peoplefinder

Do you have a recent, even if not current, land line phone number?

GoTo

www.google.com and enter the number in the search box

Google Address and Phone Number directory of directories

Do you have a cell phone number?

GoTo

Reverse Cell Phone Directory

Do you want to find a cell phone number?

GoTo

Business and personal U.S. cell phone directory (voluntary, opt-in)

Is the person either abroad or a foreign national (non U.S.)?

GoTo

Country-specific search engines

Do you know what high school the person attended, preferably with the year?

GoTo

Classmates.com

Do you have the name and approximate address of a company where the person worked?

GoTo

Company Employee/coworker

Is the person a Federal Employee (includes military)?

GoTo

http://www.firstgov.gov/Contact/Directories.shtml

Federal and state elected officials

Is the person a local elected official?

GoTo

City, county, and local government links

Is the person in the military?

Department of Defense free or low cost mailing address locator

Do you have the name of a college or university the person attended or taught at?

GoTo

Google University Search

Are you certain, absolutely certain, that the person is still alive? If not,

GoTo

Social Security Death Claims

http://www.webobits.com/

http://www.obits.com/

http://www.obitcentral.com/obitsearch/a-c.htm

Unclaimed Dead Persons

http://170.164.50.2/coroner/IndigentList.asp

http://home.att.net/~wee-monster/deathrecords.html

http://www.vitalrec.com/death.html

Do you have an exact birth date?

GoTo

Ussearch

Do you have nothing but a maiden name?

GoTo

Ussearch

Is the person a professional (Doctor, Lawyer, Nurse, Dentist, etc.) of some sort?

GoTo

Dentists http://www.ada.org/

Doctors http://www.ama-assn.org/aps/amahg.htm

Google search for licensing boards

Nurses http://www.ana.org/snaaddr.htm

Google search for licensing boards

Engineer/surveyor http://www.ncees.org/licensure/licensing_boards/

Is there any chance the person is an incarcerated criminal (could he/she be in jail or prison)?

GoTo

Federal Inmate Locator

State Inmate Locator

Do you know any locations for the individual? If so, check these newspaper archives from around the world for any reports on their activities.

GoTo

Paper of Record

No luck yet? Cheer up, this is just the tip of the iceburg, go to the main People Find page for more sources and try all the search links, each one will have different information and sources.