Compare licensing rules
Pick up to three states or countries to see their rules side by side.
| New York | New Jersey | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Licence required | Licence required |
| Regulator | New York Department of State – Division of Licensing Services | New Jersey State Police – Private Detective Unit |
| Who holds the licence | The agency | The agency |
| Minimum age | 25 | 25 |
| Experience | 3 years' qualifying investigative experience or equivalent position, or 20 years as a police officer or fire marshal (GBL §72; at least one member of a firm must qualify) | 5 years as an investigator (for a licensed agency) or as a police officer with a state, county or municipal police department or a US, state, county or municipal investigative agency |
| Exam | Yes | No |
| Bond or insurance | $10,000 surety bond | $3,000 surety bond (individual) or $5,000 (firm, association or corporation) |
| Fees | Application/licence $400 individual or $500 corporate/business for 2 years; branch office $400/$500; written exam $15; fingerprinting through IdentoGO (fee set by IDEMIA) | Licence $250 individual or $300 firm (LLC, corporation, partnership) every 2 years; renewal $200 / $250; initial fingerprints $66.05 (renewal $26.05); surety bond $3,000 individual or $5,000 firm |
| Processing time | — | Estimated 4-6 months from receipt of a complete application (NJSP instructions) |
| Renewal | Every 2 years (GBL §74); renewal fee $400 individual, $500 corporate or business; $100 late renewal penalty | Every 2 years on form SP-415, with a bond continuation certificate and fingerprints; package due within one month of expiry; renewal fee $200 individual, $250 other |
| Reciprocity | No reciprocity or temporary-work provision appears in GBL Article 7; anyone doing PI work in New York needs a New York licence. | — |
| Recording calls | One-party consent | One-party consent |
| Firearms | The PI licence gives no right to carry; a separate New York pistol licence is needed from the county licensing officer (NYPD License Division in New York City) | No armed PI licence: a private detective who wants to carry a handgun must obtain a New Jersey permit to carry on the same terms as the general public |
Reference information, not legal advice. Each profile lists its sources and the date it was checked.