Tennessee Private Investigator Requirements
- Tennessee private investigators must be licensed by the state.Tennessee state contour against blurred USA flag image by Stasys Eidiejus from Fotolia.com
Private investigators work for insurance companies, in an individual practice and for private investigation firms. Private investigators help locate missing people and stolen personal property. They determine who is at fault in a car accident or conduct background checks on individuals. The state of Tennessee licenses private investigators to work in the state. - The state of Tennessee requires private investigator applicants to take an examination that tests the applicant's knowledge of investigation. The Tennessee Private Investigator Exam is provided by Prometric, an independent testing company, and it consists of 50 questions. Test takers are given two hours to complete the examination. Test questions cover private investigator license laws and the Tennessee Private Investigation Commission's administrative rules. A separate 50 question test is administered to private investigation companies, consisting of Tennessee private investigation laws and rules and business management. Test takers must answer 70 percent of the questions correctly to pass and receive a state license.
- Applicants for the Tennessee private investigator's license must work for a licensed Tennessee private investigation company or apply to license his own private investigation company, according to the Department of Commerce and Insurance. Applicants must be 21 years or older and a United States citizen. The applicant must not have been declared mentally incompetent or have a history of drug or alcohol dependence. License applicants must submit to a criminal history check by submitting fingerprints, which are processed by the FBI and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
- Tennessee requires licensed private investigators to take 12 hours of continuing education classes before renewing their licenses every two years, with one hour of continuing education consisting of an ethics class. The Tennessee Private Investigation and Polygraph Commission determines which continuing education courses are suitable for renewal. The University of Tennessee offers courses specifically designed to satisfy the continuing education requirement including courses in background checks and how to conduct asset research. Licensed private investigators who fail to meet the requirements for renewal will lose the license to practice in the state of Tennessee.
A private investigator must report any violations of the law to the Tennessee Private Investigation and Polygraph Commission and work only in the areas of investigation in which he is competent.
