Skip Tracing in BC FAQ

Skip tracing is the process of locating a person whose current whereabouts are unknown. The term comes from the concept of someone “skipping” from a known address. A professional skip trace uses a combination of database research, public records, open-source intelligence, association analysis, and field verification to identify a person’s current address or location. It is commonly used for legal service, debtor recovery, family reconnection, estate administration, and other situations where someone needs to be found. For a detailed explanation, see our skip tracing knowledge hub.

Skip tracing locates a person whose current address is unknown, but who is generally living a normal life somewhere. A missing persons investigations address situations where someone has disappeared under concerning circumstances and their safety may be at risk. Skip tracing uses database research, records analysis, and OSINT. Missing persons cases typically involve coordination with law enforcement and other investigative methods. Skip tracing may support a missing persons case by locating witnesses or contacts for interview, but it is not a substitute for a full missing persons investigation.

Skip tracing focuses on finding a person’s current address. A background check focuses on gathering information about a person’s history, associations, court records, and other contextual details. The two services address different questions, though they sometimes overlap. A locate file may incorporate background research as part of the search process.

The essential starting information is the person’s full legal name, date of birth or approximate age, and last known address. With these three pieces of information, most skip traces can proceed efficiently. Additional helpful details include prior phone numbers, email addresses, vehicle details, known employer or occupation, names of family members or associates, social media usernames, and a recent photograph. The more you can provide, the faster and more efficient the search. The investigator will assess the available information during the free consultation and give you an honest evaluation.

A full name alone may be sufficient if the name is distinctive. Common names such as John Smith or David Lee require additional identifying information such as a date of birth, last known city, age range, or other details, to distinguish the correct individual from others with the same name. The investigator will assess during the consultation whether the available information is likely to be sufficient.

Yes. All consultations at Shadow Investigations are free, confidential, and carry no obligation. The investigator will assess the available information, give you an honest evaluation of the likelihood of success, and explain the process before you commit. If the investigator assesses that the available starting information is unlikely to produce a useful result, they will tell you before you commit to the fee.

Skip tracing at Shadow Investigations is a flat $650 per individual in BC. This covers the full investigation including database research, public records, OSINT, association analysis, and the final report. The flat rate applies regardless of the complexity of the file or the outcome. Field verification, if needed to confirm the subject is at a specific address, is billed separately at $75 per hour plus $0.79 per kilometre.

Yes. The flat rate of $650 applies to all skip traces in BC, whether the file is straightforward and resolved in two days or complex and requires the full 14 days. You are paying for professional investigative time and resources, not for a specific outcome or level of difficulty. The only additional cost is field verification, which is optional and billed separately if needed.

A consumer people-search website might cost $20–$50 and produce unverified, potentially outdated results with no professional assessment. A professional skip trace at $650 produces cross-referenced, professionally assessed results from multiple sources, delivered in a documented report suitable for legal use. For any situation where accuracy matters, such as legal service, debt recovery, family law, estate administration, the professional investigation is the appropriate investment.

Field verification is billed at $75 per hour plus $0.79 per kilometre. This covers the investigator attending the identified address to confirm indicators of the subject’s residence, such as their vehicle being present, their name on a buzzer panel, or the subject themselves being observed at the location. Field verification is optional and not required for every file, but it provides the highest level of confidence before legal service or other action is attempted.

A professional skip trace follows a structured process: intake and information assessment, database and records research using professional-grade tools, open-source intelligence gathering, association and pattern analysis, field verification if needed, and reporting. The investigator cross-references multiple sources, assesses which leads are most current, eliminates outdated information, and narrows the search to the strongest leads. For a detailed walkthrough of each stage, see our skip tracing knowledge hub.

Most searches are completed within 1 to 14 days. Files with strong starting information, such as a full name, date of birth, and a recent address, are often resolved in 1 to 3 days. More complex files, such as those with limited starting information, common names, interprovincial moves, or deliberate concealment, may take longer. If there is urgency such as a legal deadline for service, let the investigator know during the consultation. Priority handling may be possible depending on the circumstances.

Consumer people-search websites aggregate publicly available data with minimal verification. They often show outdated addresses, list multiple possible matches, and provide no assessment of which information is current. A professional skip trace uses professional-grade databases not available to the public, cross-references multiple sources, incorporates OSINT and association analysis, applies investigative judgment, and delivers results in a documented report suitable for legal use. Many files that fail through consumer websites are resolved through a professional investigation because the tools and methods are fundamentally different.

