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NO LICENSE NEEDED, IF WORKING FOR THE FOLLOWING::

61522. Exemptions:
  1. No License Needed for: An employee in the regular course of the employee's employment, engaged in investigating matters pertinent to the business of his or her employer or protecting property in the possession of his or her employer, provided the employer is deducting all applicable state and federal employment taxes on behalf of the employee and neither the employer nor the employee is employed by, associated with, or acting for or on behalf of any private investigator or security guard provider;

  2. No License Needed for: Attorneys at law or any expert hired by an attorney at law for consultation or litigation purposes;

  3. No License Needed for: Any person residing in this state who, for hire or otherwise, conducts research for the purpose of locating persons to whom the state of Ohio owes money in the form of warrants, as defined in division (S) of section 131.01 of the Revised Code, that the state voided but subsequently reissues.

  4. No License Needed for: Any person residing in this state who conducts research for the purpose of locating the last known owner of unclaimed funds, provided that the person is in compliance with Chapter 169. of the Revised Code and rules adopted thereunder. The exemption set forth in division (H)(10) of this section applies only to the extent that the person is conducting research for the purpose of locating the last known owner of unclaimed funds.

  5. No License Needed for: Any better business bureau or similar organization or any of its employees while engaged in the maintenance of the quality of business activities relating to consumer sales and services;

  6. No License Needed for: Any person who, for hire or otherwise, conducts genealogical research in this state.

  7. No License Needed for: A consumer reporting agency, as defined in the "Fair Credit Reporting Act," 84 Stat. 1128, 15 U.S.C.A. 1681a, as amended, provided that the consumer reporting agency is in compliance with the requirements of that act.

  8. No License Needed for: The issuance of consumer credit reports;

  9. No License Needed for: The conducting of limited background investigations that pertain only to a client's prospective tenant and that are engaged in with the prior written consent of the prospective tenant;

  10. No License Needed for: The business of pre-employment background investigations. As used in division (H)(3)(c) of this section, "business of pre-employment background investigation" means, and is limited to, furnishing for hire, in person or through a partner or employees, the conducting of limited background investigations, in-person interviews, telephone interviews, or written inquiries that pertain only to a client's prospective employee and the employee's employment and that are engaged in with the prior written consent of the prospective employee.

  11. No License Needed for: Personnel placement services licensed under Chapter 4143. of the Revised Code and persons who act as employees of such entities engaged in investigating matters related to personnel placement activities;

  12. No License Needed for: Certified public insurance adjusters that hold a certificate of authority issued pursuant to sections 3951.01 to 3951.09 of the Revised Code, while the adjuster is investigating the cause of or responsibility for a fire, accident, or other damage to property with respect to a claim or claims for loss or damage under a policy of insurance covering real or personal property;

  13. No License Needed for: An accountant who is registered or certified under Chapter 4701. of the Revised Code or any of the accountant's employees while engaged in activities for which the accountant is certified or registered;

  14. No License Needed for: A professional engineer who is registered under Chapter 4733. of the Revised Code or any of his employees.

  15. No License Needed for: An independent insurance adjuster who, as an individual, an independent contractor, an employee of an independent contractor, adjustment bureau association, corporation, insurer, partnership, local recording agent, managing general agent, or self-insurer, engages in the business of independent insurance adjustment, or any person who supervises the handling of claims except while acting as an employee of an insurer licensed in this state while handling claims pertaining to specific policies written by that insurer.

  16. No License Needed for: An attorney who adjusts insurance losses incidential [sic] to the practice of law and who does not advertise or represent that he or she is an independent insurance adjuster;

  17. No License Needed for: A licensed agent or general agent of an insurer licensed in this state who processes undisputed or uncontested losses for insurers under policies issued by that agent or general agent.

  18. No License Needed for: Public officers and employees whose official duties require them to engage in investigatory activities;




NEW RESOURCES:


State PI License Home Page:
http://www.homelandsecurity.ohio.gov/ohs_pisg.stm

Verify a license:
https://services.dps.ohio.gov/PISGS/...derSearch.aspx


TO OBTAIN A LICENSE TO SOLICIT FOR YOUR OWN CLIENTS:

(A)(1) Any individual, including a partner in a partnership, may be

licensed as a private investigator under a class B license, or as a

security guard provider under a class C license, or as a private

investigator and a security guard provider under a class A license, if

he meets the following requirements:



(a) He has a good reputation for integrity, has not been convicted of a

felony within the last twenty years or any offense involving moral

turpitude, and has not been adjudicated incompetent for the purpose of

holding the license, as provided in section 5122.301 of the Revised

Code, without having been restored to legal capacity for that purpose.



