Private Detective Requirements New York

In order to become a New York certified private detective you must meet requirements set through the New York State Division of Licensing Services. Minimum requirements for a private investigator’s license include:

Must be above the age of 25
Be a United States Citizen
Have a high school diploma or testing equivalent

Working further along your path to certification and licensure, you must next possess enough experience and education to qualify. Several options exist to satisfy this requirement including:

Twenty years of more as a full time Fire Marshall
Twenty or more years of employment and services as a police officer.
Three or more years managing or supervising at least three people who conducted investigations.
Three or more years of employment as a full time licensed private detective in another state, for the police or a similar government agency.
Three or more years in a full time capacity where your primary duty was to conduct investigations.

Certification and Licensing as a New York Private Detective

Over and above the basic requirements to become an investigator, many such individuals pursue a Criminology degree or other such degrees to assist in their knowledge related to the field. Failure to pass the required examination to become a New York private detective will disqualify you from licensing. Similar to grade school, you need a 70% or better on the examination to pass.

All applicants for the examination must undergo fingerprinting through either Morpho Trust USA or IdentoGo. This will cost a little under $90 and can be scheduled over the phone at (877) 472-6915. Next you must apply and be approved after submitted the following documents:

Signed and completed Department of Motor Vehicles consent form
Receipt of your fingerprinting
Application fee of $400-$500
Earning statements for the last three years of experience
Proof of employment or experience in the form of sworn statement from employer
Three additional sworn statements of people with direct knowledge of your experience
Surety Bond Form

Getting Started as A Private Detective in the our fair city!

We wish you the best and hope you will remember us in the years to come as a valuable resource to your future endeavors. While you search for a new job in the field or set up your own agency, remember that your license will expire in two years and needs to be renewed. Currently the renewal rate in 2018 is $400 for a person and $500 for a corporation or business. Want to know more about what it’s like to be a Private Investigator in New York? Check out the previous article on the subject or give us a call, we’d love to meet you!