Courtesy: Danny R. Smith

What if you live where there are no state licensing requirements?

In Colorado, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, and Wyoming, private investigators are not licensed by the state. This means there are no government-verified criminal history checks. There is not a department or entity to gather, process, and record complaints; no standard of training, experience or education; and no requirement for investigators to have at least a basic knowledge of the law. Proceed with caution!

As stated before, interview potential investigators and ask about their background and experience. Find out how they would handle your situation, and follow your instincts and first impressions. Your investigator should be professional, open, and accessible. He is a businessman and should present himself as such.

Select an investigator who has an established business or one with prior (verifiable) law enforcement experience. Not that a young, relatively inexperienced investigator won’t do a good job – he might do an outstanding job! However, you better do your homework in unlicensed states to be certain you don’t compound your problems.

Another decision may be whether to hire a local investigator or a national firm. The national firm will likely subcontract your case to a local investigator, someone you could have hired yourself, usually at a lower rate. The positive aspect of the larger firm is that it should be diligent in screening the local investigator. A national firm will ascertain if the investigator has the proper training, equipment, and experience to handle the task; it will be careful in guarding its reputation. However, this article should assist you in handling the screening yourself.

Finally, discuss your options and goals in detail with the investigator. If you are unable to establish good, open lines of communication at this point, you need to explore other options.

Article Copyright © Danny R. Smith, 2006

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