How to Become a Private Investigator in Alabama

Introduction

The role of a Private Investigator has been glorified throughout the years in books, movies, and television. Some of these characters have become larger than life and are likely responsible for the extreme popularity of being PI or a Private Investigator. Characters like Magnum PI and Sherlock Holmes two of the most famous television and movie pi.

The truth is being an Alabama Private Investigator is pretty rewarding for those people who have chosen that line of work. They feel that they have what it takes to help others by using their skills to assist individuals and businesses in a wide range of ways. Whether it involves background checking, surveillance work, risk assessment, and management.

For people living in the state of Alabama who are looking to become a private investigator, you must obtain an Alabama private investigator license. We have put together some information in this article, and we hope that you find it educational and that it is helpful to you in your pursuit of a career in private investigation.

Training ahead of the private investigator exam

Now that you committed yourself to become a private investigator, you must give yourself the best opportunity to be successful. The best way to do that is to be prepared for the licensing exam that you must pass to even be considered by the board. Fortunately, there are many different options for you depending on your resources.

You can check your local schools to see if they offer any degree or certification programs that would be designed for this type of work. Another good way is to get a hold of an Alabama Private Investigator Study Guide, this will be filled with plenty of valuable information. That is sure to help guide you in the right direction. Lastly, Try to get your hands on an Alabama private investigator practice test.

7 Things to Know about before becoming a private investigator in Alabama

Age limit

Right off the bat, the number one qualification or dis qualifier is the age factor. You absolutely have to be at least 21 years of age and there are no exceptions. You will be asked to show visual proof of your age before you can even apply for an Alabama private detective license.

Criminals need not apply

You don’t necessarily have to have a squeaky clean record to be considered by the licensing board. However, you can be sure that if you have any felony convictions you will likely be denied. With that said, there is technically no actual list of crimes that will garner you an automatic denial, but the Alabama private investigator board does have full discretion to decide on which crimes are or aren’t acceptable.

Being of sound mind is important

To be a licensed private investigator in Alabama you have to have no mental health issues with the courts. You cannot have anything on your record that shows that a court found you to be considered incompetent by mental disorder or defect. You can however still qualify if you were determined to be incompetent and then turn around and find yourself competent again.

You have to be licensed

You must complete the licensing process that includes a 12-page application. There are multiple sections to the application and each of the sections must be completed exactly as described. This includes the citizenship portion that requires you to show proof of citizenship. There is a section that discusses a schedule for you to take the license test. The last section is the photograph portion that requires you to submit a full color 2” x 2”, glossy finish picture. The picture must have been taken within 6 months.

You must provide your fingerprints

Your fingerprints are necessary in order for the state and federal agencies to complete background checks. To accomplish this you are required to submit three complete sets of fingerprints along with the application packet. Depending on what part of the state you live in there is a testing site near. In Alabama, there are four specific cities with a testing site; Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery, and Mobile.

There is a test

As with most professions that require you to have a license to prove your knowledge level requires some type of proficiency test. This is the case for anyone seeking a Private Investigator license in the state of Alabama. In order to be considered for a license by the board of licensing, you have to have passed the Alabama private investigator exam.

You must pay several fees

As can imagine anything that requires the issuance of a license is going to also involve having to pay some type of fee. In the case of a Private Investigator license, there are several of these fees that will cover the associated costs for certain government agencies.

● State and Federal Background check – $37 fee
● Fingerprinting – fee depends on the agency performing the task
● Testing – $100 fee
● Licensing – $300 fee (expires every 2-years)

Alabama Private Investigators Association

After you become a licensed private investigator you want to be sure to hook up with the local APIA (Alabama Private Investigator Association) office. They are a professional organization that is dedicated to supporting all licensed private investigators in Alabama. The association backs the licensed private investigators and gives them a voice when it comes to establishing common practices and training standards. The association was responsible for lobbying the Alabama state legislature to make changes that were needed in the industry.

Landing your first private investigator job

It may not seem real that you passed your exam and got your license to be an actual private investigator in Alabama until you are finally able to get that first job. To help you find a job, be sure to check out the local directory that lists all the private investigator agencies. Each area should have one of those Alabama Private Investigator Directories.

Conclusion

If you are still seriously considering a career in private investigation and are in the state of Alabama, we hope that we did provide you with some very valuable information that you can use to guide you on your journey. With some hard work, you should be able to take advantage of what the state of Alabama has to offer you in terms of preparation. If you are ready to go, please seek out help to get you started.

Alabama Private Investigator License resources:

https://www.apib.alabama.gov/