How To Get a Private Investigator License in New Jersey

New Jersey Licensing Requirements

Licensing Authority

Private Investigator licensing in the state of New Jersey is handled by the New Jersey State Police Private Detective Unit. Their contact information is:

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: https://www.njsp.org/private-detective/private- detective-rules.shtml

General Licensing Requirements

The following is general licensing information. Please visit the website listed above for specific licensing information, application forms, insurance requirements, fees and any special licensing requirements.

• Applicant must be 25 years of age
• Applicant must be a United States citizen
• Applicant 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 a Municipality or an investigative agency of the United States of America or possess five years investigative experience which can be documented. Applicant must successfully 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 any derogatory, delinquent, and/or past due accounts.
• Applicants must provide documentation addressing all derogatory accounts prior to licensing. Personal credit is directly related to moral character. An individual may only serve as 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 requirements, examinations, and insurance may be required.  Check the state licensing website 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 business, generate new ideas and connect with specialists.

Find a Job

When you’re licensed and ready to start looking for a job, contact all of 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 if you’d like to get licensed in multiple states, check out the The Private Investigator’s Licensing Handbook: How to Get a Private Investigator License in any State