(b) Depending upon the class of license for which application is made,

for a continuous period of at least two years immediately preceding

application for a license, he has been engaged in investigatory or

security services work for a law enforcement or other public agency

engaged in investigatory activities, or for a private investigator or

security guard provider, or engaged in the practice of law, or has

acquired equivalent experience as determined by rule of the director of

commerce.



(c) He demonstrates his competency as a private investigator or security

guard provider by passing an examination devised for this purpose by the

director, except that any individually licensed person who qualifies a

corporation for licensure shall not be required to be reexamined if he

qualifies the corporation in the same capacity that he was individually

licensed.



(d) He submits evidence of comprehensive general liability insurance

coverage, or other equivalent guarantee approved by the director in such

form and in principal amounts satisfactory to the director, but not less

than one hundred thousand dollars for each person and three hundred

thousand dollars for each occurrence for bodily injury liability, and

one hundred thousand dollars for property damage liability.



(e) He pays the requisite examination and license fees.



(2) A corporation may be licensed as a private investigator under a

class B license, or as a security guard provider under a class C

license, or as a private investigator and a security guard provider

under a class A license, if an application for licensure is filed by an

officer of the corporation and he, another officer, or the qualifying

agent of the corporation satisfies the requirements of divisions (A)(1)

and (F)(1) of this section. Officers and the statutory agent of a

corporation shall be determined in accordance with Chapter 1701. of the

Revised Code.



(3) At least one partner in a partnership shall be licensed as a private

investigator, or as a security guard provider, or as a private

investigator and a security guard provider. Partners in a partnership

shall be determined as provided for in Chapter 1775. of the Revised

Code.



(B) Application for a class A, B, or C license shall be in writing,

under oath, to the director. In the case of an individual, the

application shall state the applicant's name, birth date, citizenship,

physical description, current residence, residences for the preceding

ten years, current employment, employment for the preceding seven years,

experience qualifications, the location of each of his offices in this

state, and any other information that is necessary in order for the

director to comply with the requirements of this chapter. In the case of

a corporation, the application shall state the name of the officer or

qualifying agent filing the application; the state in which the

corporation is incorporated and the date of incorporation; the states in

which the corporation is authorized to transact business; the name of

its qualifying agent; the name of the officer or qualifying agent of the

corporation who satisfies the requirements of divisions (A)(1) and

(F)(1) of this section and the birth date, citizenship, physical

description, current residence, residences for the preceding ten years,

current employment, employment for the preceding seven years, and

experience qualifications of that officer or qualifying agent; and other

information that the director requires. A corporation may specify in its

application information relative to one or more individuals who satisfy

the requirements of divisions (A)(1) and (F)(1) of this section.



The application shall be accompanied by:



(1) One recent full-face photograph of the applicant or, in the case of

a corporation, of each officer or qualifying agent specified in the

application as satisfying the requirements of divisions (A)(1) and

(F)(1) of this section;



(2) One complete set of the applicant's fingerprints or, in the case of

a corporation, of the fingerprints of each officer or qualifying agent

specified in the application as satisfying the requirements of divisions

(A)(1) and (F)(1) of this section;



(3) Character references from at least five reputable citizens for the

applicant or, in the case of a corporation, for each officer or

qualifying agent specified in the application as satisfying the

requirements of divisions (A)(1) and (F)(1) of this section, each of

whom has known the applicant, officer, or qualifying agent for at least

five years preceding the application, and none of whom are connected

with the applicant, officer, or qualifying agent by blood or marriage;

*61530 (4) An examination fee of twenty-five dollars for the applicant

or, in the case of a corporation, for each officer or qualifying agent

specified in the application as satisfying the requirements of divisions

(A)(1) and (F)(1) of this section, and a license fee of two hundred

fifty dollars. The license fee shall be refunded if a license is not

issued.



