Ohio Private Investigator License

In Ohio, it is obligatory for all detectives, especially those with their own businesses, to have an Ohio Private Investigator license. So, if you have already decided to start an agent career here, you should probably be interested in the steps and processes, e.g. you need or not a kind of permit.

The process requires much attention to detail and paperwork. The article below touches upon each point of licensure and documentation. So stay on this page and we will walk through the article and receive all the answers.

Do you need a certificate to become a private detective?

It depends. If you are going to work under a fully certified investigator’s supervision, then you don’t need it. However, if you plan to work for yourself, it’s mandatory. This does not mean, that your qualities are less than those of licensed detectives. The matter is that, for this job you are to have more experience, than certification.

You may only obtain investigative skills with the help of many experiences. You can certainly complete investigative courses, but this is only a theory which is also good, but for becoming a specialist in this field you need to learn how to perform investigations.

After having decided to do this job for yourself, take care of the permit.

How do you get a PI certificate in Ohio?

As we have already mentioned above, you have to be licensed, whenever you wish to work for yourself and your business, not under someone’s supervision. It is the PISGS ( Private Investigator and Security Guard Services), that issue these privileges. Generally, they are classified into three main types:

•  A class- PI and security services
•  B class- PI
•  C class- security services

For all these options, you are to have two years of experience. So you should manage the following two steps properly to obtain one. Those are applying and taking the examination. The requirements for your application are as follows:

• A recent full-face photo
• Character references from five reputable people
• Fees ($25 examination fee and $375 application fee)
• Fingerprints for a criminal background check
• Proof of liability insurance of
• $100 for each investigator
• $300 for bodily injury occurrence
• $100 for property damage.

If you do not manage to get your certificate, you may get back your fees, as they are refundable. Whenever you complete your application successfully, it comes to taking the exam. You should be informed when and where to register. If you have an illness proved with a doctor’s certificate, or another grounded reason for not attending the fixed date, you are to cancel it and change the day beforehand. The exam covers 75 multiple questions. You should score 80% and above.

Note: There are only five states that do not require a permit (Alaska, Idaho, Mississippi, South Dakota, Wyoming). Although Wyoming and Alaska have licensing requirements at the local level. For the rest of the states, the licensing requirements and processes can vary a bit. Thus, there are the same minimum requirements for all the states’ licensure

•  Be at least 21
•  Own a high school diploma or the equivalent
•  Have a US citizenship or residency

How much does it cost to hire a PI in Ohio?

It is worthy to mention that the job of a detective is very rewarding in this state. There is no clearly defined rate for this job. It may fluctuate from $65-$275 per hour. It depends on the task, its length, the complexity, and certainly the investigative experience. You should mainly charge an hourly rate, but in specific cases, you may charge a flat fee for some services.

To sum it up, whenever you find yourself to be a hard-working person, with an investigative mindset, and you like to do deep research, you can start a detective career in every state. Just take care of paperwork, training, and exams.