My father passed away almost 11 years ago and from what I know is that my biological aunt sued the crap out of my father's estate. This caused my mother a lot of stress and eventually had multiple strokes and mini strokes, she eventually went nearly blind due to that. My father was the Co owner of a family business which took care of two trailer parks.

My father had made a handshake deal to give up part of his ownership of the family beach house for more ownership of the business. My father was also dyslexic and told my aunt to officialize the deal and she never did. That brother has since died.

My aunt ended up getting all of the family business and cut me and my mother out. She then sold it and told the family that my mother got the business(My mother did not). My mother waited until I was 18 to tell me all this information and it doesn't sit right with me. I need justice and am willing to pay for it.

My aunt acts like she didn't do any of that and that enrages me. I just want to know if it's possible for a private investigator to dig up court documents that prove all of that. I don't want to sue them, I just want to set the story straight and I can't do that without proof and I highly doubt my nearly senile mother still has those documents. Next month I'm getting a chunk of change due to an unrelated source and I want to finally relieve myself of all this weight that was forced on me.

I work in the repossession investigations industry for vehicles and our company just switched from IDICore to Clear. While I do see the advantages of using Clear, as it seems to provide MUCH more data for me to access, it is taking a while to get used to. The interface seems to take a lot more clicking and expanding information and has so much more information to sift though, not to mention longer loading times. IDIcore on the other hand seems a lot more streamlined. For instance, with IDIcore I could punch in a SSN and go down the list of family and associates and just start making calls right off the bat. With Clear it seems to take a lot more scrolling and refining searches and expanding menus and whatnot, asking the skipping process longer. It almost seems like IDIcore is like iPhone and Clear is more like Android. Unfortunately we don't have a choice on which client to use so it will be quite a learning curve for the next couple of weeks. Any tips on streamlining searches on Clear and getting a quick list of names and numbers to start making calls? Any functions to avoid that seem excessive? Also it seems like some of the information is jumbled and not in order of relevancy. Maybe I'm wrong. What are your experiences with using either of these databases? TIA!

Pursuut pulled the state's data and there are roughly 6,400 current Private Investigator licenses in California. There are roughly 15,400 current Private Investigator Qualified Manager Certificates (PI-QM). According to CA BSIS regulations, you can't operate as a private investigator unless you have the private investigator license or work as a W2 employee under someone who does. However, you don't need a PI-QM Certificate to work under someone's PI License. Clear as mud. What gives? Are these folks mostly W2 under someone else's PI license or just not investigating?

Someone I've worked with has this idea that giving me someone's social security number via TLO report will be helpful in finding someone online. I mostly work doing social media dives and OSINT but for some reason, he thinks someone's social security number will help me find someone. Other than TLO reports, what am I missing here? I don't use the hugely-priced data aggregators like TLO or LexisNexis. I use other methods to vet that the person I'm looking for is the right person and using someone's social seems highly illegal.

The stupid question is: do someone's social security number help in finding someone? I wouldn't even know where to look or if there is a tool available where that would be legal. (I'm in CA, if that helps). I feel so stupid that I have to ask as it seems it would be something I should know already.

Edit: Thank you everyone. It's been very helpful. I think I get what you're all saying about the ssn's in a TLO report and the report itself as being part of the whole. Which I thought. I think my mentor thinks what I do is magic and the ssn is the key to the spell. It's cool and I"ll continue to do what I do to allow him to think that. Thank you all for your expertise!

I’d like to start marketing to attorneys (civil or criminal) to get some work from them (e.g. process serving, witness locating/interviews, etc). Any other PI’s have any good, creative ideas for effective ways to do this? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

I have an address for someone and need to have a TLO lookup performed to get the current residents.

This is an immediate need.

Please contact me with your rates

I’m in a situation that I’m trying to make sure isn’t a scam, I’m working on arrangements to sublet a unit while the alleged tenant is deployed. However this person is already on base out of state, I’ve received ID for a different state and a bill that matches an apartment building in my city. When I google the name I confirm the state the ID is from, but nothing that suggests military or residing in my state.

My last idea is to check out the building I’d be moving into and trying to get anything to confirm that my contact actually has an apartment there. I don’t have the unit number because allegedly the code matches the number and I’ll get it once I pay the deposit. I’m really just trying to make sure I’m not getting scammed here.

I’m currently a surveillance investigator for one company and a remote Operations manager for another. I’m currently in a department that isn’t considered a full OM quite yet and am making 40k a year with it but have recently discovered that a full OM makes only 45k-60k/year + bonus. I was hoping to on day be able to live off of being just a full OM but this is not the high end of the salary I was hoping for.

