How To Get a Private Investigator License in New Jersey

New Jersey Licensing Requirements

You’ll need to start with the state’s licensing authoring to get a private investigator license in New Jersey. The New Jersey State Police Private Detective Unit handles the process. Their contact information is as follows:

New Jersey State Police
Private Detective Unit
P.O. Box 7068
West Trenton, New Jersey 08628-0068
Phone: 609-341- 3426 or 609-633- 9352
Email: pdu@gw.njsp.org

Website

General Licensing Requirements

The following is general licensing information for the state of New Jersey. Please visit the website above for specific licensing information, application forms, insurance requirements, fees, and special licensing requirements.

• Applicant must be 25 years of age
• Applicant must be a United States citizen
• Applicants must possess good character, competency, and integrity.
• Applicant must have a minimum of five years of experience with an organized police department of the State, County, or Municipality or an investigative agency of the United States of America or possess five years of investigative experience that can be documented. Applicant must complete a comprehensive background investigation, which includes a criminal history fingerprint check and credit check.
• As part of the application process, a credit profile report will be reviewed for derogatory, delinquent, and/or past-due accounts.
• Applicants must provide documentation addressing all derogatory accounts before licensing. Personal credit is directly related to moral character. An individual may only serve as a qualifier for one agency; however, they may hold a corporate office position for more than one company.

Other special licensing requirements such as education requirements, experience, examinations, and insurance may be required. Check the state licensing website shown above for more information.

Private Investigator Associations

New Jersey Licensed Private Investigator’s Association – Leverage the state’s professional organization to network with other agencies, refer businesses, generate new ideas, and connect with specialists.

Find a Job

After you get a private investigator license in New Jersey and you’re ready to start looking for a job, contact all the investigation agencies in your area and ask about job openings. For a list of existing private investigation agencies in the state, visit the New Jersey Private Investigator Directory.

More Information

If you need additional assistance or want to get licensed in multiple states, check out The Private Investigator’s Licensing Handbook and learn how to get a private investigator license in any state.

Learn how to get licensed in other states.