In the State of Connecticut…
The terms’private investigator‘ Prayed ‘private detective‘, they are interchangeable. The state issues various types of private detective licenses. Some of these licenses are restricted to a particular area of research for example ‘ Arson’.
A private investigator (detective) should be a professional trained in investigations, surveillance, and information gathering, to name a few areas. The investigator should have contacts and professional associations with members of the police, private sector investigators, courts, lawyers, and others who can provide information when needed.
Every detective agency or private investigator in Connecticut is licensed, bonded, and insured, either through the company they work for or as a licensee. If they are not, they cannot practice as a private investigator in this state. There is a minimum requirement that all investigators and private detectives in Connecticut must meet.
Applicants for a private detective license must be at least 25 years of age, of good moral character, and have at least 5 years of full-time experience as a licensed private detective, or 5 years of full-time experience as a registered private investigator , or 5 years of full-time experience operating a proprietary detective agency, or 5 years of full-time experience as an investigator in any federal, state, or local government, or 5 years of full-time experience as a detective in a federal, state, or federal police department or local or any other 5 years recognized full-time industry-related investigative experience or have had at least 10 years experience as a police officer in an organized municipal, state, or federal police department. If the applicant is a corporation, association, or partnership, the person submitting the application on behalf of the business must meet all of the requirements detailed above and must be an officer of such corporation or a member of such association or partnership.
The commissioner may, at his discretion, substitute up to one year of experience for a private detective license applicant with satisfactory proof of participation in a course of instruction relevant to the license. Employment as a security officer does not qualify as earned time toward a private detective license. No license shall be issued to any person who has been convicted of a felony, (2) convicted of a misdemeanor under section 21a-279, 53a-58, 53a-61, 53a-61a, 53a-62, 53a- 63, 53a-96, 53a-175, 53a-176, 53a-178, or 53a-181d, or equivalent conviction in another jurisdiction, within the last seven years, (3) convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude, or ( 4) discharged from military service under conditions that demonstrate questionable moral character.
If a private detective or private detective agency license is issued to an applicant based on the applicant’s experience as an investigator in an organized municipal fire department, such license shall limit the licensee to conducting only the type of investigations conducted for the municipal fire department. It does not grant a general research license.
An applicant who currently has police powers cannot be licensed.. A corporation’s license may be denied by the commissioner, or suspended or revoked, if it appears that ten percent or more of the shares of said corporation is held by a person who cannot meet the required standards of character of the applicant of the license.
This is where the choice of an investigator becomes important. The ability to take pictures of an accident scene does not make an investigator an accident investigator. Just as taking a couple of statements and reviewing a case doesn’t make a person a homicide investigator. Research knowledge and skills require years of practice and learning. When choosing a private investigator, ask questions and take your time. It will make a world of difference.
