Compare licensing rules
Pick up to three states or countries to see their rules side by side.
| Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
| Status | Licence required |
| Regulator | Court of common pleas of the county where the principal office is located (applications through the county Clerk of Courts; district attorney investigates) |
| Who holds the licence | The agency |
| Minimum age | 25 |
| Experience | Not less than 3 years regularly employed as a detective, or as a member of the US government investigative service, a sheriff, a member of the Pennsylvania State Police, or a city police officer of a rank higher than patrolman (shown by at least two acknowledged certificates) |
| Exam | No |
| Training | Lethal Weapons Training Act (Act 235) certification for licensees or employees who carry a lethal weapon at work |
| Bond or insurance | $10,000 corporate surety bond filed with the Clerk of Courts |
| Fees | Licence $200 individual or $300 firm per office for 2 years (statute), plus county filing fees (e.g. Chester $26, Bucks $60) and $17.50 State Police fingerprint check; some counties charge more (Lycoming $375/$425) |
| Renewal | Initial licence lasts 2 years. The Clerk of Courts can renew it for up to 5 years without fingerprints or references (Act section 11, as amended 1992), and terms and fees vary by county (Bucks renews for 3 years at $300 individual or $450 firm) |
| Reciprocity | None. The Act has no reciprocity or out-of-state exemption, so a county licence is needed. |
| Recording calls | All-party consent |
| Firearms | No separate PI firearms permit under the Act, but licensees and employees who carry a lethal weapon at work must hold Lethal Weapons Training Act (Act 235) certification |
Reference information, not legal advice. Each profile lists its sources and the date it was checked.