Private Investigators
Fees
Qualifications
Frequently Asked Questions
Qualifications and documentation of qualifications (click to expand):
Qualifications of Licensee
A Private Investigation agency license is issued to an individual who is the Qualifying Party (QP) regardless of the agency structure (sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, or corporation). The Qualifying Party is sometimes called the Licensee.
The Qualifying Party must comply with the requirements as listed in the ARS §32-2422.A.10, which states:
Have had a minimum of three years of full-time investigative experience or the equivalent of three years of full-time investigative experience that consists of actual work performed as an investigator for a private concern, for the federal government or for a state, county or municipal government.
Documentation of Qualifications
The necessary documentation to fulfill the above Statute must be described in a letter from an individual or individuals, such as a former supervisor, who can specifically state their work relationship with you and personally verify your investigative experience. The author of the letter must be clearly identified by name and include an address and contact telephone number. The author must sign the letter.
You may also submit documentation from an agency from which you retired or were previously employed. This documentation may be in the form of retirement papers, performance evaluations, or military records such as DD 214, NCOERs, OERs, etc. (a DD 214 alone is insufficient evidence - we also need the copy that shows the type of discharge received). The documents must explicitly state that you have the required investigative experience from verifiable sources.
Allow at least 15 business days after the submission of your application before calling the unit to check your status. Repeated phone calls will only delay your application.
Conducting investigations in Arizona
Anyone conducting private investigations in Arizona must be licensed in Arizona. Failure to do so can be a class 1 misdemeanor. You may hire other employees, such as office staff, but they cannot conduct private investigations in Arizona.
You do not need an Arizona address or a Resident Manager to be licensed as a private investigation agency in Arizona.
Selecting your agency name and agency associates (click to expand):
Agency Name
You need to get approval of your agency name through the DPS Licensing Unit before contacting the Arizona Corporation Commission or Arizona Secretary of State. The Licensing Unit’s standards for name approval are more stringent than other state agencies and the Licensing Unit must consider other factors before approving your agency name.
Agency Associates
If these individuals reside and/or work in Arizona, they are considered Agency Associates:
• Corporation: Each corporate officer.
• Partnership: Partners other than the Qualifying Party
Use the (one-page) Registration Application for each Associate’s application. The fee for an Associate is a $50.00 application fee and $22.00 for the fingerprint processing fee. Each Associate must submit a classifiable fingerprint card, a passport photograph or a facial photograph, and proof of identification, such as a photocopy of your driver's license, passport, etc. Each Associate must pass the background check.
Workman's compensation (click to expand):
Do not purchase or submit evidence of a workman's compensation policy until your company has received notification from the Licensing Unit that your agency is approved.
To apply for a license for P.I. Employees, the agency must have valid workman’s compensation insurance, issued by a company authorized to conduct business in Arizona. The Arizona Department of Public Safety must be listed as the certificate holder.
If the private investigation agency has an out-of-state address listed on the insurance certificate, the “description of operations” must include words similar to For Private Investigation agency operations in Arizona.
This certificate must be sent to DPS upon renewal of the policy. The agency file is updated with the new expiration date.
Private Investigator Employee
• New/Renew Private Investigator* - $72.00
• Additional Employer* - $10.00
• Late Fee - $10.00
• Reinstatement - $25.00
• Card Replacement - $10.00
*If your fingerprints were taken over ONE year ago, then include a fingerprint card and fingerprint processing fee.
New Private Investigator Agency
• New Agency Process - $272.00
• New Agency License* - $400.00
• Associate Fee - $72.00
*Required only after a Ready to License Letter is sent to the new private investigator agency.
QP = Qualifying Party
Private Investigator Agency Renewals and Restructures
• Renewal Agency License Fee - $272.00
• Restructure* - $100.00
• Late Fee - $100.00
• Reinstatement - $250.00
• Associate Renew - $72.00
*May Require fingerprint fee, call the Licensing Unit for details
QP = Qualifying Party
New agency application fee
The new agency application fee is $250 plus $22 for the fingerprint processing of the Qualifying Party. The Associate application fee with fingerprints is $72 each. This covers the $50 license fee and the $22 fingerprint processing fee. These are to be submitted with the new agency application paperwork.
New agency license fee
After the qualifying party experience and background checks have been reviewed and approved, then a Ready To License Letter will be sent to the new agency requesting the $400 license fee and Surety Bond in the amount of $2,500.00.
Renewal license fee
The renewal license fee for renewing an agency is $250. Include $22 for the fingerprint processing of the Qualifying Party ($272 total for the QP).
Associate renewal applications and fingerprints must be submitted with the agency renewal paperwork - include the $50 license fee and the $22 fingerprint processing fee for a total of $72 per Associate.
Allow at least 15 business days after the submission of your application before calling the unit to check your status. Repeated phone calls will only delay your application.
P.I. employee renewals
P.I. Employee applications and fingerprints ($72 each) may be submitted separately from the Agency renewal application, but will not be accepted before receiving the agency's renewal. P.I. Employee registration certificate expiration dates will always be the same as the Agency’s.
List of Disqualifiers:
Applicants are deemed to not meet qualifications
• If you are under 18 years of age and are applying to be a security guard, security guard associate, security guard general or firearms trainer, private investigator, or private investigator associate.
• If you are under 21 years of age and are applying to be a qualifying party, private investigator qualifying party, or resident manager for a security guard agency.
• If you are not a citizen or legal resident who is authorized to seek employment in the United States.
• If you have ever been convicted of a felony, whether or not your conviction was subsequently Set Aside or Vacated and your Civil Rights were restored.
• If you are currently under indictment for a felony
• If within the last 5 years preceding your application, you have been convicted of any misdemeanors, whether or not your conviction was subsequently Set Aside or Vacated, that involves:
• Personal violence
• Misconduct involving a deadly weapon as provided in Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) §13-3102
• Dishonesty or fraud
• Arson
• Theft
• Domestic violence
• Narcotics (ARS §13, Chapter 34, or similar)
• Sexual misconduct
• If you are on parole, community supervision or work furlough, on home arrest, on release on any other basis.
• If you are named in an outstanding arrest warrant.
• If you are on probation pursuant to a conviction for any act of personal violence or domestic violence as in ARS §13-3601 or similar.
• If you have been adjudicated mentally incompetent or found to constitute a danger to self or others, ARS §36-540.
• If you have a disability, which renders you incapable of performing essential functions of the job even with reasonable accommodation from the employer, ARS §41-1461.
• If you have been convicted of acting or attempting to act as a security guard or private investigator without a license if a license was required.
• If you are a registered sex offender.
• For Armed Security Guard and Firearms-Safety Instructor only:
• If you have ever been convicted of any misdemeanor or felony involving domestic violence.
• If you are a Prohibited Possessor as defined in ARS §13-3101 or as described in 18 United States Code section 922.
• If you were discharged from the armed services of the United States under other than honorable conditions.
