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NO LICENSE NEEDED, IF WORKING FOR THE FOLLOWING::
61522. Exemptions:
- 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;
- No License Needed for: Attorneys at law or any expert hired by an attorney at law for consultation or litigation purposes;
- 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.
- 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.
- 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;
- No License Needed for: Any person who, for hire or otherwise, conducts genealogical research in this state.
- 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.
- No License Needed for: The issuance of consumer credit reports;
- 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;
- 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.
- 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;
- 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;
- 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;
- No License Needed for: A professional engineer who is registered under Chapter 4733. of the Revised Code or any of his employees.
- 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.
- 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;
- 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.
- No License Needed for: Public officers and employees whose official duties require them to engage in investigatory activities;
NEW RESOURCES:
- For a copy of the State Law in PDF form: Click Here
- To go to the PI License Department Home Page: Click Here
- To check on a PI License: Click Here
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.