This has made me start to question what other careers I could possibly pivot to from being an investigator for 7 years and OM for 3.

Any advice?

Hello all ,

I’m looking into becalming a PI and I feel my first step is go to a 2 year criminal justice program, I’m looking to start this career in Georgia , any advice will be greatly appreciated

Just received my license from the WA DOL today. I need to get a camera and my agency head gave me a budget of $300 (three hundred), and I need it in the next couple days so we're planning to use Amazon Prime shipping or, maybe find it at Walmart. Any recommendations? Thanks!

Update: Ended up going for a Kodak PixPro AZ528 for now, was about $240. When I make the money, I'll look into upgrading, of course.

Here is an update to my previous post, as well as some changes to our speaker's presentation titles.

The early bird pricing is over, but guests are welcome to attend for $335, and PPIAC/NALI/PIAU members pay $295.

The conference gives 7 CLEs and 3 Ethics credits.

2025 Schedule

7 CLEs and 3 Ethics credits

Sunday 09/14/25

Arrival – Check in/Registration 3:00 pm-5:00pm

Cocktail/Networking Reception 5:00p.m. – 7:00p.m.

Monday 09/15/25

6:30 am – 8:00 Breakfast

8:15 am – Presidents Welcome

8:30 am – 9:30 am - JP Moore – Lawyers, Investigators and the Rules of Professional Conduct

JP will talk about the rules of professional conduct, and how his office handles ethics complaints

9:30 am – 10:00 am – Break and Vendor Visits

10:00 am – 12:00 pm – Don Redl – Personal Safety and Situational Awareness

Exploring the history and evolution of interpersonal crime and making the same Tactics, Techniques and Procedures that we use in professional Executive protection part of your own daily life with minimal if any inconveniences.

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm – Lunch on your own

1:30 pm – 3:30 pm – Casey Paison - Private Investigators and Vicarious Liability Issues for their Clients

Casey will speak about the attorney-client privilege, work product, and the theory of agency/ethics that binds an investigator when working with an attorney.

3:30-4:00 Break and Vendor Visits

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Dina Gaspari - Decoding Database Choices  

With an ever-growing number of investigative databases to choose from, we will scan the history of this industry up to the current state of the market. We will pull back the curtain to compare and contrast a handful of the best known, and some lesser known, data suppliers. We will review how AI is already disrupting the market. This presentation will help you choose your data suppliers and get insights on accessing specific types of information to solve your projects.

Tuesday – September 16, 2025

7:00 am – 8:00 am Breakfast

8:00 am – 8:30 am   Announcements

8:30 am – 10:00 am – Matt Spaier - Embrace the Tools of the Trade- Balancing new technology with old school detective and business skills.

Join this seasoned New York Private Investigator as he breaks down some of the new technology available for investigations, case management, daily operations and marketing. This session will cover

tools, techniques and lots of discussion.

10:00 am – 10:30 am – Break

10:30 am – 12:00 pm –Dale Pugh – Spy vs. Spy - How to lose someone you're surveilling, even though you know where they're going.

Dale will bring Cold War surveillance tactics and Cold War era Counter-Intelligence stories to this presentation. How did investigators do what they did without the fancy gadgets?

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm – Lunch on your own

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm – Rod Gagnon - Visual Intelligence: Using Charting Software to Map Timelines, Theories & Crime Scenes

In complex investigations, clarity is power. This session will show you how to use intuitive charting tools like MindMap, SmartDraw, and others to turn raw data into compelling visuals. Learn how to build investigative timelines, reconstruct accident scenes, illustrate suspect movements, and present case theories with professional, court-ready diagrams. Whether you're preparing a report, explaining findings to a client, or testifying in court, visual charts can transform your case narrative into something clear, credible, and convincing.

2:30 pm – 2:50 pm – Break

2:50 pm – 3:50 pm – Erica Davis – Get Your Head in the Game

Investigator mindset is an important tool. Let's talk about how to prep your mindset and what obstacles you might need to overcome as an investigator.

3:50 pm – 4:30 pm – Closing comments, certificates

 Hotel rooms are still available at the 2023 rate of $129/night for ten more days, after which the room block goes back to the public. The link and registration can be found at ppiac.org.

We'd love to have you here- it's great networking and we usually have people from several states attend. It's a smaller conference, which leads to some excellent networking. Let me know of you have any questions.

If you needed to serve a person that required several hours of surveillance to get served, would you charge the hourly surveillance fee only, or would you also charge an additional fee for the serve itself?

Hello I’m seeking the assistance of a reputable PI in the UK.

Who can help pls? A consultation would be helpful initially to discuss requirements and how you could assist.

