Police: 999 or 101
Call 999 if a child is missing, or someone may be at risk of harm or in immediate danger. Call 101 to report a missing person when it is not an emergency, or to give the police new information.
Good to know
You do not have to wait 24 hours. Calls to 999 and 101 are free. You can also go to any police station. In Northern Ireland, Tesco Mobile and giffgaff users call 028 9065 0222 instead of 101. Relay UK users can dial 18001 101.
Before you call
Have ready
- a recent photo
- details of their friends or relatives, and places they often go
- any medical condition and medicine, and whether they left without it
- what they were wearing, their phone number, and any vehicle they may have
- something with their DNA on it, such as a toothbrush: do not throw it away
They may ask
- questions to judge the risk: their health and mental health, why they might have gone, any recent big change in their life, and any alcohol or drug use
They can
- start a search and make the person's details available to other UK police forces
- take the report at your own local police station, even if the person lives in another part of the UK
- ask, with a relative's permission, to search the person's home
They cannot
- tell you where an adult is without their permission; they may tell you the person is safe and well
Write down the reference number you are given. Quote it when you call 101 with anything new, or when the person comes home or gets in touch.
In the emergency guides: Someone I love is missing →
- Phone
- 101
- Website
- https://www.gov.uk/report-missing-person
- Hours
- 999 and 101 at any hour
- Coverage
- UK-wide
- Languages
- English
- Last checked
- October 9, 2026
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