NamUs (National Missing and Unidentified Persons System)
A free national database, run by the US Department of Justice, for missing and unidentified people. Families can add a missing-person case, search cases, and get help from NamUs staff.
Good to know
A case goes public only after NamUs checks that a police report is on file and the police agree. It is mostly used for cases that have gone on a long time, and it does not replace a police report.
Before you call
Have ready
- a police report on file: NamUs checks with the police agency before a case goes public
They can
- let a family member add a new missing-person case and search the public case information, free
- compare missing-person cases with unidentified people, to find matches
- provide family DNA collection kits at no cost; family samples must be collected by a police officer or other criminal justice staff
They cannot
- publish a case straight away: it is checked with the police agency first
- replace a report to the police
In the emergency guides: Someone I love is missing →
- Website
- https://namus.nij.ojp.gov
- Coverage
- Nationwide (U.S.)
- Languages
- English
- Best for
- Parents
- Last checked
- October 9, 2026
See something out of date or wrong? Tell us and we’ll check it.
Shared by FindAngel.org — free, always · https://findangel.org/resources/namus/