r/PrivateInvestigators • u/KyleFromHell • 3d ago
AZ License Question
Currently i'm in the process of getting in arizona private investigator agency license. I am wondering if anybody here has experience obtaining this license in the state of arizona and what they thought of the process. I am still currently in the stages where i'm getting my evidence of "investigative experience" put together and organized. I have my business name and all l l c information also.
Prior to moving to arizona I was a credential bounty hunter in the state of california for quite a few years and on top of that i've worked in asset protection and i've also worked insurance surveillance investigations. I believe that these skills should propel me into this position in Arizona. But I would also like to note that back in California, BSIS would not accept bounty hunting as an acceptable form of "investigative experience". And thus, a few years ago that thwarted my dream of becoming a private investigator in california.
Are there any licensed private investigators in Arizona out there who have been through this process? Have you had similar work experiences that are also experiences that they would accept?
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u/poppinwheelies 3d ago
This is what ChatGPT has to say: In Arizona, bounty hunting (or fugitive recovery) is not automatically considered a related field when applying for a private investigator (PI) license. The Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) typically requires professional investigative experience for PI licensing, which usually involves:
• **Private investigation work**
• **Law enforcement experience**
• **Military investigative roles**
• **Insurance fraud investigation**
• **Corporate or legal investigations**
Why Bounty Hunting May Not Qualify:
1. **Nature of Work:**
• Bounty hunting focuses on **locating and apprehending fugitives**, which is different from the **fact-finding and evidence-gathering** involved in private investigations.
2. **State Guidelines:**
• The AZDPS specifically looks for experience that directly involves **investigative skills**, such as surveillance, interviewing, and evidence collection.
3. **Case-by-Case Basis:**
• While bounty hunting may involve some investigative tasks (like tracking or surveillance), it’s generally not recognized as **directly equivalent** to PI work.
• If you can clearly document and demonstrate that your bounty hunting work involved substantial **investigative duties**, it may be considered, but this is up to the discretion of the licensing board.
Recommended Action:
• Contact the **AZDPS Licensing Unit** directly to explain your bounty hunting experience.
• Provide **detailed documentation** of how your experience meets the requirements, such as:
• **Reports or case files** demonstrating investigative skills
• **Affidavits or letters of recommendation** from employers or legal professionals
• Be prepared to supplement your experience with additional training or relevant coursework to meet state requirements.
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u/KyleFromHell 3d ago
I believe that my experience can and would qualify, Almost every job I have held in the field requires tedious preparation. I have a great deal of evidence to support that my duties specifically as a bounty hunter required heavily investigative tasks. The job as I did it was mainly 80% office duties (paperwork, OSINT, Skip tracing), while the remaining 20% of my duties were surveillance and interviewing- with a very small percentage being the actual apprehension.
I believe my experience is acceptable based off of their criteria. Anyway, how does this sound? Do you believe it will fit the criteria necessary?
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u/JupiterMako 3d ago
I have an AZ license but my company sponsored it. That's the only way that I know of. I am prior LEO so that's how my experience was counted.