Colorado Private Investigator License Requirements

Colorado no longer licenses private investigators. The Office of Private Investigator Licensure ended on August 31, 2021, after Governor Polis vetoed HB 20-1207 on July 11, 2020, and DORA’s order repealing the program’s rules was adopted November 17, 2021, effective January 14, 2022.

Colorado PI license FAQ

Can I still get a Colorado PI license?

No; licenses stopped being valid after August 31, 2021.

Where do I check for current rules?

The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.

Verified against: Colorado DORA Private Investigator page. Reviewed October 13, 2026.

What a private investigator in Colorado can and can’t do

A PI license is a business license, not police authority. In Colorado, as everywhere in the U.S., private investigators generally cannot:

• Impersonate law enforcement or claim official authority.
• Trespass on private property to watch or photograph someone.
• Obtain bank, phone or other protected records by pretexting, which federal law prohibits.
• Hack accounts, read someone else’s email or install spyware.
• Place a tracking device on a vehicle where state law forbids it.
• Detain or arrest anyone beyond the citizen’s arrest rights every person has.

On recording, Colorado is not on the list of all-party consent states in a 2024 legal summary by the law firm Kilpatrick, which generally means one party to a conversation can record it. That does not allow recording conversations you are not part of, and other privacy laws still apply.

How Colorado’s PI licensing began and ended

Colorado’s experiment with mandatory licensing was short. Senate Bill 14-133 replaced a voluntary program with mandatory Level I and Level II licenses, and from June 1, 2015, licensed investigators had to post a $10,000 surety bond. Under Colorado’s sunset process, the program needed reauthorization by 2020. The General Assembly passed House Bill 20-1207 to continue it for five more years, but Governor Polis vetoed it on July 11, 2020, writing that occupational licensing is “often not superior” to other forms of consumer protection.

The Division of Professions and Occupations then repealed the program’s rules by an order dated November 17, 2021, effective January 14, 2022. Old Colorado license numbers no longer mean anything, so don’t let a client rely on them, and don’t advertise yourself as “Colorado licensed.”

Carrying a firearm in Colorado

Colorado is not a permitless-carry state. Carrying a concealed handgun requires a concealed handgun permit issued by a county sheriff (C.R.S. 18-12-203). The sheriff must issue the permit to an applicant who is a Colorado resident, at least 21, legally allowed to possess a firearm and able to show handgun competence through an approved training class, but may deny someone whose documented behavior suggests they would be a danger. Permits are valid for five years.

Open carry is generally legal without a permit, but the City and County of Denver bans it, and posted areas can restrict it. Colorado honors out-of-state permits only from states that recognize Colorado’s, and only for holders 21 or older who live in the issuing state. With no PI license, there is no armed-investigator credential: an investigator who carries needs the same permit as anyone else.

GPS trackers: Colorado’s civil remedy

Colorado gives people who are tracked a way to sue. Senate Bill 24-011, signed June 5, 2024, created a civil claim, effective August 7, 2024, against anyone who installs a tracking device on someone’s property without consent or uses a device or app to track them without consent (C.R.S. 13-20-1301, as summarized by RecordingLaw.com). The definition is broad enough to cover AirTag-style trackers.

That sits on top of the criminal stalking statute, C.R.S. 18-3-602, which prosecutors use against electronic surveillance that is part of a harassing course of conduct. The safe practice for investigators is the same as everywhere: track only property your client owns, get written consent, and keep that consent in the file.

Getting public records in Colorado

The Colorado Open Records Act (CORA), C.R.S. 24-72-201 to 206, opens most state and local government records to “any person.” Agencies must respond within three working days, starting the first working day after they receive the request, and can extend that by up to seven working days if extenuating circumstances exist (C.R.S. 24-72-203(3)(b)). CORA does not require agencies to create records that don’t exist, and requests citing the federal FOIA are treated as CORA requests.

Working cases in neighboring states

Colorado’s lack of a license stands out in its region. Wyoming also has no statewide license, but Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona all license investigators. New Mexico, for example, requires 6,000 hours of documented work, and Kansas asks for five sworn character references. A Colorado investigator with no license to show will need to qualify from scratch before working in any of them.

Building trust without a state license

When the veto came, the bill’s sponsor warned that without licensing, Colorado investigators could find it harder to get insured. Expect corporate and legal clients to ask for proof of professional liability insurance, references and certifications instead of a license number.

Building a career as a Colorado investigator

Knowing the rules in Colorado is only the first step. Our guide to becoming a private investigator covers what comes after: building qualifying experience, choosing a niche, a realistic first year, writing reports clients trust, and the most common reasons license applications get delayed. For earnings, see our private investigator salary guide.

Starter gear. A practical starting point for surveillance work is a long-zoom camera such as the Nikon Coolpix P1000 and a pair of binoculars like the Vortex Diamondback HD 10×42. Our private investigator equipment list covers the rest of a starter kit.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a license to be a private investigator in Colorado?

No. Colorado ended PI licensing after Governor Polis vetoed HB 20-1207 in July 2020, and the program’s rules were repealed effective January 14, 2022. There is currently no state PI license, exam or bond requirement.

How long does it take to become a PI in Colorado?

There is no state exam or experience requirement, so you can register a business and start within days. Building the experience and reputation that bring steady cases takes much longer.

Does Colorado license private investigation agencies?

No. The 2015–2021 program licensed individual investigators only, and today Colorado licenses neither individuals nor agencies.

Do I need a permit to carry a gun as a PI in Colorado?

Yes, to carry concealed. Colorado requires a concealed handgun permit from a county sheriff, and there is no separate armed-PI license.

Can I still verify a Colorado PI license?

Only historically. Licenses ended with the program, so a Colorado license number today proves nothing about current qualifications.