The following are the Illinois Exemptions to being licensed:
NO PI LICENSE NEEDED:
(If you fall into the following exempted categories)
Sec. 30. Exemptions to licensing:
(a) The Private Investigators Licensing Act does not apply to:
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person provides any service that this Act does not prohibit as regulated in this State under any other Act from engaging in the practice for which they are licensed, provided that they do not represent themselves by any title prohibited by this Act.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person is engaged exclusively and employed by a person, firm, association, or corporation in the business of transporting property or persons in interstate commerce and making an investigation related to the business of that employer.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: Any person is employed exclusively and regularly by one employer in connection with the affairs of that employer only and there exists an employer/employee relationship.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person provides Information for employment purposes.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person provides tracing and compiling lineage or ancestry.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: An attorney-at-law is licensed to practice in Illinois while engaging in the practice of law.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person is engaged exclusively in the business of obtaining and furnishing information as to the financial rating or credit worthiness of persons;
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person provides consumer reports in connection with Credit transactions involving the consumer on whom the information is to be furnished and involving the extensions of credit to the consumer.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person who provides services under the Illinois Public Accounting Act if performed in the course of their professional practice.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person provides Information for the underwriting of insurance involving the consumer.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED FOR: An officer or employee of the United States, this State, or any political subdivision of either while the officer or employee is engaged in the performance of his or her official duties within the course and scope of his or her employment with the United States, this State, or any political subdivision of either.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED FOR: Insurance adjusters legally employed or under contract as adjusters and who engage in no other investigative activities other than those directly connected with adjustment of claims against an insurance company or self-insured by which they are employed or with which they have a contract.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED FOR: Any law enforcement officer, as defined in the Illinois Police Training Act, who has successfully completed the requirements of basic law enforcement and firearms training as prescribed by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board, employed by an employer in connection with the affairs of that employer, provided he or she is exclusively employed by the employer during the hours or times he or she is scheduled to work for that employer, and there exists an employer and employee relationship.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED FOR: A person who sells burglar alarm systems and does not install, monitor, maintain, alter, repair, service, or respond to burglar alarm systems at protected premises or premises to be protected, provided:
(i) The burglar alarm systems are approved either by Underwriters Laboratories or another authoritative source recognized by the Department and are identified by a federally registered trademark.
(ii) The owner of the trademark has expressly authorized the person to sell the trademark owner's products, and the person provides proof of this authorization upon the request of the Department.
(iii) The owner of the trademark maintains, and provides upon the Department's request, a certificate evidencing insurance for bodily injury or property damage arising from faulty or defective products in an amount not less than $1,000,000 combined single limit; provided that the policy of insurance need not relate exclusively to burglar alarm systems.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED FOR: A person who sells, installs, maintains, or repairs automobile alarm systems.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person provides professional engineering as defined in the Professional Engineering Practice Act of 1989.
(L) The practice of structural engineering as defined in the Structural Engineering Practice Act of 1989.
(M) The practice of architecture as defined in the Illinois Architecture Practice Act of 1989.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED FOR: A person who provides servicing, installing, repairing, or rebuilding automotive locks by automotive service dealers, as long as they do not hold themselves out to the public as locksmiths.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED FOR: A person who provides opening a lock in an emergency situation, as long as they do not hold themselves out to the public as locksmiths.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED FOR: A person who provides duplicating keys, from installing, servicing, repairing, rebuilding, reprogramming, or maintaining electronic garage door devices or from selling locks or similar security accessories not prohibited from sale by the State of Illinois, as long as they do not hold themselves out to the public as locksmiths.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED FOR: A person who provides the installation or removal of complete locks or locking devices by members of the building trades when doing so in the course of residential or commercial new construction or remodeling, as long as they do not hold themselves out to the public as locksmiths.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED FOR: A person who provides towing services, repossessors, or auto clubs from opening automotive locks in the normal course of their duties, as long as they do not hold themselves out to the public as locksmiths. Additionally, this Act shall not prohibit employees of towing services from opening motor vehicle locks to enable a vehicle to be moved without towing, provided that the towing service does not hold itself out to the public, by yellow page advertisement, through a sign at the facilities of the towing service, or by any other advertisement, as a locksmith.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED FOR: A person who provides the practice of locksmithing by students in the course of study in programs approved by the Department, provided that the students do not hold themselves out to the public as locksmiths.
