Licensing comes first
In Arizona, anyone paid to investigate for someone else must be licensed through the Department of Public Safety, and so must the agency they work for. Ask any investigator for their license number. Ours is Arizona Private Investigation Agency License #1803086.
What a licensed investigator can do
| Activity | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Surveillance | Watching, photographing and filming a person in public places, often over several days. |
| Records research | Court records, property records, business filings and licensed investigative databases. |
| Locating people | Skip tracing to find witnesses, debtors or people who need to be served. |
| Interviews | Talking with witnesses and taking statements, with their cooperation. |
| Process serving | Delivering court papers and providing Proof of Service. |
| Testifying | Explaining what they observed and documented, in court. |
What an investigator cannot do
- Trespass. An investigator has no more right to enter private property than anyone else.
- Intercept communications. Tapping phones, reading someone's texts or email, or recording conversations they are not part of is illegal under federal and Arizona law.
- Access accounts or devices. Logging in to someone else's phone, email or social media without permission is illegal.
- Pretext for protected records. Posing as someone to get their phone or bank records is prohibited by federal law.
- Act like the police. Investigators cannot pose as officers or use police powers.
- Track vehicles they have no right to track. We do not place trackers on vehicles without the owner's consent.
Why this matters to you
Evidence gathered illegally can be thrown out, and it can expose the person who asked for it to liability. A good investigator protects you by staying inside the lines. If anyone offers to get you something that sounds too good to be legal, it probably is.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Your attorney can tell you how the law applies to your situation.