Use Case
Skip tracing for private investigators
Locate subjects, verify identities, and supplement background work with multi-sourced contact data in one API.
Skip tracing is the most common task in PI work and the most variable in quality. The data is only as good as the source, and most consumer-facing providers are built around marketing use cases — they leak too much, return stale records, and don't give you the context you need for an investigation.
Skip Trace API is structured around the workflows licensed investigators actually use. For broader industry standards, the National Council of Investigation and Security Services (NCISS) is the U.S. trade body for licensed PI shops.
Investigator-friendly features
- Single-lookup pricing (no monthly minimum) so you can run small case loads economically
- REST API for shops with case management software, hosted form for solo PIs
- Address history with date ranges (so you can timeline a subject's moves)
- Associated parties — relatives and known associates — when relevant to your investigation
- Phone history including disconnected numbers (the disconnected number from 2021 still tells you about the subject's pattern)
When skip tracing data is enough — and when it isn't
Skip tracing gets you to "I know where this person was as of last month and how to call them." It does not get you to "I know what they did and who they were with." The latter is where surveillance, OSINT, and traditional investigative work come in. Don't let any data vendor sell you the fantasy that an API replaces investigative judgment. We don't pitch it that way.
Permissible purpose for PI work
Most PI work falls under FCRA §604(a)(3)(F) (legitimate business need) or specific exceptions for licensed investigation. State PI licensing rules vary — some require specific purpose documentation per case, others don't. We log every lookup; you document the case file.