Can anyone be a private detective/investigator?

Can anyone be a private detective/investigator?

Have you ever considered being a private detective or private investigator? You’ve most likely encountered private detectives on the big screen and you might even have asked yourself ” can anyone be a private detective/investigator?” The answer is…..

How to become a private detective

If you want to become a private detective, there are some steps you have to take, and some rules you have to follow. You can’t just wake up in the morning and decide to snoop into other people’s affairs. Here are some (not all) of the rules that govern you if you want to become a private detective: 

  • You must be of legal age – most states require you to be at least 18 years old. 
  • You must have no serious criminal history (felonies)
  • You must have no criminal history involving the use of an illegal weapon
  • You must not be on parole 
  • You must be a U.S. Citizen or naturalized alien
  • You must not have been convicted of a crime that is considered a “moral turpitude” 
So long as you meet these basic requirements you can apply to become a private detective. Almost all states have licensing requirements and you will need to study and pass an exam in almost every state in America. You can see what a private detective license looks like here

What is my first step to
becoming a private detective?

If you have made the decision and decide you want to become a private detective, then these are the steps you should take: 

  1. Talk to some private investigators – call some up and ask if there’s a good time to chat. Ask them general questions about the industry and learn what they do. Not all private investigators are created equal and many specialize in different areas. 
  2. Get educated – read as many books as you can about private investigation. Your local library will have a vast range of books. 
  3. Find out what your state requires – some states only require agency owners to take an exam, while others require everyone to take an exam. Find out what your state requires and obtain the test guides and learn them by heart. Some states have very difficult examinations. 
  4. Find out who is hiring – unless you’re a former law enforcement agent, most states will not allow you to simply establish an agency. You will have to go through some time, usually a couple of years, as an agency employee before you can own your own agency. 

Is being a private detective in real life
just like it is shown on TV?

If you talk to a real life private detective and ask them if what they do is like [insert TV PI here], they’ll laugh. 

As is the case with most things you see on TV, reality rarely mimics the big screen. For example, many private investigators do not carry a gun, and even fewer carry a badge. 


Private investigators do their best to blend into their environments and flashy cars don’t help them in that regard. Private investigators and detectives do their best to look just like everyone else around them. So, can anyone become a private detective? The answers is, as you can see, a very definite maybe.

If you want to to have a no-obligation discussion with a professional, caring private investigator who can share the answer to “Can anyone become a private detective?”, then just call (800) 867-3930 and speak to someone who will be happy to answer any questions you have. There’s no obligation. If you are looking for an affordable licensed private investigator in Atlanta with 20 years of experience assisting individuals, attorneys and corporations feel free to contact us here. You can also view a portion of our extensive client list here, and see here what actual clients say about Eagle Investigative Services a private investigator in Atlanta, Georgia.

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