(G) Servicing, installing, repairing, or rebuilding locks by a lock manufacturer or anyone employed by a lock manufacturer, as long as they do not hold themselves out to the public as locksmiths.
(H) The provision of any of the products or services in the practice of locksmithing as identified in Section 5 of this Act by a business licensed by the State of Illinois as a private alarm contractor or private alarm contractor agency, as long as the principal purpose of the services provided to a customer is not the practice of locksmithing and the business does not hold itself out to the public as a locksmith agency.
(I) Any maintenance employee of a property management company at a multi-family residential building from servicing, installing, repairing, or opening locks for tenants as long as the maintenance employee does not hold himself or herself out to the public as a locksmith.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED FOR: A person who provides fire protection engineering, including the design, testing, and inspection of fire protection systems.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person provides services under the Illinois Public Accounting Act if performed in the course of their professional practice.
(Source: P.A. 89-366, eff. 1-1-96; 90-436, eff. 1-1-98; 90-633, eff. 7-24-98; 91-91, eff. 1-1-00.)
OTHER LINKS:
Look up a PI License:
https://www.idfpr.com/DPR/licenselookup/default.asp
http://www.idfpr.com
PI Licensing Law for Illinois
PS: See the Educational Forum too. There's a book there that has all the states regs.
Copy of non-interpretative exemptions:
2004:
Sec. 15‑5. Exemptions; private detective.
The provisions of this Act relating to the licensure of private detectives do not apply to any of the following:
(1) An employee of the United States, Illinois, or a political subdivision of either while the employee is engaged in the performance of his or her official duties within the scope of his or her employment. However, any such person who offers his or her services as a private detective or uses a similar title when these services are performed for compensation or other consideration, whether received directly or indirectly, is subject to this Act.
(2) A person, firm, or other entity engaged exclusively in tracing and compiling lineage or ancestry who does not hold himself or herself out to be a private detective.
(3) A person engaged exclusively in obtaining and furnishing information as to the financial rating or creditworthiness of persons or a person who provides reports in connection with (i) consumer credit transactions, (ii) information for employment purposes, or (iii) information for the underwriting of consumer insurance.
(4) Insurance adjusters employed or under contract as adjusters who engage in no other investigative activities other than those directly connected with adjustment of claims against an insurance company or a self‑insured entity by which they are employed or with which they have a contract. No insurance adjuster or company may use the term "investigation" or any derivative thereof, in its name or in its advertising.
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Sec. 10‑10. General exemptions.
This Act does not apply to any of the following:
(1) A person, firm, or corporation engaging in fire protection engineering, including the design, testing, and inspection of fire protection systems.
(2) The practice of professional engineering as defined in the Professional Engineering Practice Act of 1989.
(3) The practice of structural engineering as defined in the Structural Engineering Practice Act of 1989.
(4) The practice of architecture as defined in the Illinois Architecture Practice Act of 1989.
(5) The activities of persons or firms licensed under the Illinois Public Accounting Act if performed in the course of their professional practice.
(6) An attorney licensed to practice in Illinois while engaging in the practice of law.
(7) A person engaged exclusively and employed by a person, firm, association, or corporation in the business of transporting persons or property in interstate commerce and making an investigation related to the business of that employer.
(8) A person who provides canine odor detection services to a unit of federal, State, or local government on an emergency call‑out or volunteer and not‑for‑hire basis.
