Posted: 5/27/2009 12:05:25 PM EDT
| What's required to get a PI License? |
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You should be able to find what you need here:
http://www.tali.org/licensing_requirements.htm |
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Quoted:
What's required to get a PI License? Two ways to go. You can go to work for a licensed company with no experience. You have to meet the minimum state requirements for criminal history, etc. The other method is to start your own company. You need to buy insurance, apply as a DBA or corporate type structure, license a manager who qualifies as a manager (3 years of investigative experience and pass a test in Austin). The Texas Department of Public Safety Private Security Bureau manages the regulation of the industry. PSB licensing info |
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OK, this is a bit corn-fusing. I appreciate the links to actual legal references, but its hard to digest. A bullet point list in layman's terms would be most helpful. So, after looking at the info in those links, these are my current questions... 1) An individual can *not* be licensed; only a company. Correct? 2) Prior .mil service and/or a current CHL provide no benefit to getting licensed as a private investigator. Correct? |
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Quoted: OK, this is a bit corn-fusing. I appreciate the links to actual legal references, but its hard to digest. A bullet point list in layman's terms would be most helpful. So, after looking at the info in those links, these are my current questions... 1) An individual can *not* be licensed; only a company. Correct? 2) Prior .mil service and/or a current CHL provide no benefit to getting licensed as a private investigator. Correct? You essentially have to intern under a licensed PI for IIRC 3 years before you can be licensed on your own. Although you do get a license during this time. If you have a 4 year criminal justice degree you can apply for a PI company and be a licensed PI CHL, PPO and prior mil don't get you anywhere....I think the state might make an exception if your mil experience was in intelligence or MP, but I highly doubt it. Thanks for reminding me, I've been putting off putting my app in. Summer's coming up and need to make a little coin on the side.  |
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I was a PI for over 14 years, 10 years of which I did with my own company. Virtually anyone with a clean criminal record can own a licensed investigation company in Texas as long as they have never been convicted of any felony or class A misdemeanor; deferred adjudications are treated as convictions. The hard part of the process for many folks is the licensed manager requirement. Every licensed company must have a "qualified manager" who oversees the day to day operations of the licensed company. This person can also be the owner, as it was in my particular case. In addition to the clear criminal background, the licensed manager must possess the required experience set forth in the regulations. Unless the regulations have changed, the manager will need either a bachelors degree in criminal justice or three years CONSECUTIVE experience working as some sort of investigator. The experience can be from many fields such as law enforcement investigations, a licensee (registrant), under another PI's license, internal corporate investigations, pre-employment investigations conducted in-house as an employee of a company, etc. Also, not all law enforcement experience counts for this experience. I have been told of deputy jailers who were denied as the state felt that their duties as a jailer did not fulfill the investigative experience sought by the state. Reserve law enforcement commissions do not count as well, or at least they did not used to. In addition to the experience requirement, the manager must pass a test covering alarm company regulations, security company regulations, guard dog company regulations, and investigation company regulations.
A licensed company can register anyone under the license who has a clean background. Going this route, you work as an employee of that company and are a registrant under that company's license. This is a good way to get a start, or to test the waters in the new career. Don't expect to make much money going this route. The cost for the company license, registration card, and required insurance will likely run you at least $1,200 to $1,500 per year. No insurance company or other large business will hire you unless you carry at least $1,000,000.00 in commercial general liability including coverage for errors and omissions. If you are serious about pursuing this as a career, feel free to call or IM me. I can definitely pass along some insight and wisdom to you. FYI, I now run investigations in South Texas for a large National insurance company where I have benefits. Benefits are RARE as a PI. My employer made me drop my license as a condition of my employment but they allowed me to keep my Class 02 firearms manufacturing business, I think it was a very good career move. Keith, formerly Central Texas Investigative Services |
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Thanks for the responses. My interest is due to the company I work for. We're a data provider for companies that operate in this field (among other fields). We are looking to expand the *type* of data we source/provide. We became aware of some new laws that apparently require the company to be a licensed PI firm in order to source and/or provide these data under certain circumstances. It also looks as if the law(s) is(are) currently being contested. Anyway, I was doing some research to see if becoming licensed was a viable option for us. It won't be. We'll probably look to affiliate with an existing firm. Thanks again. |
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Correct. Companies are licensed, individuals are regstered, commissioned or authorized.
OK, this is a bit corn-fusing. I appreciate the links to actual legal references, but its hard to digest. A bullet point list in layman's terms would be most helpful. So, after looking at the info in those links, these are my current questions... 1) An individual can *not* be licensed; only a company. Correct? 2) Prior .mil service and/or a current CHL provide no benefit to getting licensed as a private investigator. Correct?
That is correct, unless you have three years of verifiable investigative experience in the .mil. That said, you can still be licensed without ANY experience. You would need to register a person who does have experience as your qualified manager. |
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Actually, Individuals can be licensed. If you are a DBA business, you are the licensed company. Such is the case with individuals who license under their name, like John Smith, PI. Yes, you license under the DBA, or COMPANY name. It is still a company that holds the license, then the owner(s) has to be registered individually as the owner(s). However, unless I file an official assumed name certificate (DBA) with the county, I cannot be licesed as "txinvestigator, PI".
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| Actually, I believe you can. Part of the licensing process used to be that if you were a DBA business, you needed to provide a copy of your DBA under which you wished to have your company license issued. There used to be a statement to the effect that if you did not file a DBA (not for LLC / Corporations), you could use "Your Nmae, PI" instead without filing a DBA. |
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Humm, I see two catches with that. I don't think (could be wrong, I'll check) that the PSB will license an individual without at least a DBA.
Actually, I believe you can. Part of the licensing process used to be that if you were a DBA business, you needed to provide a copy of your DBA under which you wished to have your company license issued. There used to be a statement to the effect that if you did not file a DBA (not for LLC / Corporations), you could use "Your Nmae, PI" instead without filing a DBA. And I don't know if you can get insurance without at least a DBA. I'll check on that too.... |