Private investigator licensing in Montana
Yes. Private investigators need a licence in Montana.
Montana licenses private investigators individually through the Private Security Program in the Department of Labor and Industry, with a separate trainee licence for people building experience under a supervising investigator. Applicants must be at least 18, have finished high school, pass a written exam on Montana law and rules, show 5,400 hours (three years full-time) of qualifying experience and carry $500,000 of commercial general liability insurance.
18
2,700 hours
Yes
See below
How to get licensed
- 1
Check you are 18+, finished high school and have 5,400 hours of qualifying experience
- 2
Apply and pay the $80 fee online through the Montana POL portal
- 3
Send fingerprints to the Montana Department of Justice for state and FBI checks
- 4
Submit proof of experience, education and $500,000 liability insurance, plus three references
- 5
Sit the written exam on Montana law once the application is approved (out-of-state applicants arrange their own proctor)
- 6
Add the armed endorsement and approved firearms training if you will carry a firearm
Licensed somewhere else?
See whether you can take a case in Montana.
How to qualify
- Who holds the licence
- Individual investigators
- Experience
- 5,400 cumulative hours (three years full-time) of investigative work, government or military investigative service, fire investigation, or licensed insurance investigation (max 2,700 hours); up to 2,700 hours can come from approved training or education such as the Montana Law Enforcement Academy (ARM 24.182.512)
- Training
- Department-approved firearms training and annual requalification only if armed
- Bond or insurance
- $500,000 per-occurrence commercial general liability including personal injury; firearms liability cover if armed
- Fees
- Application $80; armed endorsement $50; annual renewal $160 ($80 extra if late); fingerprint check fees set by Montana DOJ and FBIFees change often: check the regulator's current schedule before you pay.
- Processing time
- Not published by the regulator
- Renewal
- Every year; licences expire 1 March (renewal window 1 January to 1 March, online); $160 renewal fee; yearly certificate of insurance; 8 hours CE each year
- Continuing education
- 8 hours every year (ARM 24.182.2103); state-bar CLE on related legal topics counts, firearms training does not
- Firearms
- Separate armed endorsement ($50) needed to carry a firearm on duty: Department-approved firearms training, firearms liability insurance and annual requalification with a POST-certified or licensed firearms instructor
- Reciprocity
- No reciprocity: out-of-state applicants apply in full and must arrange their own exam proctor
Rules in the field
Recording conversations
All-party consent
Everyone in the conversation must agree before you record it.
GPS trackers
No dedicated tracking-device offence; covert GPS monitoring can be prosecuted under the stalking statute, which defines monitoring to include GPS and other electronic devices (MCA 45-5-220)
Sources
- 1 boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov
- 2 boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov
- 3 boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov
- 4 boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov
- 5 boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov
- 6 mca.legmt.gov
- 7 mca.legmt.gov
- 8 mca.legmt.gov
Reference information, not legal advice. Confirm with the regulator before taking on work. Out of date? Tell us.
Questions about PI licensing in Montana
Do you need a licence to be a private investigator in Montana?+
Yes. Private investigators need a licence in Montana. Montana licenses private investigators individually through the Private Security Program in the Department of Labor and Industry, with a separate trainee licence for people building experience under a supervising investigator. Applicants must be at least 18, have finished high school, pass a written exam on Montana law and rules, show 5,400 hours (three years full-time) of qualifying experience and carry $500,000 of commercial general liability insurance.
Who licenses private investigators in Montana?+
Montana Department of Labor and Industry – Private Security Program, under Montana Code Annotated Title 37, Chapter 60; ARM Title 24, Chapter 182.
How old do you have to be to become a private investigator in Montana?+
At least 18.
How much experience do you need to be a PI in Montana?+
5,400 cumulative hours (three years full-time) of investigative work, government or military investigative service, fire investigation, or licensed insurance investigation (max 2,700 hours); up to 2,700 hours can come from approved training or education such as the Montana Law Enforcement Academy (ARM 24.182.512)
Is there an exam for a private investigator licence in Montana?+
Yes, applicants must pass an exam.
Do private investigators in Montana need a bond or insurance?+
$500,000 per-occurrence commercial general liability including personal injury; firearms liability cover if armed
How often does a Montana PI licence need renewing?+
Every year; licences expire 1 March (renewal window 1 January to 1 March, online); $160 renewal fee; yearly certificate of insurance; 8 hours CE each year
How much does a private investigator licence cost in Montana?+
Application $80; armed endorsement $50; annual renewal $160 ($80 extra if late); fingerprint check fees set by Montana DOJ and FBI
How do you get a private investigator licence in Montana?+
1. Check you are 18+, finished high school and have 5,400 hours of qualifying experience 2. Apply and pay the $80 fee online through the Montana POL portal 3. Send fingerprints to the Montana Department of Justice for state and FBI checks 4. Submit proof of experience, education and $500,000 liability insurance, plus three references 5. Sit the written exam on Montana law once the application is approved (out-of-state applicants arrange their own proctor) 6. Add the armed endorsement and approved firearms training if you will carry a firearm
Can an investigator licensed elsewhere work a case in Montana?+
No out-of-state exemption: the licensing law's exemptions (MCA 37-60-105) do not cover investigators licensed elsewhere, and temporary practice permits are not available to private investigator applicants (ARM 24.182.507)
Does Montana accept PI licences from elsewhere?+
No reciprocity: out-of-state applicants apply in full and must arrange their own exam proctor
Can a private investigator record phone calls in Montana?+
Montana requires everyone's consent: all parties must agree before a conversation is recorded.
Associations for investigators in Montana
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