To hire a licensed private investigator in Florida, find candidates through an attorney referral or the FDACS licensee search, then vet each one in that search. Verify two licenses: the agency's Class A and the investigator's Class C or CC, both issued under Chapter 493, Florida Statutes. Before hiring, ask about case experience, insurance, fees and retainer terms, how evidence is documented, and who will do the work.
This is general information, not legal advice.
Do private investigators need a license in Florida?
Yes. Private investigation in Florida is regulated under Chapter 493, Florida Statutes, and licenses are issued by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). Performing private investigative services without the required license violates that chapter.
The structure has two layers, and a buyer needs both.
- Class A: the agency license. Any person, firm or company that does business as a private investigative agency must hold a Class A license. This is the licensed entity accountable for the work. A one-person operation selling investigative services to the public still needs one.
- Class C: the individual investigator license. Any individual who performs the services of a private investigator must hold a Class C license.
- Class CC: the intern license. A Class CC intern may perform investigative work only under the supervision of a sponsoring licensee. You should know when an intern is assigned to your matter and who is supervising.
There are further classes for branch offices, agency managers and armed licensees. For hiring purposes, the two that matter are the agency's Class A and the individual's Class C or CC.
This is general information, not legal advice.
How do I verify a private investigator's license in Florida?
Use the FDACS licensee search on fdacs.gov.
- Ask the firm for the agency's Class A license number and the Class C or CC number of each person who will work on your matter.
- Look each number up. Confirm the license is active, the name matches the name you were given, and the class is what you were told.
- Confirm the agency name on the license matches the name on the agreement you are about to sign.
License numbers carry the class letter. An agency license begins with A.
Do not accept a badge graphic, a screenshot, or a number printed on a website as proof. Type the number into the state search yourself. If a firm hesitates to give you the numbers, or the number does not return an active record, stop there.
The Florida Association of Licensed Investigators (FALI) publishes a member directory, which is a useful second check. Membership is not a license, though; only the state search settles the question.
What should I ask before hiring a private investigator?
Licensing is the entry ticket. These questions tell you whether the firm is right for your matter.
1. What are your license numbers, for the agency and for the people on my case? Covered above. Ask anyway, and watch how readily the answer comes.
2. Do you carry liability insurance, and can I see the certificate? A licensed agency should be able to produce a current certificate on request.
3. What experience do you have with this type of case? Ask how often they handle your kind of matter and what a realistic result looks like. A good investigator will tell you what may not be achievable. In a divorce or infidelity case, for example, the work is mostly lawful surveillance and records research that documents where a person went and with whom; What a Private Investigator Does in a Florida Divorce or Infidelity Case covers what that involves and what drives the cost.
4. How do you charge, and how does the retainer work? Investigative work is typically billed hourly plus expenses, often with a retainer paid up front. Ask what counts as billable time (travel, report writing, database costs), what happens to any unused retainer, and how additional spending is approved. Rates vary widely by case type and region, so get your quote in writing. What a background check costs depends on how deep the search goes and what it includes; How Much Does a Background Check From a Private Investigator Cost in Florida, and What Does It Include? covers both.
5. How do you document evidence, and what will I receive? Court-ready work means dated and time-stamped photographs or video, a written chronology, and records showing how the material was gathered and stored. Ask how often you will receive updates and whether the investigator will testify if the matter goes to court. If the answer is vague, the report will be too.
6. Who will actually perform the work? Ask whether the person you are speaking with will work the case, whether it will go to another licensed investigator or an intern, and whether any part will be subcontracted. Ask for the names and license numbers of anyone assigned.
7. What will you not do? A legitimate investigator answers this without hesitation and declines unlawful methods outright; one who offers to get around the law is offering you liability, not results. Hiring a licensed investigator is legal in Florida; what the investigator may and may not do is covered in Is It Legal to Hire a Private Investigator in Florida? What a PI Can and Cannot Do.
Get the answers to questions four, five and six in writing before you pay anything.
This is general information, not legal advice.
How do I find a good, reliable private investigator?
Start with people who hire investigators for a living. Family law attorneys, litigators and corporate counsel work with investigators regularly and know who delivers usable reports. If you already have an attorney, ask for a referral first. Investigators work with attorneys as a matter of routine, often under the attorney's direction; we describe that relationship, and how their evidence is used in court, in How Private Investigators Work With Attorneys in Florida, and Whether Their Evidence Holds Up in Court.
Next, use the FDACS licensee search and the FALI member list to build a short list and confirm every name on it. Online directories and review sites can add names, but treat what you read there as marketing.
Then speak to two or three firms. A reliable firm:
- Gives you license numbers without being asked twice.
- Asks detailed questions about your situation before quoting.
- Explains what it can and cannot do without promising an outcome.
- Describes its reporting in concrete terms.
- Confirms scope, fees, retainer and reporting with you before work starts.
These signs point the other way:
- Guaranteed results.
- Pressure to pay a large retainer on the spot.
- Cash only.
- Will not confirm the scope or the fee basis before work starts.
- Evasiveness about who does the work.
