Hiring a Licensed Florida Private Investigator: What Chapter 493 Requires

By MAYN Investigations Team

Why licensing matters to the attorney, not just the investigator

Your investigator may end up as a witness. Their reports may be produced, their methods examined in deposition, and their credibility tested at trial. If the investigator was not licensed when they did the work, that fact becomes part of your case. Chapter 493, Florida Statutes, regulates private investigation, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), through its Division of Licensing, administers it. Checking a license takes about two minutes, and it should be part of every engagement.

What counts as “private investigation” in Florida

Section 493.6101(17) defines private investigation broadly. It includes investigation to obtain information about, among other things:

• the identity, habits, conduct, movements, whereabouts, affiliations, associations, transactions, reputation or character of any person or group;
• the credibility of witnesses or other persons;
• the whereabouts of missing persons, owners of unclaimed property or heirs;
• the location or recovery of lost or stolen property;
• the causes of, or responsibility for, losses, accidents, damage or injuries to property, and libels and slanders; and
• “the business of securing evidence to be used … in the trial of civil or criminal cases and the preparation therefor.”

What this means for your case: witness locates, background and asset research for litigation, surveillance, and evidence development for trial all fall within the statute. If someone other than your own firm’s staff does this work for pay, they should hold the appropriate license unless an exemption clearly applies.

The license classes attorneys should know

Class	Who needs it	Key points
A: Private Investigative Agency	Any person or entity that engages in business as a private investigative agency	Valid for one location only. Each branch office needs a Class “AA” license (§493.6201(1)–(2)). Agency licenses are valid for 3 years (§493.6111(2)).
C: Private Investigator	Any individual who performs the services of a private investigator	Must own or be employed by a Class “A” agency or branch office (§493.6201(4)). Requires 2 years of qualifying experience or training and a passing score on the state examination (§493.6203(4)–(5)). Individual licenses are valid for 2 years.
CC: Private Investigator Intern	An individual doing investigative work as an intern	Must work under the direction and control of a designated sponsoring Class “C,” “MA” or “M” licensee (§493.6201(6)). Requires 40 hours of professional training and an examination before applying (§493.6203(6)).
MA / M: Manager	The individual who manages an agency or branch office	A Class “C” or “M” licensee may be designated as manager instead of holding a separate “MA” license (§493.6201(3)). Every agency must designate at least one licensed manager (§493.6203(1)).
G: Statewide Firearm License	A licensee who carries a firearm on duty	Only Class “M,” “MA,” “C” or “CC” licensees may carry a firearm on duty, and they must also hold a Class “G” license (§493.6201(7)).

What this means for your case: make sure both the firm and the individual doing the work are licensed. An agency license does not cover an unlicensed employee, and an individual Class “C” license must be tied to a licensed agency. If an intern (Class “CC”) did meaningful fieldwork, find out who the sponsoring licensee was. You may want that person to be able to testify about supervision.

Who is exempt, and why exemptions rarely help you

Section 493.6102 lists exemptions from Chapter 493. Several are relevant to litigation:

• sworn law enforcement officers while performing official duties or approved off-duty security work (§493.6102(1));
• an individual “solely, exclusively, and regularly employed as an unarmed investigator in connection with the business of her or his employer,” where an employer-employee relationship exists (§493.6102(3));
• “any attorney in the regular practice of her or his profession” (§493.6102(6)); and
• a person holding a Florida professional license who is providing services within that profession (§493.6102(8)), and Florida-certified public accountants acting within the practice of public accounting (§493.6102(15)).

What this means for your case: the attorney exemption covers you, not a contractor you hire. A retired detective, a “consultant,” or a friend of the client who is paid to follow someone or find a witness is not exempt because the attorney is. The law enforcement exemption applies only while the officer is performing official duties, so an off-duty officer doing paid private investigation for your matter does not fall under it. If an exemption is your answer to a licensing question, confirm it against the statute before the work begins.

How to verify a Florida PI license

FDACS publishes license information through two free lookups:

• Agency and school search for Class “A” agencies and branch offices.
• Individual licensee search for Class “C,” “CC,” “MA,” “G” and other individual licenses.

Enter the license prefix and the 7-digit number. FDACS’s search help page explains the format: a one-letter prefix is followed by a space (for example, “A 1234567”), and a two-letter prefix is entered with no space (for example, “CC1234567”).

When you run the search, confirm:

1. the license is active and not expired, suspended or revoked;
2. the name matches the agency or person you are hiring, including any fictitious name (agencies need department approval to operate under a fictitious name, §493.6111(4));
3. the individual’s license class fits the work (Class “C” for independent fieldwork, or Class “CC” with an identified sponsor); and
4. a firearm license (Class “G”) is in place if the assignment involves an armed investigator.

The law also gives you other ways to check. A licensed agency must include its agency license number in print and directory advertising and in any written bid or offer to provide services (§493.6111(6)). Licensees must carry their license while on duty, and agencies must issue identification cards showing the holder’s and the agency’s license numbers (§493.6111(1), (5)). If a proposal or engagement letter has no agency license number, ask for one.

What unlicensed investigation risks for your case

Criminal exposure for the unlicensed person

Under §493.6120(1)(a), a person who engages in activity that requires a license without holding the required license commits a first-degree misdemeanor for a first violation. A second or subsequent violation is a third-degree felony, and the department may also seek a civil penalty of up to $10,000. There is a narrow exception for activity within 90 days after a license expires (§493.6120(1)(b)).

