Miami Private InvestigationsMissing person investigations at a glance
- First step, always: report to the police agency where the person was last seen, or call 911 if anyone is in danger. Florida law requires that agency to accept the report.
- State resource: FDLE's Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse (MEPIC), 1-888-FL-MISSING (1-888-356-4774).
- Our role: a licensed investigator who works alongside the official case, never instead of it.
- Who families ask us to find: runaway teens, adults who cut off contact, elderly relatives, estranged family, birth parents and heirs.
- What you receive: verified leads, a written report of every step taken, and findings organized so you can share them with the detective.
- Credentials: Florida agency license A1800135, veteran-led, bilingual, office in Coral Gables.
- Who stands behind this work: Taylor Wasser, President — a second-generation private investigator who worked at the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office before founding the agency. The agency has been a member of the Florida Association of Licensed Investigators (FALI) since 2021. Read Taylor’s profile.
This page explains what to do first, which official Florida resources exist, and where a licensed investigator can help without getting in the way of police.
Should you call the police or a private investigator first?
The police, every time. If you believe someone is in immediate danger, call 911. Otherwise contact the local agency where the person was last seen. There is no waiting period in Florida: 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 in which the child or adult was last seen" (s. 937.021, F.S.).
That report sets official machinery in motion that no private agency can replicate. When a parent or guardian reports a missing child, the agency must immediately inform its on-duty officers, notify other agencies in the county, and within 2 hours send the report to the Florida Crime Information Center and the National Crime Information Center. A credible report of a missing adult must also be entered in those databases within 2 hours, and both kinds of report go to the national NamUs system within 90 days (same section). Only law enforcement can request an alert, and only police and the courts can compel phone, bank or travel records.
A private investigator is a supplement, not a substitute. We add focused attention, follow leads the family surfaces, and, with your agreement, pass anything significant to the assigned detective. If a crime appears, law enforcement leads.
Which official resources help find missing people in Florida?
- MEPIC (FDLE). The Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse is the central repository of information on missing endangered persons in Florida. It issues every AMBER Alert, Missing Child Alert, Spectrum Alert, Purple Alert and State Silver Alert in the state. FDLE asks you to contact local law enforcement first, then call MEPIC at (850) 410-8585 or 1-888-FL-MISSING (1-888-356-4774), or email MEPIC@fdle.state.fl.us.
- MEPIC's public search. FDLE publishes a missing and unidentified persons search and a list of active alerts.
- NamUs. The U.S. Department of Justice's National Missing and Unidentified Persons System provides technology, forensic services and investigative support for missing person and unidentified remains cases. Florida agencies are required to transmit missing person reports to it.
Who do families ask us to locate?
A minor who left after conflict, a breakup or pressure from someone online. Police must be notified; we work leads through friends, schools and public social media.
Someone who stopped answering after a crisis involving money, a relationship, addiction or mental health. Many are safe and simply unreachable.
A parent or grandparent with memory loss who wandered or drove away. This is an emergency for police first; a State Silver Alert may apply.
A sibling, adult child or parent out of touch for years, often sought before an illness or a death in the family.
Careful, confidential searches where confirming identity and approaching respectfully matter as much as the address.
Relatives who must be found for an estate or unclaimed property, often at an attorney's request.
A parental abduction in a custody dispute is a police and court matter first; see child custody investigations.
How is a missing person case different from a people locate?
A missing person case involves someone who disappeared under unknown or worrying circumstances, where their welfare is the question. A people locate is quieter: the person, perhaps a witness, a debtor or an old friend, is usually fine and has simply moved or chosen distance. For those, our skip trace services and witness location pages go further.
How does a missing person investigation work?
- A confidential conversation. We ask what happened, what police have been told, the case number and the detective's name, and we tell you honestly where we can add value.
- A full profile. Recent photographs, description, medical conditions, vehicles, phone numbers, social media handles, employers, favorite places and recent changes in mood or circumstances.
- Interviews. We speak with family, friends, coworkers and others willing to talk, to rebuild the last known timeline.
- Records and open-source research. Public records, address and employment history, court filings, and public social media activity, cross-checked so one stale entry does not send everyone in the wrong direction.
