Private Investigator

Florida Private Investigator License

How To Get Your Florida Private Investigator License

In order to be a completely legal Florida investigator, you need to obtain your Florida private investigator license.  However, before you are able to obtain your Florida private investigator license you need to consider what this type of career entails and what you need to do before you can even apply for a license.  This ensures that you are fully informed about being a private investigator in Florida and this is truly the best career choice for you.

First of all, a private investigator, even in Florida, is someone who does undercover work as a service for other people.  This could include investigating insurance claims/frauds, seeing if your spouse is cheating, investigating audits and taxes, etc… basically a private investigator provides services for people who need thing investigated discreetly, as long as it is legal. Part of obtaining a Florida private investigator license is knowing what is legal and illegal and what services fall into which area.   You will not be able to obtain a Florida private investigator license unless you fully comprehend this area private investigation. 

Now, if you have already had adequate training or are currently advertising yourself as an private investigator in Florida, there are specifics areas that require a license. This means if you offer or advertise specific services as a private investigator you must have a Florida private investigator license.  These areas include, but may not be limited to the following: working with any form of the US government to investigate something done towards the US; following, studying, and investigating any habits, locations, contacts, etc… of an individual or a group of individuals; investigating whether or not a person has a truthful and honest testimony; looking for a missing person, individuals who own property that is abandoned, or looking for heirs; finding property that is stolen; investigating such things as arson, accidents, property damage, etc…;  obtaining creditable evidence for trials. 

In addition to what is listed above, there are other things you need to consider in order to obtain a Florida private investigator license.  For instance, as with any investigator license, you must be at least 18 years old, pass a criminal history check, and be a legal citizen or legal alien with permit to work, of the USA.  Moreover, to obtain a Florida private investigator license, you must have a legal residence/address in Florida, which does not include P.O. boxes.  Still yet, during your application for a private investigator license you will need your record of employment from the past five years, even if you were in school and such, and where you have lived for the past five years.

As for the training needed for a Florida private investigator license, it is required that you have at least two years of training in the field, meaning working as an investigators apprentice or in a related field of work, college training in fields pertaining to private investigations such as criminology, or law enforcement, or working as a full time intern, which is 40 hours a week.  You need to have two years experience in any of the areas, combined, mentioned above.