Only a law enforcement agency can issue a regional or state Amber Alert. If your child is missing, please contact 9-1-1 immediately and then Get Help Now.
If you are a law enforcement officer and your agency needs to issue an Amber Alert, please contact
(832) 269-2553 or support@tcftm.org for 24/7 support and activation assistance.
Amber Alert Criteria
The following five criteria must be met to activate the Houston Regional Amber Alert System (HRAAS) or the Texas Statewide Amber Network.
1. The missing child must be 17 years of age or younger.
2. The law enforcement agency believes the missing child has been abducted. This means the child was either unwillingly taken from their environment without permission from the child’s parent or legal guardian, or taken by the child’s parent or legal guardian who commits an act of murder or attempted murder during the time of the abduction.
3. The law enforcement agency believes the child is in danger of serious bodily harm or death.
4. The law enforcement agency has conducted an investigation that has verified that an abduction has taken place or ruled out alternative explanations.
5. Sufficient information is available to distribute to the public that could assist in locating the abducted child, suspect, or the vehicle used in the abduction.
Missing persons 18 years of age or older with intellectual disabilities may qualify for an Endangered Missing Persons Alert issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Missing adults 65 years of age or older with a diagnosed impaired mental condition may qualify for a Silver Alert issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
For more general information on the Amber Alert program, read Amber Alert FAQ.
How to Issue a Houston Regional Amber Alert
The Houston Regional Amber Alert System has served the 14 counties surrounding the Houston area since 2000 and is managed by Texas Center for the Missing. Learn more about the Houston Regional Amber Alert.
If your agency feels an abducted child has been taken from, or may be located in, the Greater Houston area, this is the appropriate Amber Alert to issue. Regional Amber Alerts are distributed to local, state, and national law enforcement agencies, local media outlets, TCM’s Amber Alert Partners, Texas Department of Transportation, the National Weather Service, and to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
1. Make sure you have all the information needed to issue the Amber Alert handy, including physical description of both the victim and suspect, a vehicle description if possible, and photos.
2. Contact our Amber Alert Coordinator at (832) 269-2553 or support@tcftm.org for activation assistance.
3. Once the Amber Alert is issued regionally, a text message will be distributed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Additionally, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children may activate a Cell Phone Alert if vehicle information is known. You may request alert reissuance in surrounding regions or statewide, as well as additional local abduction response resources. Texas Center for the Missing will notify our partners of the Amber Alert via our organization’s distribution list and social media. TCM can also serve as a media liaison or consultant upon request.
4. To cancel an alert, contact our Amber Alert coordinator. She will end the alert regionally, notify our partners of the cancellation, and will provide your agency with victim support resources or media liaison services as needed. Contact our Amber Alert coordinator at
(832) 269-2553 or support@tcftm.org for 24/7 support and activation assistance.
How to Issue a Texas State Amber Alert
The Texas AMBER Alert Network has been in operation since 2003 and is managed by the Texas Department of Public Safety. Statewide Amber Alerts are distributed to local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, local media outlets, the National Weather Service, Texas Department of Transportation, Texas Lottery Commission, Independent Bankers Association of Texas, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
If your agency feels an abducted child may be located either in the Houston area or in other Texas regions, this is an appropriate Amber Alert to issue. We do recommend issuing a Regional Amber Alert first, either in the Houston Region or in another Texas region, prior to requesting a statewide Amber Alert simply due to the speed at which regional alerts can be issued. We are happy to put your agency in touch with other Regional Amber Alert coordinators in Texas if you need to issue an alert in a different region.
1. Make sure you have all the information needed to issue the Amber Alert handy, including physical description of both the victim and suspect, a vehicle description if possible, and photos. Review the full list of Statewide Amber Alert request requirements.
2. Fill out the State form to request a statewide Amber Alert. Please note the statewide submission and issuance process may take at the most a few hours. Please consider issuing a Regional Amber Alert as well for immediate issuance.
3. Contact our Amber Alert Coordinator at (832) 269-2553 or support@tcftm.org for statewide issuance support, local abduction response resources, and media liaison services.
Additional Amber Alert Resources
Texas Amber Alert Network Website
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Website
Victim Services
For assistance with Crime Victims’ Compensation or any other victim services, please contact Texas Center for the Missing Case Manager at (713) 599-0235 or mrangel@tcftm.org.