Compare licensing rules
Pick up to three states or countries to see their rules side by side.
| Illinois | |
|---|---|
| Status | Licence required |
| Regulator | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation |
| Who holds the licence | Individuals and agencies |
| Minimum age | 21 |
| Experience | 3 years' full-time investigative experience within the last 5 (licensed agency, attorney, corporate investigative unit, armed forces or law enforcement); a bachelor's degree in law enforcement, a related field or business counts for 2 years, an associate degree for 1 |
| Exam | Yes |
| Training | 8 hours of annual training for licensed private detectives; 20-hour basic training for registered (PERC) employees |
| Bond or insurance | $1,000,000 commercial general liability insurance |
| Fees | Exam $298 (paid to Continental Testing Services); licence application $500; renewal $150 a year ($450 per 3-year cycle); agency licence $500 (renewal $450); firearm control card $75 (renewal $45); PERC $55; fingerprints charged by the vendor |
| Renewal | Every 3 years; all private detective licences expire on 31 May of the renewal year regardless of issue date |
| Continuing education | 8 hours of training a year on topics related to private detective work, starting the calendar year after the licence is issued; keep a training log and evidence for 5 years |
| Reciprocity | No reciprocity or endorsement route for private detectives: the only licensing methods are examination and restoration, so investigators licensed elsewhere must pass the Illinois exam and supply certification of their other licences. |
| Recording calls | All-party consent |
| GPS trackers | 720 ILCS 5/21-2.5 bars using an electronic tracking device on a vehicle to follow someone unless the registered owner, lessor or lessee consents; bills to add a private detective exception (2021-22) were not enacted. |
| Firearms | Armed work needs an IDFPR Firearm Control Card ($75), which requires the 48-hour firearm training course (20 hours' basic instruction plus 28 hours' firearm training including range firing) |
Reference information, not legal advice. Each profile lists its sources and the date it was checked.