Private Investigator Associations

Listing of private investigator associations. 

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Are private investigators police?

This is the most common question we get from the public regarding private investigators. 

The answer is "No, private investigators are not law enforcement officials." 

In most states, private investigators have the same ability to make an arrest as do private individuals, often referred to as a citizen's arrest.

As the name implies, private investigators are working for a private individual or company. They are employed for a specific investigation, and are focused on their client's needs. 

Private investigators often do participate in conducting investigations that are criminal in nature and as a result of their work, arrests may be made by law enforcement. 

Fundamentals of Private Investigation Course

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This course is intended for individuals wanting to learn more about private investigations, paralegals, and a refresher course for private investigators. Course topics include: history of private investigations, background investigations of millennial generation, interview techniques, the investigative process, skip tracing, surveillance techniques, intro to photo geo location, business operations, and other topics.

Click Here to Register - $100

Why a Private Investigator?

  • Local police already have a full plate of investigations. For private industry, and for individuals, hiring a private investigator is cost effective and efficient. Private investigators assist with non-criminal needs such as infidelity investigations, and conduct criminal investigations such as internal theft within an organization. 

​Look for private investigators that are: 
  • Licensed (Check our associations page to check if a PI is licensed in your state. 
  • Provide you with an investigative scope
  • Experienced.
  • Are creative, while detailed oriented, patient, kind and courageous.
Most importantly, after meeting with a private investigator you should feel comfortable with them. 
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Businesses, lawyers, and private individuals employ private investigators to protect them, their property and their clients.

Interested in becoming a Private Investigator? 
Becoming a private investigator takes time and personal; commitment You must be willing to invest in your training, licensing, depending on your state, and most importantly, be dedicated to helping others. 

As a private investigator, you may be involved in locating missing persons, distant relatives, assisting attorneys in civil and criminal case investigations. You may be required to work long hours conducting surveillance activities, setting up stings to catch employees stealing from an employer or conduct background investigations of potential employees for large corporations. 

Private investigators may work for a larger corporation as a member of the staff or work for an independent investigative firm. 

A good candidate to become a private investigator is inquisitive and always wants to learn more by investigating in their training. Candidates need to be able to approach investigations without a preconceived notion of what occurred or who is guilty of a crime. 

Being a quick learner, observant, and having the ability to view actions of others objectively are all critical elements needed to become an effective investigator. Play the video below from the Department of Labor Statistics to learn more about private investigations field.