Miami Private InvestigationsAn adult who stops answering their phone is not always in danger. Sometimes they have left on purpose, sometimes they are simply somewhere without a signal. But sometimes they are not safe, and the first hours matter. The uncertainty is the hardest part for families. This guide sets out what Florida law actually requires once a missing adult is reported, what you can do yourself, and when it makes sense to bring in a licensed private investigator to work alongside the police rather than instead of them.
Report it now: the statute sets no waiting period
A common belief is that you must wait a day before reporting an adult missing. Florida’s missing-persons statute contains no such rule. Under s. 937.021(3), F.S., a report that a child or adult is missing must be accepted by and filed with the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction in the county or municipality where the person was last seen. In Miami-Dade, that means the police department or sheriff’s office covering the place the person was last seen, which is not necessarily where they live.
For the purposes of the chapter, a “missing adult” is a person 18 or older whose residence is, or is believed to be, in Florida, whose location has not been determined, and who has been reported missing to law enforcement (s. 937.0201(2), F.S.).
What police are required to do
- Written procedures. Every Florida law enforcement agency must have written policies for missing adult reports, and those policies must ensure cases are investigated promptly using appropriate resources (s. 937.021(1)).
- Database entry within 2 hours. On a credible report that an adult is missing, the agency must transmit it for entry into the Florida Crime Information Center and the National Crime Information Center within 2 hours of receipt, and to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System within 90 days (s. 937.021(4)(b)).
- DNA if the person is not found. If the person has not been located within 90 days, the agency must attempt to obtain a biological specimen for DNA analysis, from the missing person or from appropriate family members (s. 937.021(6)).
The state clearinghouse
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement runs the Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse (s. 937.022, F.S.), which also handles Silver and Purple Alerts. Whether a case goes there depends on the person’s age and circumstances. A “missing endangered person” includes any missing adult under 26, an adult 26 or older whom law enforcement suspects is endangered or the victim of a crime, and adults who meet the Silver Alert or Purple Alert criteria (s. 937.0201(4)).
For an adult under 26, anyone with knowledge may submit a report to the clearinghouse once the person has been reported to local police and entered into the state and national databases. For an adult 26 or older, only the investigating agency can submit it, and only the agency can request a Silver or Purple Alert (s. 937.022(3)(b)). FDLE’s own MEPIC page asks families to contact local law enforcement first and then the clearinghouse.
What you can do in the first day
- Write down when and where the person was last seen, what they were wearing, and who they were with.
- Gather a recent, clear photograph and identifying details: height, build, tattoos, glasses, medical conditions and medications.
- Note their phone number, carrier, vehicle and plate, and any bank or ride-share accounts you know they use. Give these to the detective; police can seek records you cannot.
- Check with hospitals, friends, co-workers and the places they habitually go, and keep a log of who you contacted.
- Get the report number and the name of the assigned detective, and send new information to them.
When a private investigator helps
Police carry many cases at once, and an adult who appears to have left voluntarily may receive less attention than the family would want. A private investigator adds dedicated hours, not a parallel investigation. In practice that usually means:
- Working the person’s recent life. Tracing where they lived, worked and spent time in the months before, from lawful public records and interviews with people who knew them.
- Open-source research. Reviewing what the person and their contacts have posted publicly, which can show movement, new relationships or a changed routine. See our open-source investigation article.
- Locating new addresses. The same records methods as our skip trace services, used to find where a person has gone rather than to serve them.
- Canvassing. Visiting the last known locations, speaking to staff and neighbours, and identifying businesses whose cameras may have recorded the person before footage is overwritten.
- Passing everything to the detective. Anything that suggests danger or a crime goes straight to law enforcement. A private investigator has no power to search, seize, compel records or detain anyone, and should not try.
Our missing persons investigations page describes the service in more detail.
When the person does not want to be found
This is the part families find hardest. An adult is entitled to leave, to move and to stop contact. A responsible search is aimed at confirming that the person is safe, not at forcing a reunion. When an adult is located and does not want their whereabouts shared, the right outcome may be a message that they are safe and a way for them to make contact if and when they choose. And if you reported a missing endangered person to police or the clearinghouse, the statute requires you to notify them immediately once the person’s location has been determined (s. 937.022(4)), so the case can be closed.
Be careful who you listen to
Families of missing people are sometimes contacted by strangers claiming to have information in exchange for money. Pass any such contact to the detective handling the case and do not pay. Anyone you hire privately should hold a Florida Chapter 493 licence, which you can confirm before signing anything.
What to bring
- The police report number and the detective’s contact details.
- Recent photographs and a physical description.
- Phone numbers, social media accounts, vehicles and known addresses.
- A timeline of the last days before contact stopped, and a list of who has already been contacted.
Miami Private Investigations is licensed in Florida under agency licence A1800135. If someone you care about is missing and the case needs more hands than it has, contact us for a confidential consultation.