Hello P.I. Colleagues: I would like to know if Maryland requires licensure. Thanks.
Hello P.I. Colleagues: I would like to know if Maryland requires licensure. Thanks.
Andre' E. Godsey
NO LICENSE NEEDED, IF WORKING FOR THE FOLLOWING: :Exemptions:
- NO LICENSE NEEDED: if an individual who is regularly and exclusively employed as an investigator or in any other capacity by a person (or company) who is not already engaged in the business of providing private detective services, while performing any duty of employment;
- NO LICENSE NEEDED IF: an officer or employee of any unit of the United States, of any state, or of any county, municipal corporation, or other political subdivision of any state, while performing a duty of the office or employment;
- NO LICENSE NEEDED IF working: to a lawyer, while performing any activity that relates to the lawyer's regular practice of law in the State;
- NO LICENSE NEEDED IF working: to an individual who, as a regular part-time or full-time employee of a lawyer, provides services that relate to the lawyer's regular practice of law in the State;
- NO LICENSE NEEDED IF working: to a person who is licensed to engage in insurance business of any kind in the State, while conducting that business, or to any employee or licensed agent of that person, while conducting that business;
- NO LICENSE NEEDED IF working: to an independent insurance adjuster, while conducting the business of an insurance adjuster;
- NO LICENSE NEEDED IF working: to a person while conducting an investigation solely for the person's own account;
- NO LICENSE NEEDED IF working: to a special police officer appointed and while performing under Article 41, Subtitle 9 of the Code or subsection 16-16 of the Code of Public Local Laws of Baltimore City.
- NO LICENSE NEEDED IF working: or performing any activity of a person who is engaged exclusively in the business of making investigations and reports that relate to the financial standing, credit worthiness, or financial responsibility of any person;
- NO LICENSE NEEDED IF working: or performing any activity of a person who is engaged exclusively in the business of making a report for an insurance or credit purpose, except if the making of the report involves an investigation or surveillance of a sort normally performed by a person:
- NO LICENSE NEEDED IF working: or monitoring an electronically controlled burglar or fire alarm system with a central unit; or
- NO LICENSE NEEDED IF working: ormaking a marketing survey.
- NO LICENSE NEEDED IF working: or a Representative member. - "Representative member" means a firm member who is appointed on behalf of the firm.
- NO LICENSE NEEDED IF working: as a Security guard. - "Security guard" means an individual who provides security guard services, regardless of whether the individual is described as a security guard, watchman, or
private patrolman.
- NO LICENSE NEEDED IF working: for Security guard services. - "Security guard services" includes any activity that is performed for compensation as a security guard to protect any individual or property, except the
activities of an individual or property, except the activities of an individual while performing as:
- NO LICENSE NEEDED IF working: as a marine guard or ship watchman, regardless of whether the guard or watchman is stationed aboard a ship or on a pier; or
- NO LICENSE NEEDED IF working: as a special police officer, as exempted from the provisions of this title.
- NO LICENSE NEEDED IF working: as a Superintendent. - "Superintendent" means the Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
TO OBTAIN A LICENSE TO SOLICIT FOR YOUR OWN CLIENTS:
The applicant must provide documentation supporting a minimum of 3-5 years of employment as an investigator.
PI License Application: Click here
Other Forms, go to http://www.mdsp.org/ and choose the DOWNLOAD option for a menu.
FAQ: http://www.mdsp.org/Portals/0/Downlo...ensing_Faq.pdf
CONTACT Sources:
Licensing@mdsp.org
Department of Maryland State Police
Criminal Investigation Bureau
1201 Reisterstown Road
Pikesville Md 21208
410-653-4500
John Simpson
Records Command
jsimpson@mdsp.org
Donald Harrison
Cmdr. Licensing Division
dharrison@mdsp.org
Never rely on a phone conversation with any state official when looking to become licensed. They are not the lawmakers or the attorneys who authored the requirements and the options and the exemptions.Originally Posted by Maria Beecher
Always, always refer to the written statutes and written applications. And make sure you have the full set of documents, and are not missing what would otherwise allow you to obtain your goal.
