How to become a private Investigator in Texas?

A private investigator is a private agency; not a part of government or police department. A private investigator investigates and collects information for both private citizens and corporations. In order to become a private investigator in Texas, you must apply to the Private Security Bureau and pass licensing requirements, including a thorough background check. Although many of the private investigators come from a law enforcement or military background, but, it is not a requirement for employment as a private investigator. In order to work in Texas as a private investigator, you need to have a license with you. The following steps will enroll you in the list of private investigators in Texas:

Qualification Criteria: You need to have some practical training on private investigation in order to be a private investigator in Texas. See the following qualification requirements and decide which one best suits you.

• Practical experience of three years in private investigation field;

• If you possess a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or a bachelor’s degree with your specialization, you just need to have an additional six months of investigation-related experience;

• an associate degree in criminal justice or related course of study, with an additional twelve months of investigation-related experience; or a specialized course of study directly designed for and related to the private investigations profession, taught and presented through affiliation with a four-year college or university accredited and recognized by the State of Texas. This study must be endorsed by the four year college or university’s department of criminal justice program and include a departmental faculty member(s) on its instructional faculty. This course of study must consist of a minimum of two hundred face-to-face classroom hours including coverage of ethics, Private Security Board administrative rules, the Private Security Act, and related statutes. At the discretion of Bureau manager, other combinations of education and investigation-related experience may be substituted for the above. The bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees and specialized courses referenced above must be affiliated with a college or university recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordination Board, Southern Association of Schools and Colleges or other accreditation organization recognized by the State of Texas.

After meeting these qualifications, a person must register to take the exam with the Private Security Bureau. Upon successful completion of the written exam, a person must show proof of liability insurance.

The person must:

• be at least 18 years of age;
• should not possess any criminal history;
• not have been convicted and charged, in any jurisdiction, of a Class A or Class B or equivalent misdemeanor;
• not have been convicted, within the past 5 years, in any jurisdiction, of a Class B misdemeanor or equivalent offense;
• must be mentally fit and not incompetent;
• not have been dishonorably discharged from the United States armed services, discharged from the United States armed services under other conditions determined by the Board to be prohibitive, or dismissed by the United States armed services if a commissioned office in the United States armed services;

After this, apply for license. Select a class type; fill up the application form along with prescribed filing fee. As of 2010, the application fee for each class varies from $361 for a Private Investigation Company license to $412 for a Private Security Company license. Each license class requires its own documentation. Submit the application and required documents to Texas Department of Public Safety, Private Security Bureau. For additional information, click here to visit the Private Security Bureau of Texas (PSB) Web Site or contact the PSB by phone: 512-424-7710