How Long Does a Person Need to Be Missing Before Police Are Obligated to Look for Them?

If a loved one goes missing or disappears, you can file a missing person's report at your local police department. There are certain situations that do not warrant filing a missing person's report, such as in the case of adults with substance abuse problems.

The Myth

• The commonly believed myth is that a person needs to be missing for 48 hours before you can file a missing person's report; this is simply untrue. There is no minimum period of time, rather the conditions of the disappearance determine how quickly the search begins.

Adults

• While there is no minimum time period, missing adults fall under the category of needing specific circumstances for you to file a report. For example, adults or elderly persons with a medical condition or mental disability, or that may be a danger to themselves or others, fall into this category.

Children

• If a child goes missing, you can file an immediate AMBER Alert instead of a missing person's report, as soon as law enforcement officers confirm the child has been abducted. AMBER alerts work through a partnership between media and law enforcement, instantly broadcasting a child's disappearance on national TV and electronic freeway signs where they are available.