Top 10 Databases Used in Professional Skip Tracing

In the world of professional skip tracing, success hinges on access to comprehensive, accurate, and current data. While investigative techniques and legal expertise remain critical, the databases and tools investigators use can make the difference between a successful locate and a dead end. Whether you're a legal support professional, private investigator, debt collector, or real estate investor, understanding the landscape of available databases is essential for making informed decisions about your toolkit.

This comprehensive guide examines the top 10 databases used by skip tracing professionals today, comparing their features, pricing models, and ideal use cases to help you choose the right resources for your specific needs.

Understanding Database Categories in Skip Tracing

Before diving into specific platforms, it's important to understand that skip tracing databases generally fall into several distinct categories:

Public Records Aggregators compile information from government sources including court records, property records, voter registrations, and professional licenses. These databases provide legally accessible information that forms the foundation of most investigations.

Credit Header Databases contain non-financial information from credit reports, including current and historical addresses, phone numbers, employment data, and associated persons. Access to these databases requires permissible purpose under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Proprietary Investigative Tools combine multiple data sources with advanced search algorithms, offering features like batch processing, social network analysis, and predictive analytics. These premium platforms are designed specifically for professional investigators.

Social Media and Online Aggregators compile information from publicly available social media profiles, online directories, and web scraping operations. While less comprehensive than professional databases, they can provide valuable supplemental information.

The Top 10 Professional Skip Tracing Databases

1. TLO (TransUnion Online)

TLO stands as one of the most powerful and widely used investigative databases in the industry. Owned by TransUnion, one of the three major credit bureaus, TLO provides investigators with access to billions of records spanning credit headers, public records, social media data, and proprietary analytics.

Key Features: TLO excels in its comprehensive person search capabilities, offering real-time credit header data, historical address information going back decades, phone number searches with carrier identification, vehicle registration records, property ownership data, and business records. The platform's TLOxp interface includes advanced visualization tools that map relationships between individuals, businesses, and properties.

Best For: Professional investigators, legal support firms, and debt collectors who need the most comprehensive dataset available and can justify premium pricing. TLO is particularly valuable for complex cases requiring relationship mapping and historical data analysis.

Pricing Model: Subscription-based with per-search fees. Typically requires annual contracts with tiered pricing based on search volume. Expect to invest several hundred to several thousand dollars monthly depending on usage.

2. Accurint (LexisNexis)

LexisNexis Accurint represents the legal industry's gold standard for investigative data. Leveraging LexisNexis's decades of experience in legal research and information services, Accurint combines comprehensive public records with credit bureau data and proprietary analytics specifically designed for legal professionals.

Key Features: Accurint offers extensive public records coverage including nationwide court records, liens and judgments, professional licenses, and corporate filings. The platform includes sophisticated searching algorithms with nicknames, maiden names, and alias detection. Address verification features help confirm current residency, while the Link Analysis tool visualizes connections between subjects, addresses, phone numbers, and associates.

Best For: Law firms, legal support services, and attorneys who need defensible data with audit trails. The platform's legal-focused features and reputation make it ideal for cases that may result in court proceedings.

Pricing Model: Subscription-based with tiered access levels. Annual contracts are standard, with pricing scaled to firm size and search volume. Accurint typically represents a significant investment suitable for established legal practices.

3. IDI Data (Investigators Data Insights)

IDI Data has built a strong reputation among private investigators and skip tracers for offering powerful search capabilities at more accessible price points than enterprise-level competitors. The platform combines comprehensive data coverage with an intuitive interface designed specifically for investigative workflows.

Key Features: IDI provides person locate services with current and historical address data, phone number searches including cell phone identification, email address searches and verification, vehicle and property records, and nationwide criminal records searches. The platform's IDI Locate product line offers specialized tools for different investigation types, from basic locates to comprehensive background investigations.

Best For: Independent investigators, small investigative firms, and businesses that need professional-grade data without enterprise pricing. IDI offers an excellent balance of capability and affordability.

Pricing Model: Flexible options including monthly subscriptions, per-search pricing, and prepaid credits. This flexibility makes IDI accessible to operations of various sizes.

