The Difference Between a Private Investigator and a Private Detective

The terms “private investigator” and “private detective” are used interchangeably. However, some states use the term "detective" while most states use the term “investigator.”

Do you need a license if you only want to help a friend or family member find old friends or somebody who owes them money? Generally, depending on the state, you’ll need to obtain a license if you offer yourself for hire or accept payment from a person or business and provide or participate in the following:

• Surveillance activities.
• Obtaining or furnishing information related to a crime or to the identity, occupation, habits, acts, business, knowledge, movements, location, associations, affiliations, transactions, reputation, or character of a person, group, or business.
• Securing evidence for use before a court, committee, board, or officer.
• Locating or recovering unclaimed funds or lost or stolen property.
• Determining the cause or responsibility for libel, loss, fire, accident, injury, or damage to a person or property.

Some states may also specifically include other items such as bail enforcement, process serving, personal protection, or genealogical research. Be sure to check your state requirements.

To be a private investigator, do you have to have a degree in criminal justice from a college or university? No. However, some states may accept a degree in criminal justice, political science, police sciences, or the administration of justice in lieu of the minimum experience requirements. Recently, a study conducted on behalf of the Virginia Department of Justice revealed that almost 57 percent of all private investigators do not have a college education.

You might wonder whether you have to have a background as a police officer or in another law enforcement-related profession to become a private investigator. Again, the answer is no. Most private investigators do not have a background in law enforcement before becoming a private investigator. While it is true that many private investigators have had a career in criminal justice, the field of law enforcement is very different from the field of private investigation. Few make the transition from law enforcement to private investigation without industry-specific training, as law enforcement does not prepare them for work as a private investigator.


 

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