone else's credentials or hacking into systems is illegal.
- Violating the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act — obtaining private financial records under false pretenses is a federal crime.
- Stalking or harassment — continuous surveillance that could be characterized as harassment exposes you to significant legal liability.
From the DIY Civil Judgment Collection eBook. Get the full eBook for step-by-step instructions, templates, and checklists.