Our Mission
Private investigations is a regulated profession, and the path to licensure looks different in every state. Some states require thousands of hours of qualifying investigative experience before applicants can obtain a private investigator license. In certain states, relevant college education can reduce the required work experience, though the rules vary by jurisdiction. A handful of states do not require statewide PI licensing, but local licensing and other legal requirements may still apply. PrivateInvestigatorEDU.org exists to make sense of all of it.
We built this site as a comprehensive, state-by-state resource for people who are serious about entering the field — career changers from law enforcement and military, recent criminal justice graduates, and anyone who wants a clear picture of what it actually takes to get licensed and working as a PI.
The industry has expanded well beyond traditional surveillance work. Corporate fraud, computer forensics, insurance investigations, missing persons, family law — the field covers a lot of ground today, and so does the regulatory environment around it. Our guides explain applicable licensing requirements, including qualifying experience, education, examinations and background checks, as well as bonds, insurance and continuing education where required.
Our licensing and career guides are available to read for free, without a subscription or paywall. Some school listings are sponsored, and readers may choose to request additional information directly from participating schools.
How We Research Our Guides
Licensing rules are set state by state, and sometimes city by city, so our research starts with the agencies that write them.
The licensing agency comes first
Our editorial policy prioritizes state licensing agencies, statutes and official application materials for licensing information, and our state guides point you to the agency that sets the rules.
Where rules vary, we say so
Some states license investigators at the city or county level, and a few don’t license them at all. Where a rule varies, we say so and link to the agency.
Salary data from BLS
Salary and job-outlook figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the data period stated.
Sponsored programs
We identify sponsored school placements and maintain a policy separating advertising from editorial decisions.
Who Writes for PrivateInvestigatorEDU.org
Our licensing and career guides are developed by writers and editors working under our published editorial standards. Our contributors bring experience in writing, editing, technology and career-related content. Individual article bylines identify the credited author or editorial team.
Writer, editor and UX content designer
Jennifer spent more than a decade as a freelance writer, editor and designer, producing web content, blog posts, case studies and marketing materials for education, technology and business clients. She now works as a senior UX writer on Google products. She earned a BA from the University of California, Berkeley, and a second degree in New York, and is the author of the novel Civil Dawn.
Freelance writer and editor
Susan has worked as a freelance writer and editor since 1986, and has written for education and career guidance websites since 2009. Her work spans newspaper reporting, press releases, academic and technical articles, and healthcare, mental health and career content, and she once wrote a monthly “Stateside” column for the UK’s Marketing Business magazine. She holds a BA in psychology from West Chester University and lives in Maryland.
Writer and editor
Rebecca is a Pittsburgh-based writer and editor with more than 15 years of experience. She holds a BA in journalism and communications, and her work includes career articles developed from interviews she conducted with working professionals.
Freelance writer
Sandra has worked as a freelance writer since 2009. She earned her degree in English, summa cum laude, from the New York Institute of Technology.
Author and IT consultant
Scott is an author and IT consultant based in the Pacific Northwest. He holds a BA in English from the University of Washington and has spent more than 20 years in information technology, experience that gives him a sharp eye for clear, precise explanations of technical subjects.
Author, artist and photographer
Laura is an author, artist and photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area who has been writing professionally since 2007. She holds bachelor’s degrees in leadership and theology.
Jennifer Williams
Freelance writer and registered nurse
Jennifer is a freelance writer with more than a decade of experience covering higher education, healthcare, and writing. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) with a specialty certification in nephrology nursing and also works as a registered nurse. She’s an avid reader of historical fiction and a collector of turn-of-the-century literature.
What You’ll Find Here
Our Editorial Standards
PrivateInvestigatorEDU.org is written and maintained by our editorial team. Our editorial policy prioritizes state licensing agencies, statutes and official application materials for licensing information, and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data for occupational wages and outlook. Our editorial standards also call for human review and fact-checking of AI-assisted articles before publication. Because licensing requirements and fees change, confirm current requirements with your state’s licensing agency before you apply.
Everything we publish follows our editorial standards: where our facts come from, how we use AI, and how each article is fact-checked by a person before it’s published.
To get in contact with us for updates or anything else, please email here: [email protected].
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