Georgia Private Investigator License Requirements

Georgia regulates PIs through the Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies under the Secretary of State, and the line most applicants miss is that it is the employer, not the individual, who files for an employee registration.

Georgia PI license at a glance

Item	Detail
Regulator	Georgia Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies (Secretary of State)
Age	18, and a U.S. citizen or qualifying legal resident
Filing	The employer submits the application for each employee hired as a private detective
Training	Proof of Basic Training; armed registrants need a firearms qualification score of 80% or higher
Fingerprints	Georgia Applicant Processing Service (GAPS)
Unarmed detective registration	$45
Armed detective/guard registration	$70
Processing	$10 paper, $5 online
Renewal	$65 on time, $80 late
Processing time	At least 15 business days

What’s different here: registrations are not transferable; they are valid only for the employer listed.

Georgia PI license FAQ

Can I change employers with the same registration?

No.

How long should I allow for processing?

At least 15 business days.

Verified against: Georgia Board employee registration application and Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 509-1-.02. Agency-license fees were not published in the sources reviewed. Reviewed October 13, 2026.

Who regulates private investigators in Georgia

The Georgia Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies, part of the Secretary of State’s Professional Licensing Boards Division, licenses companies, approves designees, registers employees, and approves training schools and instructors. The governing law is O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 38.

Applications and renewals run through the state’s online GOALS portal, and exams are delivered by PSI.

Georgia PI license types

License or credential	Who it is for
Company (agency) license	Individual owners or businesses providing private detective services
Designee	The qualifying person who passes the exam for the company
Employee registration (private detective)	Detectives employed by a licensed company; one registration per employer
Firearm permit	Armed employees; exposed, concealed and/or shotgun authorization

How to get licensed in Georgia: step by step

1. Complete the 70-hour private detective course from a Board-certified school or instructor.
2. Get hired by a licensed company and apply for employee registration ($45 unarmed, $70 armed).
3. Build two years of experience, or earn a related four-year degree.
4. Submit a company application and a designee application referencing it.
5. Pass the PSI exam once the Board approves you.
6. Provide the bond, insurance or financial statement, and pay the license fee.
7. Complete 16 hours of continuing education every two years and report it through CE Broker.

Carrying a firearm as a Georgia investigator

Armed employees need firearm authorization: 15 hours of firearms training (plus 2 more for shotgun), a score of at least 80% on a range proctored by a Board-licensed firearms instructor, and annual requalification. Permitted sidearms are a revolver up to .357 or a semi-automatic handgun up to .45; shotguns require employer request and Board approval. Armed registrants must be at least 21.

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

A PI license is a business license, not police authority. In Georgia, 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, Georgia 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.

Building a career as a Georgia investigator

Knowing the rules in Georgia 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 Georgia?

Yes. Georgia requires a company license for private detective businesses and registration for each detective employee.

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

You can work as a registered employee detective after completing 70 hours of training and registration. A company license requires two years of experience or a related degree plus the exam.

Can I work for two PI companies in Georgia?

Yes, but you need a separate employee registration for each company; registrations aren’t transferable.