- Field work. Visiting places the person frequented and lawful observation of a location where they may be staying, plus helping families ask businesses to preserve camera footage before it is overwritten.
- Confirmation and next steps. We confirm identity before sharing a location. A child's location goes to police immediately; an adult who left by choice may prefer a message relayed through us.
What should your family do right now?
- File the police report and note the case number and the detective's contact details.
- Gather recent photos, a description and the clothing last worn, plus a list of friends, coworkers and recent conflicts.
- Do not delete or reset the person's devices or accounts; tell police what exists.
- In social media posts, list the police agency's number and leave out private medical details.
What a Florida PI can and can't legally do in a missing person search
Florida's definition of private investigation expressly includes gathering information about the "whereabouts of missing persons, owners of unclaimed or escheated property, or heirs" (s. 493.6101, F.S.). Investigators are licensed under Chapter 493 by the FDACS Division of Licensing. The license carries no police power, and illegal shortcuts can compromise the official case.
What we can do
- Search public records and lawful investigative databases. Motor vehicle records are released only for purposes federal law permits, and a licensed agency's access is no broader than those purposes (s. 119.0712, F.S.; 18 U.S.C. § 2721).
- Interview anyone willing to speak with us, and review public posts and profiles through social media investigation.
- Observe and photograph from public places, and share what we learn with police when you authorize it.
What we will not do
- No hidden trackers. Installing a tracking device or app on another person's property, or using one to follow them, without consent is prohibited (s. 934.425, F.S.). Its narrow exceptions, such as a parent of a minor, cover an investigator only where the client would be covered, and a violation is grounds for discipline (s. 493.6118(1)(y), F.S.).
- No pretexting for phone or bank records. Getting someone's calling records by false statements is a crime in Florida (s. 817.484, F.S.), and federal law bars pretexting to obtain phone records (18 U.S.C. § 1039) or bank customer information (15 U.S.C. § 6821). Those records come through police subpoenas and warrants.
- No secret recording. Intercepting a private conversation requires every party's prior consent (s. 934.03, F.S.); intercepted material is inadmissible (s. 934.06, F.S.).
- No posing as police (s. 843.08, F.S.), and no entering homes, rooms or posted property without permission (s. 810.08, F.S.; s. 810.09, F.S.).
- No pressure on someone who left by choice. Repeated contact that causes substantial emotional distress and serves no legitimate purpose can amount to stalking (s. 784.048, F.S.). An adult who asks not to be contacted is respected.
For more on these limits, read our guide to Florida Statute 493 and what a PI may do.
What will you receive from the investigation?
- Regular updates through a single point of contact.
- A written report listing the sources checked, people interviewed, leads followed and ruled out, and how any location was confirmed.
- A police-ready summary with dates and sources so the detective can verify leads.
- Testimony where a finding matters in court, for example in an estate that needs proof of the search for an heir.
We report what we find, including dead ends, and never promise that a person will be located.
What affects the timeline and cost?
Every search is scoped individually, and we do not publish prices. These factors decide how much work a case requires:
- How long the person has been gone. Recent cases have fresher witnesses and footage; old estrangements rely on records.
- What you already know. A full name, date of birth and past addresses shorten the research.
- Whether the person is avoiding contact. Someone staying hidden takes more work than someone who simply moved.
- Geography and field work. Leads in another county, state or country, and interviews or site visits, take more hours than records work alone.
You approve the scope before we begin and before any extension.
Why families work with us
- FDACS agency license A1800135
- ★ 4.9 from 88 Google reviews
- Veteran-led team
- Investigators who work in English and Spanish
Many families prefer to explain something this painful in Spanish, and our investigators interview in either language. Attorneys have recorded video testimonials about us; see what attorneys say. Client confidentiality is a legal obligation, and releasing client information without authorization is grounds for license discipline (s. 493.6118(1)(e), F.S.).
Related services
Locating people who have moved or changed contact details.
Verified history on a person before you reconnect or rely on them.
Finding witnesses for attorneys and litigants.
A guide to lawful locate methods.
Lawful review of public online activity.
Guía en español para buscar a un familiar en Florida.
Available across Florida
Missing person searches are managed from our office at 4000 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Suite 470, Coral Gables, and our investigators go where the leads point.