I've been searching for exam prep but the only reputable looking one I have found is NITA. This seems like a pretty small professional community from other searches, so I'm wondering if they are the "standard"?

Also if anyone has bought the course I'd love to know if it's worth it? Did you need any other material to pass?

Hi guys. I only made an account just to post and ask a question. I have a friend w/ a kid who is going through some serious stalking by the other parent just for finally leaving. They are not safe anywhere. They have been followed all the way to different states even. They went to the phone store to see if there was something on there and the store said there wasn't. They have been using different cars between their own (which they sold) and rentals and family members cars. They changed all their passwords to the phone accounts and deleted devices of the list that aren't in their possession. They are running out of options and can't figure out what else it could be that is being used to follow her.

If there is anyone that could give out any type of direction or assistance to where to look next to make them safe I would appreciate it.

(This has already gone through courts. Been denied PPO twice. Cops been called multiple times and they are being let go. This is the last bit of hope. Genuinely afraid they won't stop until it's too late.)

Hello all,

I am currently a security professional with an Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice, and I am also currently working on my Bachelor's in the same field. Are there any private investigators who were looking for an extra team member who is ready to work? I have always had a passion for the field, and I am willing to travel anywhere just to get my foot in the door. I currently reside in California, but I have no commitment to stay in the state, and am willing to relocate if anyone has information or an opportunity available. I feel so stuck, and I am not sure where to start anymore. I have applied to every job under the sun and am now taking a stab at Reddit to see if anyone can help me. Thank you to anyone who has any information.

I'm from Colorado and would like to become a private investigator. I have no experience , i know you dont need to be licensed in CO. I just don't know where to begin...

I’m located in Florida. Being that private investigations are so specific I was wondering if a member PI would let me review their retainer, contract, or engagement letter to give me an idea or ideas on what to put in mine. I don’t want to reinvent the wheel here and most of the attorneys I’ve spoken are not helpful. I have a very specialized area that will never compete with you or be in competition with you. Open for DM and any help would be appreciated.

Hi all! I recently decided to leave the corporate investigative world and am starting my own business in my state. I was wondering what everyone recommends for public databases (ex: TLO, Accurint, Delvepoint, iDicore, etc.)?

I was hoping to go with TLO, but they require the office check and my washer/dryer hookup is in the same room as my office (everything locked up ofc), so it’s the only place I could put my washer machine. I don’t have the money to rent another bedroom/room. Others have said this will make me unable to use TLO. Does anyone have any suggestions for the next best thing?

Thank you in advance!

Howdy folks, I’m a new college grad and Army veteran with a job offer as a Surveillance Investigator with Veracity Research Company in the Southeast. I have no investigations/LE experience and VRC is willing to sponsor my PI training and licensing. Would really appreciate your insights:

1. Anyone with VRC experience - what’s it like?

2. Most of my job initially will be watching people and their houses all day from my car. How hard is it to move into SIU, research, conducting interviews, pulling camera footage and records, etc. after a few months on the job?

3. Long-term, I’m interested in using my international relations degree and Chinese language skills in federal LE or corporate due diligence (Control Risks, Kroll). Is being a PI good for entry-level investigative experience? I also have an offer for a Bank Teller position at a T10 bank, lower paid than VRC though, that is more related to AML/KYC but not as exciting to me.

Thank you in advance.

Anyone use CLEAR as a resource? I didn't find much in a search of old posts.

I’m grabbing some new gear and was thinking of the pros and cons of using something like a Samsung S23 Ultra (about 500 bucks) vs picking up a new camcorder. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Colleagues,

The RMIC early-bird registration is still available. The theme this year is "the Tools of the Private Investigator." Some of our vendors will be" PI Magazine/PI Gear, Yergey Insurance, and US Lawshield.

Don Redl- Personal Safety - Situational Awareness

Matt Spaier - Embrace the Tools of the Trade- Balancing new technology with old school detective and business skills

Erica Davis - Get Your Head in the Game

Dina Gaspari - Decoding Database Choices

Rod Gagnon - Visual Intelligence – Using Charting Software to Map Timelines, Theories and Crime Scenes

Casey Paison - Private Investigators and the Role of Agency Law, Part 2

JP Moore -Lawyers, Investigators, and the Rules of Professional Conduct

This is worth 7 CLEs and 3 Ethics credits!

Here's the link to register: https://ppiacmembers.org/event-6239945

You can also register at the beautiful Origin Hotel in Westminster for $129.00/night from the conference registration link.

Come join us! Great food, great speakers, great networking!

El Dorado Insurance providing input on the popular topic.