Skip Tracing & Private Investigation — How to Make Money Finding People
Skip tracing is the art of finding people who don't want to be found — debtors, fugitives, missing witnesses, and estranged family members. It is a high-demand skill that can be done remotely, from home, and pays $25-100+ per hour.
Every day, businesses and professionals need to locate people: a bail bondsman needs to find a client who skipped court, an attorney needs to serve papers on a difficult defendant, a bank needs to locate a debtor who defaulted on a loan, or a family needs to find a missing relative. Skip tracers are the professionals who find them. The job combines public records research, database skills, social media investigation, and old-fashioned phone work. Skip tracing has evolved from a niche law enforcement skill to a mainstream remote career. With the explosion of digital footprints — social media, property records, business registrations, court filings — skilled skip tracers can locate most people within hours using tools available to anyone with an internet connection and a subscription to the right databases. How skip tracing connects to bounty hunting →
What Skip Tracers Do
A skip tracer's job is to find a person's current contact information — address, phone number, email, place of employment — using any legal means. Typical clients and cases: Bail bondsmen: A defendant fails to appear in court. The bondsman needs to find them before the court issues a forfeiture. These are urgent cases paying $50-200 per locate plus bonuses for same-day results. Process servers: An attorney needs to serve legal papers on someone who is avoiding service. The skip tracer finds the person's current location and schedule. Debt collectors: Banks, credit unions, and collection agencies need to find debtors who moved without updating their contact information. These are lower priority but high volume — a skip tracer who can locate 20-50 people per week at $10-25 per locate can earn $500-1,250/week. Attorneys: Personal injury, family law, and probate attorneys regularly need to locate witnesses, heirs, or opposing parties. These pay $50-150 per locate. Private investigators: Larger cases involving missing persons, insurance fraud, or asset searches pay $500-5,000+ for comprehensive reports. Individuals: People searching for birth parents, estranged family members, old friends, or biological relatives. These are emotionally rewarding but pay less ($25-75 per locate). Most skip tracers start with debt collection or bail bonds work (high volume, lower pay) and graduate to investigations (lower volume, higher pay). The key metric: successful locate rate. A 60-80% locate rate is standard. Top skip tracers achieve 90%+ and command premium rates. Skip tracing for bail enforcement →
Tools of the Trade
Skip tracing requires access to specialized databases that aggregate public and semi-public records. Primary databases: TLOxp (TransUnion), Accurint (LexisNexis), IDI (Information Discovery Inc), and CLEAR (Thomson Reuters). These cost $50-200/month for individual subscriptions. They aggregate data from credit headers (name, address, phone, SSN ranges), utility records, property records, motor vehicle records, professional licenses, social media, and court records. A single search typically returns the person's last known addresses, known associates, phone numbers, email addresses, and property ownership. Free resources: Social media platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter), Google (search the person's name in quotes, check news results, search their email address), county property records (many are free online), voter registration records (public in most states), inmate locators, professional license databases, and the White Pages. Data verification: The key skill is not finding data but verifying it. A database may show an address from 5 years ago. You must confirm current occupancy through skip tracing techniques: call the address and ask for the person by name (do not identify yourself as a tracer), cross-reference utility records, check social media check-ins and photos, and confirm through neighbors or known associates. Legal compliance: Skip tracers must comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and state-specific privacy laws. You cannot misrepresent yourself (say you are a survey researcher or a friend), use pretexting (pretending to be someone else to get information), or access data without a permissible purpose. Violations can result in fines, lawsuits, and loss of database access. Always keep records of your search methodology and sources. Freelancing as a skip tracer →
Getting Licensed as a Private Investigator
