Tracing establishes a connection between an identifiable object and its owner or associated records. Tracking determines where an object is located or where it has traveled. Although frequently used interchangeably, these terms describe fundamentally different functions.
Understanding this distinction is important for property identification, theft prevention, and returning recovered property to its rightful owner.
What Is Tracing?
Tracing uses identifying information, such as serial numbers, license plates, or registered asset tags, to connect an object to its owner or relevant records.
A vehicle’s license plate provides a familiar example. The plate does not transmit the vehicle’s location, but its identifying number can be connected to government registration records.
Similarly, a numbered property identification tag can be connected to an online registration system, providing a means of contacting its registered owner.
What Is Tracking?
Tracking involves monitoring an object’s location or movement, often using GPS, Bluetooth, cellular networks, or other electronic technologies.
For example, GPS can help locate a stolen vehicle, while commercial shipping companies use tracking systems to follow packages through their transportation networks.
However, tracking has limitations. Batteries can fail, signals can disappear, and objects can leave the systems designed to monitor them.
Most importantly, knowing an object’s location does not necessarily establish who owns it.
An object does not need to transmit its location to be traceable.
Tracing vs. Tracking: Key Differences
| Feature | Tracking | Tracing |
|---|---|---|
| Main question | Where is it? | Whose is it? |
| Primary function | Determine location | Establish an ownership connection |
| Examples | GPS, Bluetooth trackers | Asset tags, serial numbers, license plates |
| Requires electricity | Often | Not for ordinary identification tags |
| Depends on signals | Often | No |
| Principal benefit | Helps locate property | Helps connect recovered property to its owner |
A Problem Recognized by the Federal Government
In 1979, the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) examined Operation Identification, a nationally promoted program encouraging citizens to mark valuables and maintain property records.
Its report, Department of Justice Should Explore the Feasibility of a Uniform Identification System for Marking Personal Property (GGD-79-54), documented difficulties police experienced when attempting to trace recovered property to its owner.
The problem was not necessarily identifying the object. It was connecting its identification number to an accessible ownership record.
The GAO recognized that inconsistent identification systems could interfere with property tracing across jurisdictions. Read the 1979 GAO report.
How My Property ID Registry Addresses Tracing
My Property ID Registry (MPIDR) modernizes the principles of Operation Identification through individually numbered asset tags, an internet-based property registry, and visible warning signs.
Owners record identifying information, including manufacturers, models, and serial numbers, in a privacy-protected database.
When someone discovers tagged property, the identification number can be submitted through MPIDR’s FOUND portal.
The system notifies the registered account without publicly revealing the owner’s personal information.
Unlike GPS tracking, MPIDR does not continuously determine an object’s location. Instead, it provides a means of tracing recovered property to its registered owner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can property be traced without GPS?
Yes. Registered identification numbers can provide a connection to ownership records without electronic location technology.
Does a serial number automatically identify an owner?
No. A serial number identifies an object. Tracing requires access to associated records.
Can tracing help deter and prevent theft?
Absolutely. Visible identification discourages thieves by increasing the perceived risk of connecting stolen property to an owner or crime report.
Conclusion
Tracing and tracking are complementary, but they are not interchangeable.
Tracing helps establish a connection between identified property and its owner. Tracking helps determine where property is located.
The distinction becomes especially important when objects are recovered outside the systems originally responsible for monitoring them.
Tracing connects property to ownership. Tracking locates property.
