What Is A Purple Alert?
Some states use Purple Alerts to help find vulnerable adults who do not qualify for AMBER or Silver Alerts.
Most people recognize an AMBER Alert when it flashes across a phone or highway sign. A Purple Alert is less familiar, and that can make an urgent missing-person notice confusing at the exact moment authorities need the public paying attention.
In general, a Purple Alert is used to help locate a missing person whose disability or other vulnerability may place them in danger. The programs are often intended for adults who do not meet the requirements for an AMBER or Silver Alert. However, there is an important catch, because Purple Alert is not a single nationwide system. States that use the name establish their own eligibility rules, which means a Purple Alert in Florida may cover a somewhat different population than one issued in Maryland.
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What Is A Purple Alert, & Who Qualifies?
Eligibility usually comes down to vulnerability. States that use Purple Alerts generally reserve them for missing people whose disability or impairment could make it harder for them to recognize danger or return home safely.
The exact criteria depend on the state. Florida, for example, uses Purple Alerts for certain missing adults with disabilities who are believed to face immediate danger and do not qualify for a Silver Alert. Maryland’s program covers endangered adults ages 18 to 60 with specified disabilities or impairments. Other states may use a different name altogether for a similar type of missing-person alert. West Virginia allows Purple Alerts for people with cognitive impairments, including dementia.
That difference matters because the same person might qualify for a Purple Alert in one state and a Silver Alert in another. Circumstances of the disappearance can all affect which system law enforcement uses.
How Does A Purple Alert Work?
Once someone is reported missing, law enforcement decides whether the case meets the alert requirements in that state. Families do not activate a Purple Alert themselves. In Maryland, for example, only law enforcement can request one through the state police. Florida follows a similar process, with the local agency determining whether the disappearance qualifies before requesting broader assistance.
Families should share anything that could help investigators understand the person’s vulnerability. That may include a disability, medical condition, communication difficulty, or history of wandering.
Once an alert is approved, authorities can distribute the missing person’s information to the public. How that happens depends on the state and the case. Meanwhile, families shouldn’t delay making a missing-person report because they are unsure whether their loved one qualifies for a Purple Alert. That determination belongs to the agency handling the case.
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