If you are still deciding whether to hire at all: it is worth it when the answer will change a decision you have to make, and it backfires mainly when the work is done unlawfully or without a clear question; Is Hiring a Private Investigator Worth It in Florida, and Can It Backfire? covers that question.
How do people hire private investigators?
- Define the question: write down what you need to know and what decision it supports. A question like "is my business partner moving assets before the buyout" is a case; "find out everything" is not.
- Build a short list of two or three licensed agencies through referrals, the FDACS search and the FALI member list.
- Hold a consultation, which some firms offer free and others charge for.
- Verify every license number before you sign.
- Confirm the scope, hourly rate or flat fee, expenses, retainer terms, reporting schedule and confidentiality before work starts, and ask for them in writing.
- Pay the retainer.
- The investigator works the plan, updates you as agreed and seeks approval before spending beyond the agreed budget.
- Receive the report.
For attorney-led matters the sequence is the same, but the attorney often retains the agency and directs the work.
How do I know if a private investigator is legitimate?
Begin with two checks; neither is a guarantee of quality or outcome. First, the licenses are active in the FDACS search and the names match. Second, the firm is transparent about who will do the work and under whose license.
The second point deserves explanation, because it is where a buyer can be confused without anyone lying. Many investigative services are marketed under a brand or trade name. The brand is the name on the website. The fulfilling agency is the licensed Class A entity whose investigators actually perform the work and whose license number you should be able to verify. A legitimate arrangement states this plainly. A brand name is not a license, and a website is not a Class A record.
We operate this way ourselves. Risk Intell Group is a brand. Investigative services are fulfilled by a licensed Florida Class A private investigative agency, and your assigned agency is identified before investigative work begins. Check its license in the FDACS licensee search yourself, exactly as you would for any other firm. Risk Intell Group arranges and coordinates; the licensed agency performs the investigative work. We check the licensed agency's license on the state's license search and record the date of the check. A licensed investigator contacts you to confirm the scope.
What is the difference between a private investigator and a detective?
The word “detective” can refer to a police detective or a private detective. When hiring privately, verify the relevant private-investigator credentials rather than relying on the job title.
A private investigator is a licensed private professional hired by individuals, businesses or attorneys. In Florida, the individual holds a Class C license under Chapter 493 and works through a Class A agency. Private investigators handle civil and private matters. They have no arrest powers beyond those of any citizen and no access to police-only systems. They work from public records, licensed commercial databases, interviews and lawful surveillance.
"Private detective" is a common phrase, and some investigators are former detectives. Neither the phrase nor the background is a license. Check the Class C.
This is general information, not legal advice.
Where can I find private investigators in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, or near Fort Myers?
Search statewide, not by city. A Florida Class A license is a state license, and a licensed agency may work anywhere in Florida. The FDACS licensee search and the FALI member list cover the whole state.
Location matters less than people assume. Records work, asset searches, due diligence and background investigations do not depend on where the firm's office is. Surveillance does involve travel, and travel time is often billable, so ask how a firm staffs work in your area and how it charges for getting there.
For a specific situation, speak with a Florida attorney. This is general information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Do private investigators need a license in Florida?
Yes. Under Chapter 493, Florida Statutes, an investigative agency must hold a Class A license and each individual investigator a Class C license, or a Class CC intern license under supervision. Both are issued by FDACS and can be verified in the state's licensee search. This is general information, not legal advice.
What should I ask before hiring a PI?
Ask for the agency and individual license numbers, proof of liability insurance, and experience with your type of case. Then ask how they charge and how the retainer works, how evidence is documented and reported, who will actually perform the work, and what methods they refuse to use. Get the fee and reporting terms in writing.
How to find a good private investigator?
Ask an attorney who works with investigators for a referral, confirm every candidate in the FDACS licensee search, then interview two or three firms with the questions above. Choose the one that gives clear answers, sets realistic expectations and puts everything in writing.
How do I know if a private investigator is legitimate?
The agency's Class A and the investigator's Class C are active in the FDACS search and the names match your agreement. The firm also tells you plainly which licensed agency performs the work. A service marketed under a brand name should identify its fulfilling Class A agency and license number, as we do.
Where can I find private investigators in Fort Lauderdale?
Use the FDACS licensee search and the FALI member list rather than a local list. Florida licenses are statewide, so a firm based anywhere in the state can take a Fort Lauderdale matter. Ask how they staff work in your area and how travel is billed.
For billing models and budget questions, see how much a private investigator costs in Florida.
About Risk Intell Group
Risk Intell Group is the brand through which clients across Florida, including Miami, Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville, arrange investigative services. Those services include the $350 Comprehensive Intelligence Dossier, litigation support, asset and judgment investigations, TSCM bug sweeps, corporate due diligence, fraud investigations, and surveillance. We are trusted by corporate counsel, family law attorneys, and private clients, and we offer volume agreements for law firms.
Investigative services are fulfilled by a licensed Florida Class A private investigative agency. Your assigned agency is identified before investigative work begins. To discuss your matter with a licensed investigator, start a confidential intake.