FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

How long must I wait to report a Missing person?

Answer: There is now waiting period to report a missing person under the age of 18.

What do I do if local law enforcement won’t take a missing report (or enter the Missing person into NCIC National Crime Information Center)?
Contact the officer that took the initial report to inquire why the report has not been entered in NCIC. Listen to what the officer advises you, as there may be other issues involved. This agency may not be the agency of jurisdiction where the child was at the time it become missing. You may not be the custodial parent. You may not have a valid custody document and/or parenting plan. If you have custody documents you need to present them to the officer. If you called the agency, you may have spoken to a call taker or communication officer who took a missing report and an investigator may or may not been assigned to your case. Write down the responses you are given for further follow-up.

Why would law enforcement not activate an AMBER Alert for my missing child?
AMBER Alerts are specialized tools used for specific missing children cases. Idaho has 6 criteria that must be met before law enforcement can issue and Alert, and the law enforcement has other tools to search for other types of missing children. Please see the AMBER Alert page for the 6 criteria and other information about AMBER Alerts in Idaho.

Who is responsible to activate an AMBER Alert?
It the responsibility of the investigating law enforcement to activate an AMBER Alert. All AMBER Alerts in Idaho are issued statewide. Please see the AMBER Alert page for more information on these Alerts.

What should I do if I suspect a possible missing person or exploitation in my neighborhood?
Do not confront the person(s) yourself. Contact your local law enforcement immediately and provide them with as much information as possible relating to names of the individuals, the length of time they have been in the neighborhood, vehicle information, and why you believe the police should be involved.

What should I do if I suspect a person on an Internet chat room is attempting to entice a child away from their home?
Obtain as much information as possible on the person who is attempting to entice the child, including the person’s e-mail address, the time of day, what chat room was involved, any information on the meeting place and if possible, which Internet provider controls the chat room. Contact your local law enforcement immediately.

What should I do if I suspect a person is sending sexually explicit photographs involving children or discover an Internet web site containing sexually explicit photographs of children?
Record the Internet web site address and the person’s e-mail address that is sending the materials. Contact you local law enforcement immediately.

What should I do if I suspect a future problem with a family-related abduction?
Ensure that your custody order specifies with whom the child is to reside at specific times and restricts removal from the state without prior consent from the judge. Flag the child’s passport if one exists or ask passport control not to issue one if one is requested. Also contact the State Registrar in the state where the child was born and ask that a flag be placed on the child’s birth certificate. This flag will activate if a request is made for a copy of child’s birth certificate or if any requests for information on the child’s birth certificate is requested. Notify schools, day care centers and baby sitters of the custody orders. Give them copies and ask to be alerted if the non-custodial parent makes an unscheduled visit to the facility.
If the non-custodial parent lives in another county, state or country, file a certified copy of the custody decree there. This will notify the court in that jurisdiction that a valid decree has already been issued and must be honored. Also consider filing a copy of the decree in any foreign countries in which the non-custodial parent has close friends or relatives.