CLPS Skip Tracing 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which public record is typically most useful for identifying a subject's workplace during skip tracing?
- Voter registration records
- Professional license records (Correct answer)
- Bankruptcy filings
- Property tax rolls
Correct answer: Professional license records
Professional license databases often include an employer name and business address tied to the licensed individual.
Question 2: What legal risk does a process server face when using pretext (false identity) to gather skip tracing information by phone?
- Civil contempt of court
- Violation of wire fraud statutes or state impersonation laws (Correct answer)
- Suspension of their process serving license only
- No legal risk if the information is used for a legitimate court case
Correct answer: Violation of wire fraud statutes or state impersonation laws
Pretexting can constitute wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1343 or violate state laws prohibiting impersonation or false pretenses.
Question 3: How can bankruptcy court filings assist in locating a subject for service of process?
- They are sealed and unavailable to process servers
- They contain schedules listing assets, creditors, and the debtor's current address (Correct answer)
- They only reveal past addresses from five or more years ago
- They require a licensed attorney to access on behalf of the server
Correct answer: They contain schedules listing assets, creditors, and the debtor's current address
Bankruptcy petitions include the debtor's current address and detailed asset schedules, making them a rich source for skip tracing.
Question 4: A process server learns a subject is a registered sex offender. Which resource provides the subject's registered address?
- The subject's employer HR file
- The state or national sex offender registry (Correct answer)
- Social Security Administration records
- The IRS taxpayer database
Correct answer: The state or national sex offender registry
State and national sex offender registries are publicly accessible and require registrants to provide a current residential address.
Question 5: In skip tracing, what does 'last known good address' (LKGA) mean?
- The address where the subject lived before incarceration
- The most recent address where the subject was confirmed to be physically present (Correct answer)
- An address provided by the subject's attorney
- The address listed on the original lawsuit filing
Correct answer: The most recent address where the subject was confirmed to be physically present
LKGA refers to the most recently verified address where the subject was actually located, serving as the starting point for renewed search efforts.
Question 6: When a subject has relocated to another state, what interstate resource can help a process server quickly identify the new state of residence?
- Interstate Compact on Juveniles database
- State-to-state voter registration cross-match (SAVE program)
- USPS NCOA combined with state DMV inquiries in likely destination states (Correct answer)
- Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator
Correct answer: USPS NCOA combined with state DMV inquiries in likely destination states
Running NCOA and querying DMV records in likely destination states are the most practical tools for locating a subject who has moved across state lines.
Question 7: Which of the following behaviors during surveillance while skip tracing could expose a process server to a stalking or harassment claim?
- Sitting parked on a public street for one hour
- Following the subject to multiple locations over several days without service attempt (Correct answer)
- Photographing the subject's vehicle in a public parking lot
- Noting the subject's departure time from a residence
Correct answer: Following the subject to multiple locations over several days without service attempt
Extended following of a subject across multiple locations and days without a clear service purpose can meet the legal definition of stalking in many states.
CLPS Skip Tracing 4
Which public record is typically most useful for identifying a subject's workplace during skip tracing?