In most states, drivers licenses have to be renewed every four years (and within thirty days of changing an address), so drivers license info is considered a very good skip-tracing tool.

List of States

In most states, drivers licenses have to be renewed every four years (and within thirty days of changing an address), so drivers license info is considered a very good skip-tracing tool.

In background investigating, it's also an excellent resource. Drivers licenses provide the subject's name, date of birth, and a current or recent address; photos are also provided as public information in some states.

Other identifying information usually included are height, weight, hair and eye color, and race.

Moreover, driving violations and accident report information can provide clues to the subject's lifestyle. For example, if he has received one or more DUI's, this can suggest an alcohol problem. If he has had numerous moving violations or accidents, this can raise a red flag regarding his levelheadedness or reliability.

To check Department of Motor Vehicle records, click on the state where you wish to conduct your search, then, on the next screen that appears, scroll down to the "Driving Records" entry. Although DMV information is provided online is some states, it's best to call the DMV office before accessing its web site, explain to the clerk what you need, and ask what's the easiest/fastest way to obtain it.

Another top skip-tracing and background-check tool is vehicle registrations. These must normally be renewed every year, and expired tags are easily spotted by the police, so this is an accurate source of information. In most states, you can have a vehicle ownership check run over the phone, using either the subject's name or tag number.

NOTE: DMV and vehicle registration checks are not available in all states. Click on the state where you wish to have a vehicle registration check performed, scroll down to the "Vehicle Ownership Information" entry, and call the telephone number provided to obtain more information.