2001:
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person is engaged exclusively and employed by a person, firm, association, or corporation in the business of transporting persons or property in interstate commerce and making an investigation related to the business of that employer.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: Any person, watchman, or guard employed exclusively and regularly by one employer in connection with the affairs of that employer only and there exists an employer/employee relationship.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person engaged exclusively in the business of obtaining and furnishing information as to the financial rating or credit worthiness of persons;
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person who provides consumer reports in connection with Credit transactions involving the consumer on whom the information is to be furnished and involving the extensions of credit to the consumer.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person who provides Information for employment purposes.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person who provides Information for the underwriting of insurance involving the consumer.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: An attorney-at-law licensed to practice in Illinois while engaging in the practice of law.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: An officer or employee of the United States, this State, or any political subdivision of either while the officer or employee is engaged in the performance of his or her official duties within the course and scope of his or her employment with the United States, this State, or any political subdivision of either.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: Insurance adjusters legally employed or under contract as adjusters and who engage in no other investigative activities other than those directly connected with adjustment of claims against an insurance company or self-insured by which they are employed or with which they have a contract.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: Any law enforcement officer, as defined in the Illinois Police Training Act, who has successfully completed the requirements of basic law enforcement and firearms training as prescribed by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board, employed by an employer in connection with the affairs of that employer, provided he or she is exclusively employed by the employer during the hours or times he or she is scheduled to work for that employer, and there exists an employer and employee relationship.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person who sells burglar alarm systems and does not install, monitor, maintain, alter, repair, service, or respond to burglar alarm systems at protected premises or premises to be protected, provided:
(i) The burglar alarm systems are approved either by Underwriters Laboratories or another authoritative source recognized by the Department and are identified by a federally registered trademark.
(ii) The owner of the trademark has expressly authorized the person to sell the trademark owner's products, and the person provides proof of this authorization upon the request of the Department.
(iii) The owner of the trademark maintains, and provides upon the Department's request, a certificate evidencing insurance for bodily injury or property damage arising from faulty or defective products in an amount not less than $1,000,000 combined single limit; provided that the policy of insurance need not relate exclusively to burglar alarm systems.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person who sells, installs, maintains, or repairs automobile alarm systems.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person who provides tracing and compiling lineage or ancestry.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person who provides servicing, installing, repairing, or rebuilding automotive locks by automotive service dealers, as long as they do not hold themselves out to the public as locksmiths.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person who provides opening a lock in an emergency situation, as long as they do not hold themselves out to the public as locksmiths.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person who provides duplicating keys, from installing, servicing, repairing, rebuilding, reprogramming, or maintaining electronic garage door devices or from selling locks or similar security accessories not prohibited from sale by the State of Illinois, as long as they do not hold themselves out to the public as locksmiths.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person who provides the installation or removal of complete locks or locking devices by members of the building trades when doing so in the course of residential or commercial new construction or remodeling, as long as they do not hold themselves out to the public as locksmiths.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person who provides towing services, repossessors, or auto clubs from opening automotive locks in the normal course of their duties, as long as they do not hold themselves out to the public as locksmiths. Additionally, this Act shall not prohibit employees of towing services from opening motor vehicle locks to enable a vehicle to be moved without towing, provided that the towing service does not hold itself out to the public, by yellow page advertisement, through a sign at the facilities of the towing service, or by any other advertisement, as a locksmith.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person who provides the practice of locksmithing by students in the course of study in programs approved by the Department, provided that the students do not hold themselves out to the public as locksmiths.
(G) Servicing, installing, repairing, or rebuilding locks by a lock manufacturer or anyone employed by a lock manufacturer, as long as they do not hold themselves out to the public as locksmiths.
(H) The provision of any of the products or services in the practice of locksmithing as identified in Section 5 of this Act by a business licensed by the State of Illinois as a private alarm contractor or private alarm contractor agency, as long as the principal purpose of the services provided to a customer is not the practice of locksmithing and the business does not hold itself out to the public as a locksmith agency.
(I) Any maintenance employee of a property management company at a multi-family residential building from servicing, installing, repairing, or opening locks for tenants as long as the maintenance employee does not hold himself or herself out to the public as a locksmith.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person who provides fire protection engineering, including the design, testing, and inspection of fire protection systems.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person who provides professional engineering as defined in the Professional Engineering Practice Act of 1989.
(L) The practice of structural engineering as defined in the Structural Engineering Practice Act of 1989.
(M) The practice of architecture as defined in the Illinois Architecture Practice Act of 1989.
- NO PI LICENSE NEEDED IF: A person who provides any service that this Act does not prohibit as regulated in this State under any other Act from engaging in the practice for which they are licensed, provided that they do not represent themselves by any title prohibited by this Act.
(Source: P.A. 89-366, eff. 1-1-96; 90-436, eff. 1-1-98; 90-633, eff. 7-24-98; 91-91, eff. 1-1-00.)