Skip Tracing Training & Certification
Master the art and science of locating people through professional skip tracing. Online training for private investigators, process servers, bail bondsmen, and collection professionals across Texas and beyond.
The Professional Art of Locating People
Skip tracing is the process of locating a person who has "skipped" — moved without leaving a forwarding address — or who is otherwise difficult to find. The term comes from the phrase "skip town," and traces back to the bail bond industry where bondsmen needed to locate defendants who failed to appear in court.
Today, skip tracing is used across many professional fields: private investigators locating witnesses, process servers finding evasive defendants, bail bondsmen tracking fugitives, attorneys searching for heirs, and collections agencies locating debtors. A skilled skip tracer is an invaluable asset to any organization that needs to find people.
- Private Investigators
- Process Servers
- Bail Bondsmen & Recovery Agents
- Collections & Debt Recovery Professionals
- Attorneys & Legal Support Staff
- Insurance Investigators
- Security & Corporate Investigators
Is Skip Tracing Legal?
Short Answer: Yes — depending on your state, your license status, and the methods you use.
Skip tracing is a legal professional activity when performed within the bounds of applicable federal and state law. The key statutes governing skip tracing include the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), and various state-level privacy and occupational licensing laws.
Our course covers the complete federal and state legal framework so you understand exactly what methods are permitted, which require a specific license, and which are prohibited regardless of your credentials.
Each state has different laws governing professional locating activities. Some states require a PI license to perform skip tracing for compensation. Others permit it under a process server or collections license.
Our course covers the legal landscape for all major states, with particular depth on Texas, Michigan, and Alabama — where we have state-specific supplemental modules.
What You Will Learn
A comprehensive online curriculum covering the full spectrum of professional skip tracing — from public records research to advanced database tools.
Legal Framework
Federal and state laws governing skip tracing. FDCPA, DPPA, GLBA, and applicable Texas statutes. What you can and cannot do without a license.
Public Records Research
Court records, property records, voter registration, UCC filings, business registrations, and other publicly available data sources for locating subjects.
Database Tools & OSINT
Professional locate databases, LexisNexis, TLO, IRB Search, and open-source intelligence (OSINT) techniques including social media investigation.
Interview & Pretext Techniques
Telephone interviewing strategies, appropriate pretext scenarios, elicitation methods, and the legal boundaries of social engineering in skip tracing.
Documentation & Reporting
Creating professional locate reports, chain of custody for evidence, affidavit preparation, and delivering findings to clients and legal counsel.
Building a Skip Tracing Business
Pricing your services, finding clients, setting up workflows, professional tools and subscriptions, and best practices for operating as an independent skip tracer.
Become a Certified Skip Tracer
Enroll in our online program and earn your skip tracing certificate. Open to all states.