No. The investigation is conducted entirely through research, database queries, and public information review. The subject is not contacted or notified during the locate process. If field verification is conducted, it is done discreetly from a public vantage point. The person will not know they were the subject of a locate investigation.

In most cases, the investigation produces a confirmed or high-confidence current address, delivered in a documented report with corroborating sources and the investigator’s assessment of reliability. Some files produce multiple leads requiring further verification, partial results such as a likely city or employment lead, or in a small percentage of cases, no confirmed address. The report documents what was searched, what was found, and what was ruled out regardless of outcome.

In a small percentage of cases, the person cannot be located with the available information. The flat rate still applies because you are paying for professional investigative time and resources, not a guaranteed outcome. You receive a documented report showing what was searched, what was ruled out, and any partial leads that were developed. For legal matters, this report may still have value, as it documents that a professional effort was made to locate the person, which can support a substitutional service application if needed.

The report documents the identified current address (or strongest lead), the corroborating sources that support the finding, the databases and methods used, any additional identifying information such as phone numbers or vehicle details, and the investigator’s professional assessment of reliability. For legal files, the report is prepared to a standard suitable for court filing, including in support of substitutional service applications.

Yes. The report is prepared by a licensed private investigator and documented to a standard suitable for legal use. It can be attached to an affidavit in support of a substitutional service application, filed as part of the court record, or used as the basis for further legal steps. For more information, see our guide to locating a person for legal purposes in BC.

Yes. While Shadow Investigations is based in British Columbia, we conduct locate investigations across all Canadian provinces and territories. Canada does not have a single nationwide database; each province maintains its own records with different access requirements and varying levels of detail. We have access to these provincial resources, and when beneficial, we also collaborate with trusted investigation associates in other provinces who bring valuable local expertise. If the individual has moved outside Canada, we work with our international investigation partners. Please note that locates conducted outside of BC, as well as international locates, are billed at different rates due to additional time, access requirements, and third‑party involvement.

International locates are more complex and are not always achievable through the same methods used for domestic searches. Canadian databases and records sources do not cover other countries, and international locates require different resources and methods. If you believe the subject has moved outside Canada, discuss the circumstances during the consultation. The investigator will assess whether the file is likely to produce results and what additional resources would be needed.

Yes. Skip tracing is frequently used to locate individuals for service of legal documents. The investigation produces a documented current address that can then be used by a process server. If you need both the locate and the service, let the investigator know during the consultation so both can be planned together.

Yes. Witness locates for subpoena service follow the same process as other legal locates. If the matter is time-sensitive, communicate the timeline during intake so the search can be prioritized.

If you have already attempted service and the subject is actively avoiding it, by not answering the door, providing false information about their location, or moving to evade process, an investigator can help identify their current address and daily patterns. In some cases, the investigator can conduct surveillance from a known location, follow the subject, and serve the documents at a location where they are less able to refuse or evade. If personal service ultimately cannot be achieved, the investigation report supports a substitutional service application.

Yes. Shadow Investigations can handle both the locate and the process service. If you need both, let us know during intake so both steps can be planned and coordinated together efficiently.

When personal service cannot be achieved, BC courts may grant an order for substitutional service. To obtain one, the applicant typically must demonstrate that reasonable efforts were made to locate and serve the person. A locate report from a licensed private investigator is one of the strongest pieces of evidence supporting this application because it documents the specific databases and sources queried, what was found and ruled out, and why personal service was not possible. This is far more persuasive to a court than an internal search or an internet printout. For a detailed explanation, see our guide to locating a person for legal purposes in BC.

Yes. Field verification involves the investigator or an associate attending the address to confirm indicators of the subject’s residence. This provides the highest level of confidence before service is attempted and avoids wasting the process server’s time at an incorrect address. Field verification is billed at $75 per hour plus $0.79 per kilometre.

A paralegal searching online using consumer tools and public websites is limited to publicly available surface-level data with no cross-referencing, no professional databases, and no investigative analysis. A licensed private investigator has access to subscription-based databases, can cross-reference multiple sources, can conduct OSINT and association analysis, and can arrange field verification. The result is more accurate, more current, and documented to a standard that supports legal reliance. For a firm that needs to demonstrate reasonable search efforts to the court, a professional investigation is the appropriate standard.

Yes. Shadow Investigations works with law firms across British Columbia on an ongoing basis for skip tracing, witness location, surveillance, background checks, and other investigative services. Firms that regularly need locate services can establish a working relationship that streamlines intake and communication.

