The California Silver Alert Program was introduced through Senate Bill 1047 and became law in 2012 by adding section 8594.10 to the California Government Code.  A Silver Alert is activated when an elderly, or developmentally or cognitively-impaired person has gone missing and is determined to be at-risk.  Silver Alerts provide immediate information to the public to aid in the swift recovery of at-risk persons meeting the criteria.

​Silver Alert Criteria

In order for a Silver Alert to be activated, law enforcement must be satisfied the following criteria have been met (Government Code section 8594.10):

1. The missing person is 65 years of age or older, developmentally disabled or cognitively impaired.

2. The investigating law enforcement agency has utilized all available local resources.

3. The law enforcement agency determines that the person has gone missing under unexplained or suspicious circumstances.

4. The law enforcement agency believes that the person is in danger because of age, health, mental or physical disability, environment or weather conditions, the person is in the company of a potentially dangerous person, or other factors indicating that the person may be in peril.

5. There is information available that, if disseminated to the public, could assist in the safe recovery of the missing person.

​What should the public do?

Every member of the community can play an important role in a Silver Alert.  If you have information about an active Silver Alert or an elderly person who has gone missing, call 911 immediately to report it.  Be prepared to provide the location of the missing person, any relevant description and make, model, color, and license plate number (if possible) of any vehicle involved.  Even the smallest piece of information can be the piece that leads to a successful recovery.
 

​Click on the buttons below to learn more about each alert and the program