How to Find Someone’s Assets

Finding someone’s assets is a common need across many legal and business situations. Specifically, judgment creditors need to find debtor assets for collection, divorce attorneys need to verify financial disclosures, litigation attorneys need to evaluate defendants before filing suit, executors need to locate all estate property, and investors need to verify financial representations before committing capital. Furthermore, every method below is legal when conducted properly using public records and authorized databases.

1. Order a Professional Asset Search (Fastest and Most Comprehensive)

Indeed, the fastest way to find someone’s assets is to order a professional asset search from a nationwide investigation company. A professional search covers all 50 states simultaneously and identifies real property, vehicles, watercraft, aircraft, business ownership interests, UCC filings, liens, judgments, and court records within 24 to 48 hours. Professional investigators access proprietary databases, cross-reference multiple sources, and manually verify findings, uncovering assets that DIY searches consistently miss. U.S. Asset Records offers reports starting at $125 for a public report or $250 for a certified creditor report.

2. Search County Property Records

Furthermore, county recorder offices maintain records of all real property ownership, deeds, mortgages, and liens. Real property is typically the most valuable asset category. However, the limitation is that you must search county by county, and a person who owns property in multiple states requires separate searches in each jurisdiction. Our guide to accessing property records explains how professionals overcome this limitation with multi-state database access. For state-specific guidance, see our pages for Florida, New York, Texas, and California.

3. Search Secretary of State Business Filings

Similarly, every state’s Secretary of State maintains records of corporations, LLCs, and partnerships. These filings reveal officer positions, director roles, registered agents, and (in some states) members. Consequently, a person who owns a business through an LLC may hold significant assets through that entity that do not appear under their personal name. Our business asset search covers all 50 Secretary of State databases simultaneously.

4. Check Vehicle Registration Records

Additionally, DMV records show vehicle ownership, but access varies by state and requires a permissible purpose under the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA). Watercraft are documented through state marine agencies and the U.S. Coast Guard. Aircraft registrations are searchable through the FAA Aircraft Registry.

5. Search UCC Filings

Moreover, Uniform Commercial Code financing statements reveal secured interests in equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, and other business collateral. These filings also show which creditors already have claims against the person’s assets, indicating both what they own and who else has priority. Understanding the exemption landscape in each state is also critical.

6. Check Federal and State Tax Lien Records

Furthermore, federal tax liens and state tax liens are public records that indicate both a tax debt and the existence of assets. A person with a $500,000 IRS tax lien has (or had) significant income or assets. These records also reveal competing creditor claims.

7. Search Court Records and Litigation History

Additionally, civil court records reveal lawsuits where the person was a plaintiff (potential settlements or judgments they are owed) and lawsuits where they were a defendant (existing obligations). Bankruptcy filings are particularly valuable because they contain detailed schedules listing every asset the person owned at the time of filing. The Taggart v. Lorenzen decision affects creditor strategies for debtors with bankruptcy history.

8. Examine Divorce Records

Specifically, in states where divorce filings are publicly accessible, financial affidavits and equitable distribution documents contain detailed listings of assets including bank accounts, retirement funds, real property, and personal property. These records provide a snapshot of the person’s financial position at the time of the divorce.

9. Search Probate and Inheritance Records

Moreover, if the person recently inherited assets, probate court records may reveal the inheritance. Our probate asset search helps identify both estate assets and assets the person may have received through inheritance.

10. Investigate Corporate Structures and Entity Connections

Indeed, many people hold assets through LLCs, trusts, and corporate entities rather than in their personal name. Our hidden asset search traces ownership through entity structures across all 50 states, identifying shell companies, nominee arrangements, and assets held through layered corporate structures that DIY searches cannot detect.

11. Analyze Property Transfers

Furthermore, recent property transfers to relatives, friends, or newly formed entities may indicate asset concealment, particularly if the transfers occurred near the time of a legal dispute. These transfers may be voidable as fraudulent conveyances.

12. Use Information Subpoenas (Post-Judgment)

Additionally, if you have a judgment, most states allow you to serve information subpoenas on banks, employers, and other third parties to discover assets. This tool is most effective when combined with a professional judgment collection asset search that tells you where to direct the subpoenas.

13. Request a Debtor Examination

Finally, judgment creditors can request the court to order the debtor to appear and answer questions about their assets under oath. Running an asset search before the examination allows you to ask targeted questions and catch inconsistencies in the debtor’s testimony. Our asset search for attorneys page details how law firms integrate this workflow.