Private Investigator

Brief Description: A private investigator, or PI, is a person who is hired for investigations, usually by a private citizen. Private Investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases or sometimes on behalf of a defense attorney. Many private detectives work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims. Some private investigators are hired obtain proof of marital infidelity or other illegal conduct to establish favorable grounds for a divorce. Collecting evidence of adultery or other “bad behavior” by spouses and partners is by far, one of the most profitable activities that licensed private investigators perform.

Startup Costs: While a private investigator can practice his craft from his home, it is advisable to have access to business office suits that are available per monthly charge of around fifty dollars. This affords even the novice investigator to give the allusion of a successful practice and professional environment. The business office suits give the renter a business telephone line, answering service and an office to conduct interviews with prospective clients. I would rate the startup cost as a private detective as low, around a $1000.

Software expense: Private Investigators use investigation software like US Search, Net Detective, eDetective, Real-Time Spy, and Urgent Detective to find people, conduct online background investigations, search public records, find missing persons.

License/Legal Requirements: Many jurisdictions require private investigators to be licensed, and they may or may not carry firearms depending on local laws and type of investigative work they specialized in. Quite a few investigators are ex-law enforcement officers but that is not a requirement. The craft of the trade can be learned while working as a security guard and earn a meager living.

Some states do not require a license specifically for private investigations, but they may require a business license, or have other legal requirements such as training or certifications. Many states also require that you pass a test to become a licensed private investigator.

Following is a state-by-state listing of contact information for obtaining your private investigator license.

Related Private Investigator Licensing Agencies:

• International Homicide Investigators Association
• National Association of Legal Investigators
• National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• National Society of Professional Insurance Investigators

If you conduct business in more than one state, you may want to consider getting licensed in all states that you do business in.

Education: Education requirement is important as long as it relates to low enforcement and security field. Some of the education can be obtained in the military and some of it is offered as adult education.

Detailed Notes: Investigators typically keep detailed notes during each case and often testify in court regarding their observations on behalf of their clients. Licensed private detectives take great care to remain within the law (e.g., being forbidden to trespass on private property or break into homes) on pain of losing their licenses as well as facing criminal charges. Irregular hours may also be required when performing surveillance work (e.g., outside a subject’s house during the early hours of the morning).

Private detectives also undertake a variety of work that is not usually associated with the industry in the public’s view.  For example, many PIs are involved in process serving, the personal delivery of summons, subpoenas and other legal documents to parties in a legal case.

The tracking down of debtors can also be a large part of an Investigator’s work load. When starting out it is advantageous first to obtain work from a PI agency. Agencies usually specialize in a particular field of expertise. For example, some PI agencies deal only in skip tracing. Others may specialize in technical surveillance countermeasures, which is the locating and dealing with intrusive forms of electronic surveillance by competitors.

As technology advanced so do Private Investigators, modern PIs prefer to be known as “professional investigators” rather than “private investigators” or “private detectives”. This is a response to the negative image that is sometimes attributed to TV movies.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics published a useful article in the 2004-2005 edition of the Occupational Outlook Handbook for Private Detectives and Investigators[1]. The guide describes the nature of private investigation work, working conditions, qualifications, employment, training and advancement, earnings, job outlook, and related occupations.  If you want to become a private detective, this is a great place to begin.