Skip tracing itself does not require a license — anyone can search public records and compile information. However, to charge for services and access certain databases, you typically need a private investigator (PI) license. Licensing requirements (US): 43 states require a PI license. Requirements vary: most states require 2-5 years of full-time investigative experience (or a combination of education and experience), passing a background check, passing a written exam, and paying a fee ($100-500). Some states (California, New York, Texas) have strict experience requirements. Others (Florida, Colorado) have minimal requirements. Non-licensed path: You can work as an employee of a licensed PI agency without your own license. Many skip tracers start as independent contractors for bail bondsmen, collection agencies, or law firms — these roles do not require a PI license because you are providing data, not conducting investigations. Certifications: The National Association of Legal Investigators (NALI) offers the Certified Legal Investigator (CLI) designation. The Professional Investigators' Certification Association (PICA) offers the Certified Professional Investigator (CPI) designation. These are not required but signal competence to clients. Insurance: Most clients require PI liability insurance ($1-2 million coverage, costing $500-2,000/year). Errors and omissions insurance covers mistakes in your investigative work. Compare PI work to other side hustles →
Building a Skip Tracing Business
Skip tracing is a scalable remote business with low overhead. Startup costs: Database subscriptions ($100-300/month), computer and reliable internet ($1,000-2,000 one-time), phone service ($50-100/month), website and marketing ($500-2,000 initial), insurance ($500-2,000/year), and PI license ($100-1,000 depending on state). Total first-year cost: $3,000-8,000. Pricing models: Per locate: $15-50 for basic locates (debt collection), $50-200 for complex locates (bail enforcement), $200-500 for comprehensive background reports. Hourly: $35-75/hour for investigative work. Retainer: $500-3,000/month for ongoing skip tracing for a law firm or collection agency. Finding clients: Cold email local bail bondsmen and process serving companies. Join the National Association of Professional Process Servers (NAPPS) directory. Offer a free trial locate (under 24 hours) to prove your skill. Network with family law attorneys — they need to locate estranged spouses for divorce proceedings. Many skip tracers earn $40,000-80,000/year within their first 2 years. Top skip tracers with a PI license and a strong client base earn $100,000-150,000+/year. The work is location-independent — you can do it from anywhere with a phone and internet connection. Remote work options for skip tracers →
FAQs
Is skip tracing legal?
Yes, skip tracing is legal when done properly. You may search public records, social media, and any legally accessible databases. You cannot engage in pretexting (pretending to be someone you are not), access protected data without authorization, or violate the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Always maintain a permissible purpose for each search and keep records of your methodology.
How much can I earn as a skip tracer?
Part-time skip tracers earn $500-2,000/month. Full-time earners make $40,000-80,000/year in their first 2 years. Experienced skip tracers with a PI license and established clients earn $60,000-150,000+/year. Income depends on locate rate, pricing, and volume. A skip tracer who charges $35/locate and completes 10 locates/day (200/month) earns $7,000/month gross.
Do I need a license to be a skip tracer?
No. Skip tracing itself is unregulated. You need a PI license to call yourself a private investigator and to provide investigative services in most states. However, you can work as a skip tracer for bail bondsmen, collection agencies, and law firms without a PI license as long as you are providing data only, not conducting investigations. Many skip tracers work for years without a license.
What skills do I need to succeed?
Persistence is the most important trait — the average locate requires contacting multiple databases, cross-referencing data, and making several phone calls. Attention to detail distinguishes good skip tracers from great ones. Familiarity with search engines, social media, and public records. A neutral phone voice and the ability to talk to anyone without being pushy. Basic spreadsheet skills to track cases. No formal education is required — most skip tracers learn on the job.
Can I do skip tracing as a side hustle?
Yes. Skip tracing is ideal as a side hustle because it is remote, flexible, and does not require set hours. Most skip tracers start part-time while building their database subscriptions and client base. Expect to spend 10-15 hours per week to earn $500-1,500/month as a beginner. As you get faster and more efficient, you can increase volume without increasing hours.
What is the difference between a skip tracer and a private investigator?
A skip tracer specializes in locating people. A private investigator handles the full range of investigative work: surveillance, evidence collection, witness interviews, background investigations, and skip tracing. Most PIs start with skip tracing and expand into broader investigative work. Skip tracing is a skill within the PI profession, but not all skip tracers are PIs and not all PIs are good skip tracers.