Report a Missing Person

The impact of missing persons can be life-changing for families, friends, and communities. 

If you believe someone in the Halton region is missing, please call the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) immediately. Your report will be taken seriously, and the investigation will start without delay.

The HRPS team is committed to working tirelessly to ensure every case is addressed with urgency and compassion.

How to Report a Person as Missing

*There is no 24-hour waiting period to report someone missing. Anyone can report a missing person.*

If you are concerned for a missing person's immediate safety, please dial 9-1-1 immediately.

If you do not believe the missing person to be in imminent danger, please dial our non-emergency number at 905-825-4777.

When you report a person missing, investigators will ask you for:

Finding the missing person safe and well is our primary goal. To guide the investigation and help locate the missing person, an officer will ask questions about:

  • Their physical description (including what they were wearing at the time they went missing);
  • When and where they were last seen;
  • Any vehicle they may be driving;
  • Where they work and live;
  • Their physical, mental and/or emotional state; and
  • Any other information that might be needed to aid investigators.

You or the missing person's family will be asked to provide a photograph of the missing person. The photograph may be used in a media release, social media posts, and shared with the media to bring attention to the missing person.

Please note that the public release of the photograph will happen only after consideration has been given to privacy concerns, the safety of the missing person, and investigation requirements.

When a missing person is located, their photograph will be removed from the HRPS website and social media platforms. A request will also be made to media to do the same.

How to Assist in Locating a Missing Person

If you have any information about a missing person, please call the HRPS non-emergency number at 905-825-4777 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) to submit information anonymously.

You can also assist the investigation by checking:

  • With family members and friends of the missing person to make sure they have not made other arrangements;
  • Local hospitals;
  • Their school/employer;
  • Places that they frequent; and/or
  • Their social media accounts and those of their friends and associates. 

Update the police if you obtain new information that could assist the investigation and again, call the HRPS' non-emergency number at 905-825-4777 if you have located the missing person.

Support for Family and Friends

Resources are available to help you navigate the impacts of a person in your life that are missing:

Missing Persons Act Form 7

On July 1, 2019, the Missing Persons Act of Ontario came in effect. This legislation gives police officers the lawful authority to make an urgent demand for personal information that would assist in locating the missing person. Examples of this would include banking records, debit or credit card use, and cellular phone use. The legislation includes a mandatory reporting obligation for all police services. Each service must complete and submit an annual report to the Province on the total number of demand for records made, broken down into subcategories of types of information by June 1 of each year. The report must also be posted on a website that is accessible to the public.

Read the 2024 Halton Regional Police Service Missing Persons Act Form 7.  

Please note that the content of the PDF can be provided in an accessible format, upon request.

For information about open missing person cases in the Halton region, visit our Open Missing Persons Cases webpage.

Contact Us

Halton Regional Police Service

Headquarters
2485 North Service Rd. W.
Oakville, Ontario, Canada
L6M 3H8

Phone: 905-825-4777
TTY Phone: 1-800-990-8199
Fax: 905-825-9416
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