Yes. Locating family members is one of the most common personal uses of skip tracing. If you have basic identifying information, such as a name, an approximate age, or a last known city, the investigation can proceed. Common personal locates include finding biological parents, reconnecting with siblings, locating estranged children, and finding extended family members

Yes. Skip tracing can be used to locate former friends, former colleagues, or other personal contacts who have moved and lost touch. As long as the purpose is legitimate and not intended to harass, stalk, or harm the person, a licensed investigator can conduct the locate. The investigator will assess the legitimacy of the request during intake.

In most cases, yes. People who are actively avoiding detection are harder to find than those who have simply moved, but very few people achieve complete invisibility. Employment, family connections, online activity, and government interactions all leave traces that a professional investigation can follow. The success rate is lower for deliberate concealment files than for routine locates, but the majority are still resolved. For a detailed explanation of how investigators approach difficult cases, see our guide on how to find someone who doesn’t want to be found.

A name and a last known city is a starting point, though the investigation may be more complex and take longer than a file with stronger starting information. If the name is distinctive, it may be sufficient. If the name is common, additional details such as approximate age, former employer, or names of associates will be needed to distinguish the correct individual. The investigator will assess the available information during the free consultation and give you an honest evaluation.

A small percentage of locate files do not produce a result. The most challenging circumstances include: the person has left Canada, the person is living under an alias with no records under their legal name, they are living in a cash-based arrangement with no database footprint, they have been assisted by victim services or witness protection, the starting information is extremely limited, or they have a very common name with no distinguishing details. Even in these situations, the investigation often produces partial results that may be useful.

Consumer websites use a small subset of publicly available data. A professional skip trace uses professional databases, records systems, and investigative methods that are not available through consumer tools. Many files that cannot be resolved through consumer websites are resolved through a professional investigation because the resources are fundamentally different. The $650 investment is often justified simply by the access to tools and expertise that the DIY approach cannot match.

Yes. Skip tracing is legal in Canada when performed by a licensed private investigator for a lawful and legitimate purpose. Professional investigators are authorized to use compliant information sources including regulated databases, public records, OSINT, and field‑based verification to locate individuals. All investigative activities must adhere to British Columbia’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and relevant provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada. When conducted within this legal framework, skip tracing is a recognized and lawful investigative service in Canada.

If there is a court order restricting your contact with the person, a reputable investigation firm will not assist in locating them for the purpose of direct contact. If you have a legitimate legal need, such as serving court documents through a lawyer, discuss the situation with your legal counsel first. The firm will assess the legitimacy of the request at intake and will decline any file where the purpose appears improper..

No. A private investigator cannot hack accounts, bypass privacy settings, use someone else’s credentials, or access private communications. Skip tracing uses lawful methods: professional databases, public records, publicly available online information, association analysis, and field observation from public places. Any information that is restricted, private, or requires unauthorized access is off limits.

Yes, if the purpose of the locate appears improper. A reputable investigation firm assesses the legitimacy of every request during intake. If there are red flags suggesting the client intends to use the information to harm, harass, or stalk the subject, the firm will decline the file. The investigation must be conducted for a legitimate purpose, such as a legal service, debt recovery, family reconnection, estate administration, or another lawful reason.

Shadow Investigations Ltd. has been conducting skip tracing and locate investigations since 1990, over 35 years. The firm is BBB A+ accredited and has been since 1999. Our team includes licensed investigators with access to advanced Canadian databases and extensive experience in locate work across British Columbia and Canada

Skip tracing is primarily a research-based service and is not limited by geography in the same way surveillance is. Shadow Investigations conducts locates for subjects anywhere in British Columbia and across Canada. The firm is based in the Lower Mainland with offices in Vancouver, Surrey, and Kelowna. Field verification, if needed, can be arranged in most BC locations and in other provinces through professional networks.

No. Shadow Investigations is a full-service private investigation firm handling a range of case types including infidelity investigations, child custody and guardianship cases, insurance fraud and disability claim investigations, workplace and corporate investigations, surveillance, background checks, OSINT, polygraph examinations, digital forensics, and undercover operations.

Contact Shadow Investigations by phone at 604-657-4499 or through our confidential inquiry form below. All consultations are free and confidential. The investigator will discuss your situation, assess the available information, and provide an honest evaluation of the likelihood of success before you commit. Skip tracing is a flat $650 per individual, with most searches completed within 1 to 14 days.