How to Obtain a License for Private Detective in Pennsylvania
- 1). Contact your County Clerk of Courts to get application forms and other application information. Specific application procedures will vary depending on your county of residence.
- 2). Complete your application. You must give detailed information regarding your professional and criminal history on this application. You must also have five citizens of your county, who are not family members, sign your application and attest that they know you and know the information on your application to be correct. In general, you and the five citizens must sign your application in the presence of a notary or other official authorized to take oaths.
- 3). Gather your required documents. You must include passport-sized photographs and proof of your investigative work experience with your application. You must also include a completed fingerprint card with your application. Your fingerprints will be used to conduct a criminal background check.
- 4). Submit your application to your County Clerk of Courts. Certain counties may require that you pay an application fee and submit copies of your application to other government departments, such as the district attorney's office.
- 5). Get a surety bond. You must get a surety bond in the amount of $10,000 before you can be licensed as a private investigator. A surety bond protects your clients or subjects of your investigations from any financial loss that comes about as a result of your actions.
- 6). Attend your hearing. Once your application has been approved, your County Clerk of Courts will schedule a hearing where you must present yourself and attest that all of the information contained in your application is true. At this time, you must also present your surety bond and pay your licensing fee. Licensing fees may vary from county to county, but the standard fee is $200 for a two-year private investigator license.
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