Compare licensing rules
Pick up to three states or countries to see their rules side by side.
| Missouri | |
|---|---|
| Status | Licence required |
| Regulator | Missouri Board of Private Investigator and Private Fire Investigator Examiners (Division of Professional Registration) |
| Who holds the licence | Individuals and agencies |
| Minimum age | 21 |
| Experience | No minimum; 2 years of lawful practice within the past 3 years exempts you from the exam |
| Exam | Yes |
| Training | No pre-licence course; 16 hours of board-approved continuing education every 2 years (8 hours for licensed agency investigator employees) |
| Bond or insurance | At least $250,000 liability insurance (certificate from a Missouri-licensed insurer naming the board as certificate holder) plus workers' compensation, or a written statement that the business is exempt |
| Fees | Application $500; renewal $400 every 2 years; exam $80 (only if required); agency licence $400 (renewal $300); agency employee licence $100 (renewal $50); fingerprints charged separately by the Missouri State Highway Patrol's vendor |
| Renewal | Every 2 years ($400); the PI reporting cycle ends 28 February of even years, with 16 hours of board-approved CE |
| Continuing education | 16 hours of board-approved CE every 2 years (8 hours for licensed agency investigator employees); none needed in the first renewal cycle, and correspondence courses do not count |
| Reciprocity | RSMo 324.1144 lets the board sign reciprocal agreements with other states, but the board publishes none. Applicants licensed in another state can qualify under Missouri's general reciprocity law (RSMo 324.009), which also exempts them from the exam. |
| Recording calls | One-party consent |
| GPS trackers | From 1 July 2027 RSMo 565.260 (2026 HB 2637 & 3155) makes it a crime to install or hide a tracking device on a vehicle without the consent of all its owners to follow an occupant: a class A misdemeanour, then a class E felony. There is no exception for private investigators; the exceptions cover owner consent, police, parents of minors, stolen property, lienholders, rental firms and usage-based insurance. |
| Firearms | The Missouri PI law does not cover firearms and there is no armed PI permit. General state carry law applies. |
Reference information, not legal advice. Each profile lists its sources and the date it was checked.