Private investigator licensing in Illinois
Yes. Private investigators need a licence in Illinois.
IDFPR licenses individual private detectives, and a licensed private detective is needed to register a private detective agency. Applicants must be 21, have three years' full-time investigative experience within the last five (a relevant degree counts for one or two years), pass a state exam and carry $1,000,000 of liability insurance. Agency employees doing investigative work need a Permanent Employee Registration Card (PERC) and 20 hours of basic training.
21
3 years
Yes
$1,000,000 insurance
How to get licensed
- 1
Check you are 21 and have 3 years' qualifying full-time investigative experience in the last 5 (a relevant degree counts for 1-2 years)
- 2
Get fingerprinted by an Illinois-licensed fingerprint vendor within 60 days of applying
- 3
Apply online through IDFPR with your experience forms (VE-DET or VE-DSC), transcripts and fingerprint receipt, and register for the exam with Continental Testing Services
- 4
Pass the Illinois private detective exam
- 5
Send proof of $1,000,000 commercial general liability insurance (form DE-INS) and pay the licence fee
- 6
To run your own business, register a private detective agency with yourself as licensee-in-charge
Licensed somewhere else?
See whether you can take a case in Illinois.
How to qualify
- Who holds the licence
- Individuals and agencies
- Experience
- 3 years' full-time investigative experience within the last 5 (licensed agency, attorney, corporate investigative unit, armed forces or law enforcement); a bachelor's degree in law enforcement, a related field or business counts for 2 years, an associate degree for 1
- Training
- 8 hours of annual training for licensed private detectives; 20-hour basic training for registered (PERC) employees
- Bond or insurance
- $1,000,000 commercial general liability insurance
- Fees
- Exam $298 (paid to Continental Testing Services); licence application $500; renewal $150 a year ($450 per 3-year cycle); agency licence $500 (renewal $450); firearm control card $75 (renewal $45); PERC $55; fingerprints charged by the vendorFees change often: check the regulator's current schedule before you pay.
- Processing time
- Not published by the regulator
- Renewal
- Every 3 years; all private detective licences expire on 31 May of the renewal year regardless of issue date
- Continuing education
- 8 hours of training a year on topics related to private detective work, starting the calendar year after the licence is issued; keep a training log and evidence for 5 years
- Firearms
- Armed work needs an IDFPR Firearm Control Card ($75), which requires the 48-hour firearm training course (20 hours' basic instruction plus 28 hours' firearm training including range firing)
- Reciprocity
- No reciprocity or endorsement route for private detectives: the only licensing methods are examination and restoration, so investigators licensed elsewhere must pass the Illinois exam and supply certification of their other licences.
Rules in the field
Recording conversations
All-party consent
Everyone in the conversation must agree before you record it.
GPS trackers
720 ILCS 5/21-2.5 bars using an electronic tracking device on a vehicle to follow someone unless the registered owner, lessor or lessee consents; bills to add a private detective exception (2021-22) were not enacted.
Sources
- 1 idfpr.illinois.gov
- 2 idfpr.illinois.gov
- 3 idfpr.illinois.gov
- 4 budget.illinois.gov
- 5 ilga.gov
- 6 idfpr.illinois.gov
- 7 idfpr.illinois.gov
- 8 web.archive.org
- 9 codes.findlaw.com
- 10 my.ilga.gov
Reference information, not legal advice. Confirm with the regulator before taking on work. Out of date? Tell us.
Questions about PI licensing in Illinois
Do you need a licence to be a private investigator in Illinois?+
Yes. Private investigators need a licence in Illinois. IDFPR licenses individual private detectives, and a licensed private detective is needed to register a private detective agency. Applicants must be 21, have three years' full-time investigative experience within the last five (a relevant degree counts for one or two years), pass a state exam and carry $1,000,000 of liability insurance. Agency employees doing investigative work need a Permanent Employee Registration Card (PERC) and 20 hours of basic training.
Who licenses private investigators in Illinois?+
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation, under Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, Fingerprint Vendor, and Locksmith Act of 2004 (225 ILCS 447).
How old do you have to be to become a private investigator in Illinois?+
At least 21.
How much experience do you need to be a PI in Illinois?+
3 years' full-time investigative experience within the last 5 (licensed agency, attorney, corporate investigative unit, armed forces or law enforcement); a bachelor's degree in law enforcement, a related field or business counts for 2 years, an associate degree for 1
Is there an exam for a private investigator licence in Illinois?+
Yes, applicants must pass an exam.
Do private investigators in Illinois need a bond or insurance?+
$1,000,000 commercial general liability insurance
How often does a Illinois PI licence need renewing?+
Every 3 years; all private detective licences expire on 31 May of the renewal year regardless of issue date
How much does a private investigator licence cost in Illinois?+
Exam $298 (paid to Continental Testing Services); licence application $500; renewal $150 a year ($450 per 3-year cycle); agency licence $500 (renewal $450); firearm control card $75 (renewal $45); PERC $55; fingerprints charged by the vendor
How do you get a private investigator licence in Illinois?+
1. Check you are 21 and have 3 years' qualifying full-time investigative experience in the last 5 (a relevant degree counts for 1-2 years) 2. Get fingerprinted by an Illinois-licensed fingerprint vendor within 60 days of applying 3. Apply online through IDFPR with your experience forms (VE-DET or VE-DSC), transcripts and fingerprint receipt, and register for the exam with Continental Testing Services 4. Pass the Illinois private detective exam 5. Send proof of $1,000,000 commercial general liability insurance (form DE-INS) and pay the licence fee 6. To run your own business, register a private detective agency with yourself as licensee-in-charge
Does Illinois accept PI licences from elsewhere?+
No reciprocity or endorsement route for private detectives: the only licensing methods are examination and restoration, so investigators licensed elsewhere must pass the Illinois exam and supply certification of their other licences.
Can a private investigator record phone calls in Illinois?+
Illinois requires everyone's consent: all parties must agree before a conversation is recorded.
Associations for investigators in Illinois
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