Only DTI teaches you
everything you
need to know to become a QUALIFIED PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR! |
PI License
For Most PI Work, You Do Not Need
a State License
Situations Where
You DO NOT Need a State License
Wherever you work, you will need to be properly
trained in a variety of investigative assignments to
work effectively as a Private Investigator, and you
will probably want to get a license sometime during
your private investigator career, but for now you do
not need a license for the following:
- To work in a detective agency in
your local area: As
 soon as you complete
your DTI course (only 3-6 months on
average) you can immediately
start working in a detective agency,
under the owner's license, and begin
earning between $20-$40 per hour
while
accumulating the mandatory hours towards
your state’s experience requirement at
the same time. You will conduct the same
interesting assignments that a licensed
private investigator does, including
surveillances, background checks,
undercover assignments, insurance fraud,
and testifying in court -- all under the
direct supervision of the owner/licensed
private investigator. In fact, many
investigators prefer to work for an
agency rather than starting their own
which is a perfectly acceptable career
goal
- To work as a
private investigator in a private
organization: You may work as an
insurance investigator, corporate or
retail investigator, or as a legal
investigator in a law firm under the
supervision of an attorney
- To engage in
similar fields of private investigation:
You do not need a license to do process
serving, online research, installation
of hidden videos, and other related
activities. You will learn about these
in your course. These businesses will
allow you to perform many of the same
functions as a licensed investigator,
including conducting surveillance,
serving legal papers, tracking missing
persons for process service, installing
hidden videos to protect children from
abusive baby sitters, etc. These
businesses will also give you the
opportunity to network and provide your
services to other licensed
investigators, clients, attorneys, and
the courts and begin building trust and
forming new relationships
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Situations Where You DO NEED a State License
- Start your own
agency: You will need a state license if
you decide to operate your own private
detective agency and call yourself a
licensed private investigator
- Subcontract your
services to other PIs: A subcontractor
is a licensed PI who offers specific
skills, services, and equipment to
another licensed PI or agency for hire
to perform part of, or specific tasks
of, an investigation Read more>>
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If you choose to do either of the above, the law
requires that you apply for a state-issued license
and meet the number of hours or years of experience
required by your state’s statutes, which is usually
36 months. In addition, you may be required to pass
a written examination and background check.
Note: Neither DTI’s course, nor any
other course, whether home study or classroom study,
is sufficient to meet any state’s experience
requirements.
Should Your Start Your Own Agency or Work at One?
Although you may have desired to start your own agency
upon graduation, there is still
a lot to learn in this intriguing
profession. DTI strongly recommends working for an
agency first to master your investigative skills and
to prepare yourself to deal with a range of clients,
including insurance companies, businesses, and
private individuals. You also need to learn how to
conduct a wide a variety of assignments so you can
meet all of your client’s needs and avoid
complaints, which could put your license in
jeopardy.
Once licensed, you'll face new challenges of running
a detective agency: doing mostly administrative desk
work, competing with other detective agencies,
trying to get new clients, shopping for insurance
and employee benefits, advertising, setting up a
bookkeeping and case management system, hiring field
investigators, paying bills, leasing a commercial
office, etc. That's OK for the future, but right now
you have a golden opportunity to train with DTI and
immediately begin working as a private investigator
in a private investigative agency, insurance
company, attorney firm, or corporation. You can
quickly begin to enjoy a great career with a
professional salary, independence, and prestige.
To fully understand the required experience and
mandatory licensing, click on the following useful
links:
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