How to Become a Private Investigator

Private investigators are highly respected and well-paid individuals who specialize in corporate fraud, marital infidelity, and missing person cases, among others.

While expert private investigators are often mainstays in computer forensics investigations, they provide a range of different investigative services.

Skills, Experience, Qualifications, If you have the right match for this opportunity, then make sure to apply today.

You will find PIs working for insurance companies just as often as you’ll find them serving cybercrime units and HR teams as they investigate cases to resolve matters in family courts.

They are frequently former members of law enforcement, have a criminal justice degree, and sometimes work closely with these various agencies.

Needless to say, private investigators are always in demand, and in most states, one does not need a college education to become a private investigator.

If you’re thinking about how to become a private investigator, besides learning the requirements, it is essential for you to understand everything that entails becoming a private investigator.

What is a Private Investigator?

Private Investigators (sometimes called private eyes, private detectives, or inquiry agents ) are hired by private companies to investigate subjects that a client assigns.

While the subject is typically an individual, it can also be a business of any size or even a government agency.

What does a Private Investigator Do?

PIs can investigate a wide array of subjects, but some private detectives specialize in investigating specific matters. Private eyes are best known for carrying out insurance fraud inquiries on behalf of insurance companies.

That said, the majority of private investigators work with law firms or are hired by attorneys. A lot of PIs offer their services privately, but some work for companies.

Some private eyes also work with corporations to investigate internal matters.

Usually, the investigative cases that a PI takes up do not come under the scope of any government agency. Therefore, PIs typically do not investigate civil matters, and government agencies investigate serious criminal cases.

A private investigator can help someone find their birth parents, ensure that a business is secure for the owner, look for missing people, or find evidence of marital infidelity.

These professionals are trained to find a lot of information without breaking the law.

To collect all the information they can, a private investigator may :

• Look through the subject’s trash
• Carry out surveillance and monitor the subject’s movements
• Find aliases, phone numbers, addresses, and other critical information
• Interview the subject’s friends, acquaintances, family members, associates, and even their neighbors
• Search databases to find critical criminal, mortgage, marriage, and voting information

A private investigator’s job does not involve :

• Trespass private property
• Tap phone conversations without consent
• Hacking into the subject’s online accounts
• Click photos of the subject on private property
• Wear a uniform, carry a badge, or make an arrest
• Finding protected information such as the amount of money in the subject’s bank account

While films may depict private investigators doing some or all of these things, in practice, a private investigator cannot do any of these things without facing legal trouble.

How To Become a Private Investigator?

If you’re wondering how to become a private investigator, you must start by learning about the private investigation industry.

The best way to go about this is to learn your region’s licensing requirements since those give you deep insights into what the job involves.

It is crucial to note that the requirements to become an investigator vary from state to state. In some states, you may need to meet various requirements, while other states don’t require you to have any licensure.

Most states have a dedicated private investigator licensing board that regulates and oversees the licensing process. The board typically operates under a larger licensing authority established in the state.

Some states do not have a standardized state-wide licensing process. However, the jurisdictions in these states may have licensing requirements in place.

Minimum Requirements

To gain the experience and meet the minimum requirements to get your PI license, you can work as an adjuster, risk manager, or claims investigator.

Working as a law enforcement officer for any police department will also get you the experience you need.

Most states require the candidate to be between 21 and 25 years old. This means not everybody can obtain a license. Besides being a certain age, you are also required to meet some additional requirements :

• The candidate must be a citizen of the United States;
• Must possess a high school diploma or GED;
• The candidate should not have any felony convictions; and
• The candidate should have no dishonorable discharge from the military.

Conclusion

Regardless of if you want to move on from your career as a police officer or have just finished high school and are looking to build a successful career, you have a shot at becoming a well-paid private investigator.

Drive and persistent focus are what it takes to go through surveillance training and meet minimum requirements. If you work hard, you could be the PI who blows the lid off the kinds of cases you see on the news.

J-18808-Ljbffr