Here is an example of the certificate of completion given to graduates of our online private investigation course:

Private Investigator Training Certificate of Completion

Here is a great question:

Hi Scott,

I have a question I’m hoping you can answer.  I have a case where my client’s nephew had an incident (long story) with the courts here in California which resulted in a juvenile record.  He is now 18 and his parents are considering having his record sealed, but are torn… the logic being if it shows up as “sealed” that leaves the issue to the persons imagination, but if the record is publicly available, at least there is potential to explain.  Their biggest concern, of course, is insuring it be the least hindrance to his adult success.

In an effort to make the most reasonable decision, they would like to see what people would see if they were to do a background/records check.  How would they go about doing that and what I charge them?

Thanks in advance!!!

My answer:

There is no need to “seal” a record, though that has always been a misnomer, as juvenile criminal records are neither publicly available nor are they allowed to be used in credit or employment decisions, however they are rarely, if ever, withheld from official law enforcement use.  The only records which are ever technically “sealed” are adoption and most family court records, where it usually takes a court order to access them. The only way a juvenile’s criminal record would appear in the public record is if he or she was prosecuted as an adult (not necessarily just convicted as an adult); remember, each state defines the age of majority differently when it comes to criminal matters also; in some states 17 is the age of majority, while in a few others it is 19 years of age.

If you want to know what would be found in a background investigation, just go to the county courthouse where the cases were prosecuted, search the criminal history index and see what comes up and charge your clients accordingly.  It occurs to me, also, that if the crime or conviction received any publicity in the media that the juvenile’s name may have been mentioned and could be on the Internet, which would warrant a deep web search too.

-L. Scott Harrell
CompassPoint Investigations

Becoming a private investigator shouldn’t be all that hard right? I mean many thousands of people have gone on to accept great private investigator jobs or open their very own successful investigation agency; why can’t you? I’ve boiled down the process into nine easy steps:

1. Find a quality private investigator school or training.
2. Get licensed, if required.
3. Get your essential gear and support systems in place.
4. Market your investigative services.
5. Impress your clients with quality service, every time.
6. Invoice and collect for your investigations.
7. Repeat steps 4 through 6 as often as necessary.
8. Find more private detective training and improve your skills. Again, repeat as often as necessary.

Actually, I wish it were that easy but it’s not… though it is not impossible, as many of your future competitors would have you believe.  After all, no one wants to encourage his or her future competition.

With that in mind I am going to give you the best advice you will get in our industry:

Commit right now to becoming a lifelong student of the Private Investigator tradecraft, which means finding a mentor, taking courses, reading books or a private investigator magazine, research, and networking! This is not just for the short-term, but also for as long as you intend to conduct investigations for business or for pleasure. I commit to at least 5 hours a week to learning more about some aspect of this business; improving my marketing skills, staying abreast of the changing climate of our industry, studying new methods of skip tracing, surveillance, photography, etc; each are extremely valuable topics to pursue.

Competency is developed from the study and practice of these skills and competency leads to success!

Step #1 is the first step in the process for a reason, finding the right school for you is of paramount importance and will lay the foundation for your future; no other single decision made by someone wanting to learn to become a private eye is so crucial!  You wouldn’t begin a long journey without a map or a critical mission without a plan if you hoped to succeed.  A quality private investigator training program should teach you each of the most critical skills needed so that you will hit the ground running once you are ready.

Finding the right course can be tough! You have to consider a lot of options and weed through the rip-off courses (and there are more than a few) to find a truly great private investigation course. Ask about the training director’s background and current investigations business… if they get offended or defensive, that would be a good sign to stay away. Pick their brain a little; does what they have to say give you cause for concern or does something feel not quite right? Investigate his or her claims on your own- a little research will go a long way.  Most importantly, walk away if something is wrong.

Ultimately a variety of courses and books from a few reputable companies and authors would be in your best interest.  This is a complicated business, the real “pros” all tend to approach the industry a little bit differently and none of us are able to cover everything 100% in full. Consequently, it would not hurt to expose yourself to as much information about this business as you can before taking Step #2.

Lastly, I want to leave you with this: having dealt with thousands upon thousands of people asking questions about getting started in private investigation I find that the one singular cause of frustration and eventual failure is that new people are too busy trying to reinvent the wheel rather than enlisting the help of an investigator who is a trusted and proven veteran PI or availing themselves of his or her training programs.

Give yourself a fighting chance and start with Step #1 rather than halfway down the list. You’ll be glad you did.

Be patient; be persistent and do not give up on your dreams.

Please visit our course description pages and learn more about what we have to offer you in your dream to become a private investigator.

The most often asked question we are asked, right after, “How do I become a Private Investigator?” is, “What is the difference between a P.I., private investigator, private eye and private detective?”

Nothing, these terms are all used interchangeably.  Some state licensing agencies may refer to those in the private investigation field by any of these terms though it is becoming increasingly common to also see the term “professional investigator” also being used.  The business of investigation is typically defined as, “for consideration or payment, and on behalf of another person, group or business, performs the following activities:

A) Investigating crimes, threats and causes of loss or injury to persons, businesses, the state or government.

B) Determining the identification, location, movement, habits, reputation, credibility, associations, assets and transactions of another person, group, object or business.

C) Securing evidence to be used at civil or criminal trials, before investigative boards or arbitration committees.”

Some states have expanded the definition of the private investigator to include the location and recovery of bail-secured fugitives, collateral repossession professionals, forensic analysts and technicians, arson investigators, polygraph examiners and questioned document & handwriting experts as well.