Maryland does not require a PI license to work as a private investigator. They only require a license to solicit as a private investigator, and to later make claim from receiving money that you performed the regulated case. That is why all forms of solicitation as a private investigator should include a PI License number. If not, then the solicitation (business card, letterhead, web site, etc) should clarify under what unregulated areas or unregulated assignments the non-licensed PI is operating.Originally Posted by Rick Conaway
Here is another way to go (Colorado Headquarter Office Plan:
http://www.ipiu.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=248
And if you have Level 3 access here as an IPIU Union member, look at the sample business cards of both regulated and unregulated private investigators:
http://www.ipiu.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=242
In another topic you asked about internet investigating. The Colorado PI Office Program is excellent for that. You have an office, phone, email, secretary, and a state corporate license, all for $7 to $15 per month (when paid annually), which allows you to investigate anything anywhere in the world by computer. If you need a live person to do surveillance in Maryland, then just sub-contract one of IPIU's licensed PI's to do the job for the small portion of your earnings.
Although the internet is virtual, having a web page with a real office and business license in an unregulated state gives you the authority to work within the lawful guidelines of Maryland and other states.
To inquire, call 800-548-1526 and choose Option 2 for Gary when he returns on Monday.
Hello, Cain.Originally Posted by Cain N Jones
Although it appears you are in Virginia and not Maryland, both states have similar laws and statutes.
I suggest you download or print off a complete copy of the entire statutes (or you can take the time to read it online).
What you will find is a very wordy documented authored by lawyers (who are the lawmakers of the state, and who passed the original bill to regulate private investigators).
Somewhere buried in the statutes are what we call the "exemptions" to the entire bill and regulations. Lawyers do that. The phrase you are looking for is similar to the standard phrase of "this bill does not apply to the following . . .".
Compare the exemptions to the rest of the statutes and you will see there is no over-all general law telling a citizen they cannot be a private investigator or perform private investigations. What the statutes do is regulate the advertising of a private investigator to the public (for money or not). It is the advertising that draws customers to hire the person who is performing the investigations. If there is no advertising, anyone can "investigate" anyone with or without a license.
As an example, I can investigate a stranger through the public courthouse, with no questions asked. But if I advertise that I can do that, then I must be careful on what my advertising says.
So if I advertise "I am a private investigator. Call me to investigate your neighbor to see if they have a criminal record". Then I need a PI License, regardless if I charge or not.
But if I advertise "I am a records retriever. Call me to obtain a criminal record record on someone you are interested in." Then I do not need a PI License, because anyone can use the public records and resell the results on that basis alone.
One famous PI said, "I have a state PI License to advertise everything I can do with and without a license. But I have found that out of a thousand clients that pay me for my services, only 5% of the cases I end up doing are regulated under my state license, while 95% of the the cases I do are not regulated, meaning anyone could have performed them without a state license."
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Here is a direct link to the licensing application, that includes the other licenses available to Private Investigators in the same app.
http://www.msp.maryland.gov/download...pplication.pdf
John Sanderson
Task Force Investigations
Logistics Department
Hello all!
I am trying to apply for my PI license in Md and have the forms and will be doing the LiveScan fingerprinting but I'm a little confused. Do I have to be employed by an agency prior to applying for my license?
Thanks in advance!
Answer 1: If your application for a PI License includes 2-3 years full time employment experience as a private investigator, then you do not need to be employed by another agency.
Answer 2: If your application for a PI License DOES NOT include 2-3 years full time employment experience as a private investigator, then you will need to be offered employment by a licensed PI Agency before your personal application is accepted.
Answer 3: If you do not have the prior experience and you do not have an employment offer from a PI Agency, then you can upgrade your Level 1 guest account here at the Private Investigators Forums to a Lifetime Corporate Membership so that IPIU can provide you with a licensed private investigator to sponsor you as an Agency. The sponsorship pre-approval takes approximately 5-6 weeks.
David
David Copeland
Administrator
Private Investigators Forums
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TELL THE TRUTH, KEEP ITS PROMISES, BE RESPONSIVE
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New updates coming.
Robert Donovan
Director - Agent Relations
Sr. Director - IPIU Ethics Board
START WITH TRUST
When you see the Better Business Bureau Seal, it means the
International Private Investigators Union (IPIU) has agreed to:
TELL THE TRUTH, KEEP ITS PROMISES, BE RESPONSIVE
www.ipiu.org | IPIU Web Store
Official BBB Accreditation Link | Contact IPIU
Founded in 1989 - Celebrating our 32nd Year Serving 48,373 Members
CONTACT LINK HERE TO JOIN IPIU