(C) Upon receipt of the application and accompanying matter, the

director shall forward to the bureau of criminal identification and

investigation a request that it make an investigation of the applicant

or, in the case of a corporation, each officer or qualifying agent

specified in the application as satisfying the requirements of divisions

(A)(1) and (F)(1) of this section, to determine whether the applicant,

officer, or qualifying agent meets the requirements of division

(A)(1)(a) of this section. If the director determines that the

applicant, officer, or qualifying agent meets the requirements of

divisions (A)(1)(a), (b) and (d) of this section and that an officer or

qualifying agent meets the requirement of division (F)(1) of this

section, he shall notify the applicant, officer, or agent of the time

and place for the examination. If the director determines that an

applicant does not meet the requirements of divisions (A)(1)(a), (b),

and (d) of this section, he shall notify the applicant that his

application is refused and refund the license fee. If the director

determines that none of the individuals specified in the application of

a corporation as satisfying the requirements of divisions (A)(1) and

(F)(1) of this section meet the requirements of divisions (A)(1)(a),

(b), and (d) and (F)(1) of this section, he shall notify the corporation

that its application is refused and refund the license fee. If the

director requests an investigation of any applicant, officer, or

qualifying agent and if the bureau assesses the director a fee for the

investigation, the director, in addition to any other fee assessed

pursuant to this chapter, may assess the applicant, officer, or

qualifying agent, as appropriate, a fee that is equal to the fee

assessed by the bureau.



(D) If upon application, investigation, and examination, the director

finds that the applicant or, in the case of a corporation, any officer

or qualifying agent specified in the application as satisfying the

requirements of divisions (A)(1) and (F)(1) of this section, meets the

applicable requirements, he shall issue the applicant or the corporation

a class A, B, or C license. The director also shall issue to an

applicant, but not an officer or qualifying agent of a corporation, who

meets the applicable requirements an identification card. The license

and identification card shall state the licensee's name, the

classification of the license, the location of his principal place of

business in this state, and the expiration date of the license and, in

the case of a corporation, it also shall state the name of each officer

or qualifying agent who satisfied the requirements of divisions (A)(1)

and (F)(1) of this section. *61531 Licenses expire on the first day of

March following the date of initial issue, and on the first day of March

of each year thereafter. Renewals shall be according to the standard

renewal procedures contained in Chapter 4745. of the Revised Code, upon

payment of a renewal fee of two hundred fifty dollars. No license shall

be renewed if the licensee or, in the case of a corporation, each

officer or qualifying agent who qualified the corporation for licensure

no longer meets the applicable requirements of this section. No license

shall be renewed unless the licensee provides evidence of workers'

compensation risk coverage and unemployment compensation insurance

coverage, other than for clerical employees, as provided for in Chapters

4123. and 4141. of the Revised Code, respectively, as well as the

licensee's state tax identification number. No reexamination shall be

required for renewal of a current license.



For purposes of this chapter, a class A, B, or C license issued to a

corporation shall be considered as also having licensed the individuals

who qualified the corporation for licensure, for as long as they are

associated with the corporation.



(E) The director may issue a duplicate copy of a license issued under

this section for the purpose of replacement of a lost, spoliated, or

destroyed license, upon payment of a fee fixed by the director, not

exceeding twenty-five dollars. Any change in license classification

requires new application and application fees.



(F)(1) In order to qualify a corporation for a class A, B, or C license,

an officer or qualifying agent may qualify another corporation for

similar licensure, provided that he is actively engaged in the business

of both corporations.



(2) Each officer or qualifying agent who qualifies a corporation for

class A, B, or C licensure shall surrender any personal license of a

similar nature that he possesses.



(3) Upon written notification to the director, completion of an

application similar to that for original licensure, surrender of the

corporation's current license, and payment of a twenty-five dollar fee,

a corporation's class A, B, or C license may be transferred to another

corporation.



(4) Upon written notification to the director, completion of an

application similar to that for an individual seeking class A, B, or C

licensure, payment of a twenty-five dollar fee, and, if he was the only

individual that qualified a corporation for licensure, surrender of the

corporation's license, any officer or qualifying agent who qualified a

corporation for licensure under this chapter may obtain a similar

license in his own name without reexamination. A request by an officer

or qualifying agent for an individual license shall not affect a

corporation's license unless he is the only individual that qualified

the corporation for licensure or all the other individuals who qualified

the corporation for licensure submit such requests.



(G) If a corporation is for any reason no longer associated with an

individual who qualified it for licensure under this chapter, an officer

of the corporation shall notify the director of that fact by certified

mail, return receipt requested, within ten days after the association

terminates. If the notification is so given, the individual was the only

individual that qualified the corporation for licensure, and the

corporation submits the name of another officer or qualifying agent to

qualify the corporation for the license within thirty days after the

association terminates, the corporation may continue to operate in the

business of private investigation, the business of security services, or

both businesses in this state under that license for ninety days after

the association terminates. If the officer or qualifying agent whose

name is so submitted satisfies the requirements of divisions (A)(1) and

(F)(1) of this section, the director shall issue a new license to the

corporation within that ninety-day period. The names of more than one

individual may be so submitted.