Compare licensing rules
Pick up to three states or countries to see their rules side by side.
| Texas | Florida | California | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Licence required | Licence required | Licence required |
| Regulator | Texas Department of Public Safety, Private Security Program | Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Division of Licensing | Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS), Department of Consumer Affairs |
| Who holds the licence | Individuals and agencies | Individuals and agencies | Individuals and agencies |
| Minimum age | 18 | 18 | 18 |
| Experience | Company representative: 3 consecutive years' investigative experience, a criminal justice bachelor's degree, a bachelor's plus 12 months' experience, an associate degree in criminal justice plus 24 months' experience, or an approved 200-hour university PI course | 2 years full-time verifiable investigative experience (college study can count for up to 1 year; Class CC internship counts) | 6,000 hours (3 years) paid investigative work; law degree or 4-year police science degree reduces to 4,000 hours, associate degree in police science/criminal law/justice to 5,000 hours |
| Exam | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Training | — | Class CC intern: 40-hour professional training course from a Florida DOE-supervised school, plus exam and sponsorship by a Class C, M or MA licensee | — |
| Bond or insurance | Company licence: general liability insurance of at least $100,000 per occurrence (bodily injury/property damage), $50,000 per occurrence (personal injury), $200,000 aggregate | — | No general bond; $1,000,000 liability insurance for armed bodyguard work, and $1,000,000+ errors-and-omissions cover for LLC licensees |
| Fees | Class A company licence $361 (original or renewal, including pocket card); owner/officer licence $57; individual PI licence $37; FBI fingerprint check $28.25 | Class C: application $50, fingerprint processing $42, fingerprint retention $10.75, licence $75 (total $177.75) plus $70 exam fee to Everblue; renewal $75 + $16.75. Class CC total $162.75. Class A agency: $50 application + $42 fingerprints + $450 licence. Class G firearm licence $164.75 | Initial application and exam $374; initial licence $424; renewal $292 (fees from 1 October 2025); firearms permit $110; Live Scan fingerprint fees extra |
| Renewal | Licences expire no later than 2 years after issue; PIs must complete continuing education before renewing | Class C and CC every 2 years ($75 plus $16.75 fingerprint retention); Class A agency every 3 years ($450) | Every 2 years ($292 renewal since 1 October 2025); delinquent 30 days after expiry; can be renewed up to 3 years after expiry |
| Continuing education | PIs with under 15 years' licensure: 18 hours every 2 years (14 investigations, 2 ethics, 2 on the Act and rules). Over 15 years: 12 hours (8 investigations, 2 ethics, 2 Act and rules) | No continuing education for Class C renewal; Class G firearm licensees need 4 hours of firearms requalification each year | No continuing education requirement for PI licence renewal; armed licensees must requalify on the range four times during each 2-year firearms permit |
| Reciprocity | Company licence prerequisites can be waived for holders from states with a governor-approved reciprocity agreement (1702.1183); DPS does not list any such agreements. | Limited reciprocity with Alabama, California, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Virginia: investigators may follow a home-state case for up to 30 days per case (15 for Tennessee) | Limited reciprocity agreements with Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina and Oregon: investigators may continue a home-state case in California for up to 30 days per agency per case after Bureau approval |
| Recording calls | One-party consent | All-party consent | All-party consent |
| GPS trackers | Penal Code 16.06 makes installing a tracker on another person's vehicle a Class A misdemeanour; licensed PIs have an affirmative defence only with the owner's or lessee's written consent or a court order. | — | — |
| Firearms | PIs do not need a security commission to carry a handgun while doing licensed PI work, subject to the Penal Code Chapter 46 limits, but may not openly carry when executing a capias or arrest warrant (Rule 35.10). Guard or bodyguard work needs a commissioned security officer or personal protection officer licence | Class G statewide firearm licence needed to carry on duty; Class C and CC licensees aged 21+ with a Class G may carry concealed while working (F.S. 493.6115) | Separate BSIS firearms permit needed to carry on duty: age 21, US citizen or permanent resident, 8-hour Power to Arrest course and 14-hour firearms course; concealed carry also needs a local CCW permit |
Reference information, not legal advice. Each profile lists its sources and the date it was checked.