4. Tracers Information Specialists

Tracers has served the investigative community for over 30 years, building a reputation for reliable data and excellent customer service. The platform provides access to comprehensive public records databases with particular strength in batch processing and bulk skip tracing operations.

Key Features: Tracers offers batch processing for high-volume skip tracing, comprehensive people search with address history, phone numbers and email addresses, property and asset searches, business records and corporate filings, and criminal records searches. The platform's batch capabilities allow users to upload lists of hundreds or thousands of names and receive results efficiently.

Best For: Debt collectors, law firms handling high volumes of cases, and real estate investors conducting bulk property owner research. The batch processing capabilities make Tracers particularly valuable for operations that need to locate many individuals efficiently.

Pricing Model: Subscription-based with per-search fees. Offers various plans scaled to business size and search volume, with volume discounts available for high-usage accounts.

5. CLEAR by Thomson Reuters

CLEAR (Consolidated Lead Evaluation and Reporting) represents Thomson Reuters' comprehensive investigative solution, combining public records, proprietary business data, and advanced analytics. The platform is particularly strong in its visualization tools and integration capabilities.

Key Features: CLEAR provides access to billions of public and proprietary records, visual link analysis tools for relationship mapping, batch processing and API integration capabilities, international records coverage beyond U.S. borders, and watchlist and sanctions screening. The platform's analytical tools help investigators identify patterns and connections that might not be apparent through basic searches.

Best For: Large investigative firms, corporate security departments, financial institutions, and insurance companies that need enterprise-level capabilities including compliance screening and international coverage.

Pricing Model: Enterprise subscription model with pricing customized to organizational needs. CLEAR typically requires significant investment and is best suited for larger operations.

6. IRB Search

IRB Search specializes in serving the collections industry, offering comprehensive skip tracing tools specifically designed for debt recovery operations. The platform combines traditional database access with specialized collections-focused features.

Key Features: IRB provides real-time credit header access with current address and phone data, batch skip tracing with high-volume processing, employment information including current employer identification, asset searches for bank accounts and property, and phone validation and verification services. The platform's collections-specific features include debt validation tools and compliance management.

Best For: Collection agencies, debt buyers, and creditors' rights attorneys who need specialized tools for debt recovery operations.

Pricing Model: Subscription-based with per-search fees. Offers tiered plans based on search volume with special pricing for collection agencies.

7. Locate Plus

Locate Plus has established itself as a reliable mid-tier option for skip tracing professionals, offering solid data coverage with competitive pricing. The platform emphasizes ease of use and straightforward pricing without sacrificing data quality.

Key Features: Locate Plus offers comprehensive person search with address and phone data, vehicle registration and identification searches, property records and ownership information, business records and corporate affiliations, and criminal records and background checks. The platform's interface is designed for quick, efficient searches without complex navigation.

Best For: Process servers, bail bond agents, independent investigators, and small law firms that need reliable data without complex features or premium pricing.

Pricing Model: Monthly subscription with tiered access levels. Offers straightforward pricing without hidden fees, making budgeting predictable.

8. Spokeo and BeenVerified (Consumer-Grade Alternatives)

While not professional investigative tools, consumer-grade services like Spokeo and BeenVerified deserve mention as supplemental resources. These platforms aggregate publicly available information and make it searchable through user-friendly interfaces.

Key Features: These services provide basic contact information from public sources, social media profile aggregation, email address searches, and limited background information. The platforms are accessible without permissible purpose requirements and offer very low-cost subscriptions.

Best For: Supplemental research, initial lead development, and situations where permissible purpose requirements limit access to professional databases. These tools should not be relied upon as primary resources for professional investigations.

Pricing Model: Consumer-level monthly subscriptions typically ranging from $20-$40 per month with unlimited searches.

9. Public Records Aggregators (County and State Databases)

Direct access to government databases at county, state, and federal levels provides the most authoritative data available, though often requiring more time and effort to search effectively.

Key Features: Public records sources include property records from county assessors and recorders, court records from state and federal courts, corporation records from state secretary of state offices, professional licenses from state licensing boards, and voter registration information from election offices. These records are the original sources that commercial databases aggregate.

