Compare licensing rules
Pick up to three states or countries to see their rules side by side.
| Kentucky | |
|---|---|
| Status | Licence required |
| Regulator | Kentucky Board of Licensure for Private Investigators (Department of Professional Licensing) |
| Who holds the licence | Individuals and agencies |
| Minimum age | 21 |
| Exam | Yes |
| Training | 12 hours of continuing education per 2-year licence period |
| Bond or insurance | $250,000 combined single-limit liability insurance (exempt if working only as an employee of a Kentucky-licensed attorney) |
| Fees | Application $100 plus licence fee $300 (paid after passing the exam); exam $156 paid to the testing company; fingerprints $51.25; AOC court-record check $25; renewal $250 every 2 years; late renewal $250 extra. Company licence $100 (sole proprietor) or $400 (other entities) |
| Processing time | Average 2-3 months (board's stated time on the application) |
| Renewal | Every 2 years ($250); renewals due by 30 June of the renewal year, with a late-fee grace period to 1 September; 12 hours CE |
| Continuing education | 12 hours every 2-year licence period, all directly related to private investigation |
| Reciprocity | Limited licence-recognition agreement with Tennessee: an investigator licensed in their home state may follow a case that began there into the other state for up to 15 days per agency per case per year, must be affiliated with a licensed agency and may not solicit business. |
| Recording calls | One-party consent |
| GPS trackers | KRS 508.152 (effective 29 June 2023) makes it a Class A misdemeanour to place a tracking device on, or track, a motor vehicle without the knowledge and consent of its owner or authorised operator. |
Reference information, not legal advice. Each profile lists its sources and the date it was checked.