Licensing Requirements
Private Investigator Licensing Requirements
The following table can be used to determine the private investigator licensing requirements for your state. In addition to career training, you may be required to complete some experience hours. Please call (888) 501-7686 if you have any questions about starting a private investigator career. You can also learn further details by visiting your state's agency website.
State |
Agency |
License Req. |
Min. |
State Exam |
Required |
Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama |
N/A |
*No |
|
|
|
|
Alaska |
N/A |
*No |
|
|
|
|
Arizona |
http://az.gov |
Yes |
21 |
No |
3 Years |
|
Arkansas |
www.asp.state.ar.us |
Yes |
18 |
Yes |
2 Years |
|
California |
www.dca.ca.gov/bsis |
Yes |
18 |
Yes |
6,000 Hrs |
|
Colorado |
N/A |
No |
|
|
|
|
Connecticut |
www.ct.gov/dps |
Yes |
25 |
No |
5 Years |
|
Delaware |
www.delaware.gov |
Yes |
21 |
No |
5 Years |
|
District of Columbia |
Metro Police: |
Yes |
21 |
Yes |
3 Years |
|
Florida |
www.myflorida.com |
Yes |
18 |
Yes |
2 Years |
|
Georgia |
www.georgia.gov |
Yes |
18 |
Yes |
2 Years |
4-Yr College |
Hawaii |
www.hawaii.gov |
Yes |
18 |
Yes |
4 Years |
|
Idaho |
N/A |
No |
|
|
|
|
Illinois |
www.idfpr.com |
Yes |
21 |
Yes |
3 Years |
Yes |
Indiana |
www.in.gov |
Yes |
21 |
No |
2 Yrs/4,000 Hours |
4-Yr College Degree |
Iowa |
www.iowa.gov/state/main/index.html |
Yes |
18 |
No |
No |
12 Hrs Continuing Education |
Kansas |
www.kansas.gov/ |
Yes |
21 |
Yes |
No |
8 Hrs Continuing Education |
Kentucky |
www.kentucky.gov |
Yes |
21 |
Yes |
No |
12 Hrs Continuing Education |
Louisiana |
www.louisiana.gov |
Yes |
18 |
Yes |
3 Years |
40-Hr Prep Class |
Maine |
www.maine.gov |
Yes |
18 |
Yes |
Combined 6 Yrs Prep |
|
Maryland |
www.mdsp.org |
Yes |
21 |
No |
No |
|
Mass. |
www.mass.gov |
Yes |
21 |
No |
3 Years |
|
Michigan |
www.michigan.gov |
Yes |
25 |
No |
3 Years or 4-Yr College Degree |
|
Minnesota |
www.dps.state.mn.us/pdb |
Yes |
18 |
No |
6,000 Hrs |
Yes |
Mississippi |
N/A |
No |
|
|
|
|
Missouri |
www.mo.gov |
*No |
|
|
|
|
Montana |
www.mt.gov |
Yes |
21 |
Yes |
3 Years/ 5,400 Hrs |
|
Nebraska |
www.nebraska.gov |
Yes |
21 |
Yes |
3,000 Hrs |
|
Nevada |
www.nv.gov |
Yes |
21 |
Yes |
10,000 Hrs |
|
New Hampshire |
www.nh.gov |
Yes |
18 |
No |
4 Years or AS or BS + 2 Years |
|
New Jersey |
www.state.nj.us |
Yes |
25 |
No |
5 Years |
|
New Mexico |
www.newmexico.gov |
Yes |
21 |
No |
3 Years/ |
|
New York |
www.dos.state.ny.us |
Yes |
25 |
Yes |
3 Years |
|
North Carolina |
www.ncgov.com |
Yes |
18 |
No |
3 Years |
|
North Dakota |
www.nd.gov |
Yes |
18 |
Yes |
2,000 Hrs |
|
Ohio |
www.com.ohio.gov |
Yes |
21 |
Yes |
2 Years (4000 Hrs) |
|
Oklahoma |
www.ok.gov |
Yes |
18 |
No |
No |
**16 Hrs |
Oregon |
www.oregon.gov |
Yes |
18 |
Yes |
1,500 Hrs |
**32 Hrs |
Penn. |
www.pa.gov/portal/ |
Yes |
21 |
No |
No |
|
Rhode Island |
www.ri.gov |
Yes |
21 |
No |
5 Years or Criminal Justice Degree |
|
South Carolina |
www.sled.sc.gov |
Yes |
21 |
No |
3 Years |
**12 Hrs Continuing Education |
South Dakota |
www.sd.gov |
*No |
|
|
|
|
Tennessee |
www.tennessee.gov |
Yes |
21 |
Yes |
No |
**12 Hrs |
Texas |
www.state.tx.us |
Yes |
18 |
Yes |
3 Years |
18 Hrs Continuing Education |
Utah |
www.utah.gov |
Yes |
21 |
No |
Registrant= 1,000 Hrs |
****Apprentice License Option |
Vermont |
www.vtprofessionals.org/opr1/investigators |
Yes |
21 |
Yes |
2 Years |
|
Virginia |
www.dcjs.virginia.gov/pss/index.cfm |
Yes |
18 |
No |
No |
60 Hrs P.I. Training |
Washington |
www.dol.wa.gov/ |
Yes |
18 |
Yes |
No |
***Pre-assigned course (4 Hrs Minimum |
West Virginia |
www.wvsos.com/ |
Yes |
18 |
No |
2 Years or 60 Hrs College |
|
Wisconsin |
www.wisconsin.gov/ |
Yes |
18 |
Yes |
No |
|
Wyoming |
N/A |
No |
|
|
|
|
*No licensing for state; however, some cities /counties require licensing and/or business license on local level.
**Continuing Education
***Pre-Assigned Course
****Apprentice License
