Georgia Private Investigator License Requirements

You'll need to take a written test to qualify as a PI in Georgia.

Becoming a private investigator takes more than buying a trenchcoat and a gun. PIs must be licensed by the state they work in, which usually requires either education or professional experience. Georgia, like other states, sets the qualificaitons for detectives operating within state borders. Whether you work as a gumshoe in Savannah, Augusta or Atlanta, you need to measure up to Georgia's regulations.

Qualifications

According to Georgia law, you must be at least 18 to qualify for a license and either an American citizen or a registered resident alien. You must have either two years of law-enforcement experience, two years of working as a registered PI for a licensed company or a four-year criminal justice degree. There are certain crimes that may disqualify you as a candidate: illegal use of a dangerous weapon, for example, or crimes involving fraud.

Companies

Under Georgia law, only someone running a private-investigations company can receive a private investigations license, according to the state Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies. The company can be a sole proprietorship, a partnership, a corporation or a limited-liability company. At least one of the owners, partners or officers in the corporation must hold the private investigations license for the company. You can join an existing company if you choose or start a business of your own.

Career Path

If you meet the standards for age, citizenship and criminal record, you can get a job with a PI agency as a registered investigator without experience. Two years of training and work experience there and you may qualify for a license of your own. Whatever your background -- law enforcement, investigations experience or a college degree -- you must pass the Georgia state exam to earn a state license. The licensing board provides no study materials other than its own rules and Georgia state laws.

Considerations

Some states have reciprocal licensing agreements that allow licensees in one state the authority to operate in another. In Georgia, an out-of-state private investigator license doesn't get you anything: You must take the test to receive a Georgia license. Georgia does, however, grant PIs from some states "limited license recognition:" If a case takes them into Georgia, they can work as licensed detectives for up to 30 days a year.

References

• Georgia Code: 43-38-6
• Georgia Secretary of State: Frequently Asked Questions

Resources

• Georgia Association of Professional Private Investigators