Techniques for performing uniform out-of-service (UOOS) search to detect for wireless systems are described. The UOOS search is “uniform” in that sleep cycle and/or awake period are fixed. A wireless device transitions to an OOS state upon detection of OOS conditions for a radio access technology (RAT). The wireless device performs system search during the awake period of each sleep cycle while in the OOS state. The awake period may have a first fixed time duration, and the sleep cycle may have a second fixed time duration. In each awake period, the wireless device may either start a new search or resume a prior search based on saved state information if the search was not completed in a prior awake period. In each awake period, the wireless device may (i) start and complete a search for recently acquired frequency channels and systems and (ii) start or resume a search for other frequency channels and systems in one or more RATs.