How to Conduct a Free People Search

When you need to search for someone without spending a fortune using a private investigator or other premium service, there are several free people search engines available for your use. The Internet has pioneered the way for the general public to access records quickly and easily from the comfort of home, without ever having to deal with long lines at the local courthouse or extended wait periods when sending requests through the mail.
 

Free People Searches in the U.S.

If you’re searching for someone in the U.S., you can use any number of free people search engines available online, or even the local white pages from home. Most searches will begin with only a name, through this can result in several contacts that you will have to investigate further to determine if they are the correct person you’re searching for.

Other methods for searching include visiting social networking sites or even alumni forums if the person is a former classmate, for example. These sites narrow down the pool considerably, and you can often contact them directly through the website versus calling, writing or sending an email separately.
 

Free People Searches in the U.K. and Abroad

Perhaps you splurged on a foreign vacation in the past and would like to find some friends you made abroad. This will require you to conduct a free search through an international people search engine.  Online international phone books are also a possible source of information, but you will need to know the country where the person is located. Your person of interest in the UK may be in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland when using many of these sites.

Please keep in mind that the UK has its own version of the National Do Not Call list, and you will have to check your number before calling for any reason other than personal contact. The country code in the UK is 44, so this needs to be dialed in addition to the complete phone number you find online, as well as your country’s exit code.
 

Other Free Search Options

Perhaps you aren’t sure where the person you’re looking for is located, or your search results provide several different contacts in different locations. You may need to contact the local government offices or courthouse to investigate a little further and determine which one is the person you’re looking for.

Birth certificates, property records and marriage records are all helpful in determining the best possibility for contacting the right individual. If the person you’re searching for has moved, you may need to contact the local postal service and inquire about any forwarding addresses they may have left.

Whether you simply want to look into your family’s history or search for a long-lost friend, there are plenty of free and low-cost tools that you can use to help during your search process. Using free people search engines and online public records databases will likely return the best contact information available if you’re willing to invest the necessary time and effort.