Best For: Verification of information found in commercial databases, cases requiring the most current or legally defensible information, and situations where commercial database access is cost-prohibitive.

Pricing Model: Many government databases offer free access, though some charge per-record fees. Access methods vary by jurisdiction, with some offering online portals and others requiring in-person or written requests.

10. Social Media Platforms (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter)

Social media platforms have become valuable supplemental tools for skip tracing, providing information individuals voluntarily share about their locations, activities, employment, and connections.

Key Features: Social media research enables current location identification through check-ins and posts, employment information from LinkedIn profiles, relationship mapping through friend and connection lists, lifestyle and activity information, and contact information sometimes included in profiles. Advanced search operators and specialized tools can enhance social media investigation capabilities.

Best For: Developing leads when other databases produce limited results, verifying information found through other sources, identifying associates and relatives, and locating younger subjects who are more active on social media.

Pricing Model: Basic social media access is free, though specialized social media search tools and premium account features may require paid subscriptions.

Comparative Analysis: Choosing the Right Tools

Selecting the appropriate database toolkit depends on several factors including your budget, search volume, case complexity, industry requirements, and compliance obligations. The following table provides a quick comparison of key characteristics:

Legal Compliance and Permissible Purpose

Understanding and maintaining compliance with data privacy regulations is non-negotiable in professional skip tracing. The databases discussed above operate under several key legal frameworks:

Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): This federal law regulates the collection and use of consumer credit information. Databases containing credit header data require users to have permissible purpose, which includes collecting debt, employment screening with consent, underwriting for credit or insurance, and court orders or subpoenas. Users must maintain strict access controls, document permissible purpose for each search, and properly dispose of consumer report information.

Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA): The DPPA restricts access to DMV records and vehicle registration information. Permissible uses include use by government agencies, matters of motor vehicle safety, use in court proceedings, and use by licensed private investigators for certain purposes. Always verify your use case complies with DPPA requirements before accessing vehicle records.

Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA): This act restricts the disclosure of non-public personal financial information. It particularly affects financial institutions and those who receive information from them. Ensure your data sources and uses comply with GLBA safeguarding requirements.

Violations of these regulations can result in severe penalties including civil liability, criminal prosecution, loss of database access, and professional license revocation. When in doubt, consult with legal counsel experienced in data privacy law before accessing sensitive information.

Building Your Database Toolkit: Strategic Recommendations

Most successful skip tracing operations use a combination of databases rather than relying on a single source. Consider this strategic approach:

Primary Professional Database: Invest in one comprehensive professional database (TLO, Accurint, IDI, or Tracers) as your primary tool. Choose based on your budget, industry focus, and search volume requirements.

Supplemental Public Records: Develop familiarity with key public records sources in your most common jurisdictions. These provide verification and can often locate information not yet aggregated into commercial databases.

Social Media and Online Tools: Incorporate social media investigation into your standard workflow. These free tools can provide valuable supplemental information and lead development.

Specialized Industry Tools: If you focus on a specific industry (collections, legal, real estate), consider adding an industry-specific database to your toolkit.

Remember that database access represents an investment in your operational capacity. Quality data reduces time spent on investigations, increases success rates, and ultimately improves your return on investment through more efficient operations.

Conclusion

The landscape of skip tracing databases continues to evolve as data sources expand, analytical capabilities improve, and regulatory frameworks adapt to new privacy concerns. Success in modern skip tracing requires not only access to quality databases but also the knowledge to use them effectively and the discipline to maintain compliance with applicable regulations.

Whether you're establishing a new investigative operation or evaluating your current database toolkit, understanding the strengths, limitations, and appropriate uses of available resources enables you to make informed decisions that balance capability, cost, and compliance. The databases outlined in this guide represent the industry's leading options, each offering distinct advantages for specific use cases and operational requirements.

As you build your database strategy, remember that tools alone don't guarantee success. Combining quality data sources with skilled analysis, creative investigation techniques, and strict adherence to legal and ethical standards creates the foundation for effective, professional skip tracing operations.