Regulatory exposure for licensees who use unlicensed help

Section 493.6118(1)(n) makes it a ground for discipline to employ or contract with an unlicensed or improperly licensed person to do regulated work, or to aid or abet unlicensed activity, “when the licensure status was known or could have been ascertained by reasonable inquiry.” The same section allows FDACS to discipline “any unlicensed person engaged in activities regulated under this chapter.” FDACS can also investigate and issue cease and desist orders under §493.6121.

Litigation consequences

Chapter 493 does not contain its own evidentiary exclusionary rule. The practical damage is still real:

• Impeachment. An investigator who must admit on cross-examination that they were working without a required license, which is a crime, is a weaker witness, and so is the evidence they collected.
• Collateral fights. Licensing problems invite discovery into methods, sanctions motions and side issues that pull attention away from the merits.
• Method problems often come along. Unlicensed operators may also be unfamiliar with Florida’s limits on recording (§934.03) and GPS tracking (§934.425). Violations of those statutes carry their own criminal penalties and, for intercepted wire and oral communications, a statutory exclusionary rule (§934.06).
• Professional responsibility. Under Florida Bar Rule 4-5.3, you must make reasonable efforts to ensure that a retained nonlawyer’s conduct is compatible with your professional obligations. Verifying the license is one of the simplest reasonable efforts available. See our guide to working with investigators under Rule 4-5.3.

Other Chapter 493 rules that protect your matter

Several grounds for discipline in §493.6118(1) bear directly on attorney engagements:

• Confidentiality: “willful betrayal of a professional secret or any unauthorized release of information acquired as a result of activities regulated under this chapter” (§493.6118(1)(e)).
• No impersonating officials: holding oneself out as a law enforcement officer or government representative, or using a badge, credentials or a uniform that would cause a reasonable person to believe so (§493.6118(1)(i)).
• No assisting violations of law or court orders: knowingly violating, or advising, encouraging or assisting the violation of, any statute, court order or injunction (§493.6118(1)(k)).
• No paid case-running: “soliciting business for an attorney in return for compensation” (§493.6118(1)(l)).
• No unlawful tracking: installing, placing or using a tracking device or application in violation of §934.425 (§493.6118(1)(y)).

Also note what Chapter 493 does not say. Its commercial general liability insurance requirement in §493.6110 is written for Class “B” security agencies, so you should not assume the statute requires an investigative agency to carry coverage. Ask for a certificate of insurance and, if your client requires it, proof of bonding as a contract term.

Attorney checklist

• ☐ Run the agency’s Class “A” license number on the FDACS agency lookup and confirm it is active and matches the business name.
• ☐ Get the names and license numbers of every individual who will do fieldwork, and run each on the individual lookup.
• ☐ For any Class “CC” intern, identify the sponsoring licensee.
• ☐ If the assignment may involve a firearm, confirm a Class “G” license.
• ☐ Make sure the agency license number appears on the proposal or engagement letter.
• ☐ Put the engagement in writing, through counsel, and define scope, permitted methods and reporting lines.
• ☐ State in writing that no audio will be recorded without all-party consent and no tracking device will be placed without consent or a court order.
• ☐ Ask for a certificate of insurance and confirm coverage limits fit the matter.
• ☐ Keep a copy of the license verification printout in your file.
• ☐ Ask whether the investigator has testified before and is prepared to explain their methods under oath.

Frequently asked questions

Does a Florida PI need both an agency license and an individual license?

Generally, yes. The business needs a Class “A” license, and each individual who performs investigations needs a Class “C” license, or a Class “CC” intern license under a sponsor. Class “C” and “CC” licensees must own or be employed by a Class “A” agency or branch office (§493.6201).

Can our firm’s in-house investigator work without a Chapter 493 license?

Section 493.6102(3) exempts an individual who is “solely, exclusively, and regularly employed as an unarmed investigator in connection with the business of her or his employer” where there is an employer-employee relationship. Whether that fits a particular law firm employee depends on the facts. Contractors and people who also do outside work are a different situation. Confirm against the statute, and consult FDACS if in doubt.

Is a retired police officer automatically allowed to investigate for us?

No. The law enforcement exemption in §493.6102(1) applies while an officer is performing official duties or approved off-duty security work. A retired or off-duty officer doing paid private investigation generally needs a Chapter 493 license. Law enforcement training can count toward the Class “C” experience requirement, up to one year (§493.6203(4)(b)).

How long is a Florida PI license valid?

Individual licenses such as Class “C” and “CC” are valid for 2 years. Class “A” agency and branch agency licenses are valid for 3 years (§493.6111(2)). Check that the license is active on the dates the work is performed, not just on the day you hire the agency.

What happens if a person is convicted under Chapter 493?

A person convicted of any violation of Chapter 493 is not eligible for licensure for 5 years (§493.6120(4)). Separately, an applicant or licensee convicted of a felony is denied or revoked until civil rights are restored and 10 years have passed since final release from supervision (§493.6118(4)(a)).

Will evidence be thrown out because the investigator was unlicensed?

Chapter 493 does not itself provide an exclusionary rule. Admissibility depends on the method used and the ordinary rules of evidence. Unlicensed status remains strong impeachment material, and methods that violate Chapter 934 can trigger the exclusion rule in §934.06.

Primary sources

• Chapter 493, Florida Statutes (including §§493.6101, 493.6102, 493.6110, 493.6111, 493.6118, 493.6120, 493.6121, 493.6201, 493.6203)
• FDACS: Private Investigation Licenses
• FDACS agency license lookup and individual license lookup
• Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, Rule 4-5.3

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Statutes are cited to the 2026 Florida Statutes as published by the Florida Senate. Confirm the current text before relying on any provision.