Families are handed a lot of advice. Most of it can wait. This cannot, and it has to happen in this order.
The sequence
File a police report immediately. There is no waiting period. The 24-hour rule is a myth, and for a missing child federal law requires immediate entry into the national system with no waiting period at all. Source: Source ↗
Before the officers leave, get two things: confirmation that the person has been entered into the FBI's National Crime Information Center missing person file, and the NCIC file number. Write it down. For adults, that entry is voluntary for the agency, which is exactly why you ask for it and write it down. Source: Source ↗
Get the investigating agency's own case number, and the investigator's name and direct contact.
Then enter the case in NamUs, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, at Source ↗ — families can enter cases directly, but a case will not be published until a regional administrator verifies with the investigating agency that a report exists. That is why the agency case number comes first. Without it, a family's entry sits invisible. Source: Source ↗
Provide a family reference DNA sample through the investigating agency or medical examiner. It is a cheek swab. It goes to a laboratory that can compare it against unidentified remains nationally. This is the step most often skipped and it is the one that closes decades-old cases.
Preserve the missing person's belongings. Do not clean the room. A hairbrush, a toothbrush, worn clothing and bedding carry DNA and scent. Let investigators collect them.
Practical guidance from the federal family guide
The Justice Department's guide for families, When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide, is written for parents of missing children, but most of its operational advice applies to any case. It is free: Source ↗
Designate one family member as the single point of contact with investigators, and agree a daily update schedule.
Designate someone other than a parent as media coordinator, and someone other than a parent as volunteer coordinator.
Background-check volunteers. The guide states directly that people who mean harm have inserted themselves into searches through volunteer sign-ups.
Never put a personal phone number or email address on a missing poster. Use the agency tip line.
Do not give psychics access to the home or to the missing person's belongings.
Before offering a reward, talk to an attorney. A reward can be an enforceable contract. Never use personal funds, keep search and reward money in separate accounts, and keep records.
Extortion attempts are common. Scammers find these cases through social media and demand untraceable payment. Report it to the FBI, and do not delete anything.
Organizations
NamUs — Source ↗ — use the contact form and select Family Member. For DNA questions select Biometric Support.
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, for anyone under 18 — Source ↗ — 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours. Its Team Adam program deploys retired investigators to assist agencies at no cost, but it is requested by law enforcement rather than by families; ask through the hotline.
State missing-child clearinghouses, a directory for all 50 states and several other jurisdictions — Source ↗
Texas EquuSearch — Source ↗ — ground, air, water and drone search. Founded by a father whose daughter was abducted and murdered. It has never charged a family. Primarily Texas but deploys further when resources allow. 281-309-9500.
Black and Missing Foundation — Source ↗ — awareness and family support for missing people of color. 1-877-972-2634.
Crime Stoppers — anonymous tips and reward administration. 1-800-222-8477.
The Charley Project — Source ↗ — the largest privately run missing-persons database in the country. It is a documentation resource. It does not take tips and does not investigate.
The Doe Network — Source ↗ — volunteer database of missing persons and unidentified remains.