How to Become a Private Investigator in the U.K
- Sentry Private Investigators
- Sep 3, 2024
- 10 min read
Updated: Mar 26
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A Niche Industry
A private investigator? How did you get into that line of work? It’s a question we are asked every other day. For me it was route out of the British Army where I transferred skills picked up from over 10 years of service in an infantry regiment. Many private investigators choose to enter the profession because they have a background in law enforcement or related investigative roles, which helps establish credibility and effectiveness in the field.
However, that’s not everyone’s story as people access this industry from all angles. Private investigators are typically self-employed individuals who help clients with legal, financial, or personal matters.
Either way, when answering this question it is received with open ears and wide eyes. Private investigators may choose to focus on private clients or work with business owners to solve complex corporate problems.
This is a very niche industry that most people only ever dream of getting into but have very little understanding of what it takes to be a private investigator in the U.K. The investigative role can sometimes impact family life, requiring operatives to balance demanding work schedules with maintaining family connections and quality family time. Training and experience in investigative roles not only provide essential skills but also help set up a successful future career as a private investigator.
Benefits of Being a Private Investigator
Choosing a career as a private investigator opens the door to a world of unique opportunities and rewards. One of the standout benefits is the flexibility that comes with being self-employed. Many professional investigators enjoy the freedom to manage their own business, select the clients and cases they take on, and set their own schedules. Whether you prefer working with private clients on sensitive matters like suspected theft, missing people, or infidelity, or you’re more interested in supporting corporate clients with background checks, commercial piracy investigations, or covert surveillance, the variety of work in the investigation sector keeps every day interesting.
For those with an entrepreneurial spirit, becoming a private investigator means you can create and grow your own agency, building a reputation for professionalism and reliability. The private investigation industry values essential skills such as attention to detail, legal knowledge, and the ability to manage complex cases. As you develop your expertise and gain work experience, you’ll find that your services are in demand from a wide range of clients, from individuals and families to companies and legal professionals needing evidence for legal documents.
Financially, the profession can be very rewarding. Experienced private investigators can command an impressive average salary, with some earning up to £85,000 per year. This earning potential, combined with the satisfaction of helping clients resolve challenging situations, makes private investigation a compelling career choice. The industry also offers the chance to work alongside other investigators, build a strong professional network, and continually develop your skills through ongoing training and qualifications, such as the Award for Professional Investigators.
Many private investigators choose this path after careers in the armed forces, police, or other investigative roles, bringing valuable experience and a strong sense of professionalism to the job. The Security Industry Authority and professional bodies help set standards and recognise those who are committed to ethical and effective investigation practices, further enhancing your reputation and career prospects.
Ultimately, being a private investigator is about more than just solving cases—it’s about making a real difference for your clients, whether you’re tracing missing people, investigating fraud, or gathering evidence for court. If you’re interested in a new career that combines independence, challenge, and the chance to help others, the private investigation industry offers a fulfilling and dynamic profession with benefits that go far beyond the average job.
Licensing
Unlike many other countries (the U.S for example), where licensing requirements can vary by country, it’s actually very easy (some say too easy) to “officially” become a private investigator in the U.K. Licensing is a requirement in the U.S and depending on the license you hold, typically you can only operate in the state the license was issued. Here in the U.K we do not require a license to operate. Private investigation is not a regulated profession in the UK, meaning there are currently no specific qualifications required to work as one.
There is no governing body that regulates the industry, so pretty much anyone can throw a pipe in their mouth and self declare as Sherlock Holmes. However, the UK Government has confirmed its intention to regulate the activities of private investigators.
The only real legal requirement to operate as a private investigator in the U.K is to be registered as a Data Controller with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO). It will soon be a criminal offence to engage in investigative work without a licence issued by the Security Industry Authority (SIA). The SIA licence will only be granted following a criminality and identity check, and the successful completion of a competency-based training programme. Obtaining a private investigator licence can help improve qualifications and present oneself as a trustworthy professional. Private investigators can choose a licence from the Security Industry Authority (SIA). The IQ Level 3 Award for Professional Investigators is recommended by the SIA for those seeking a licence. Private investigators must pass certain tests and pay a licensing fee to obtain a licence from the SIA.
You pay a £40 annual fee, tell them what you are doing and away you go… We often work for clients who take great interest in what we do and love to tell us how good they would be at our job… Firstly, it’s not a job, it’s a career that takes over your life. If you treat it as just a job, you won’t succeed. Secondly, clients only see a small snippet of what we do and actually have no idea of the realities. The reality is long hours staring at doors and computer screens, being at home very little, counselling distressed clients, competing against other private investigators, taking risks when you really don’t want to, lots of coffee and no Aston Martin. Would I prefer a different career? Absolutely not.
Sherlock Holmes
Those who self declare as Sherlock Holmes tend to not last very long in the industry. Usually either due to coming to terms with reality, or due to becoming found out by legitimate private investigators who take no prisoners when it comes to professional standards. The industry as a whole over the years has been marred with bad press due to the Sherlock types. Private investigators often work with law enforcement to assist in solving cases that require additional resources. There are countless stories of individuals breaking the law to get a result for their client. They often get found out and quickly find themselves on the front page of every newspaper. However, in actual fact this is a very professional industry and even without a government appointed regulator we do what we can to prove our high standards. Private investigators act on behalf of their clients, whether individuals or organizations, to gather information and investigate issues. The private investigations industry attracts people from all walks of life, but it is predominantly made up of ex police officers, ex military personnel and ex government agency operatives. Many private investigators work as part of a team or collaborate with other professionals to enhance their service offerings and share expertise. So you can understand how seriously we take our profession.
Going Legit
As mentioned, the only legal requirement to become a private investigator in the U.K is to register with ICO. However, if this is all you do then you hold no real legitimacy, you won’t last long and you shouldn’t be here in the first place. Below is a list ‘To do’s’ if you really want to get set up and make something of being a legitimate private investigator.
Get Trained - As with all trades/professions you need to get yourself adequately trained to do the job. There are many specialisms within the private investigations sector so you should consider the field (or fields) you want to work in. Certain investigations require multiple different services. So the more trained you are, the services you can offer. There are lots of training providers out there (some better than others) who offer some excellent training packages to get you heading in the right direction. As a minimum, we advise getting the SFJ Level 3 Award for Professional Investigators. It is a recognised qualification across the industry and it will give you a good understanding in many aspects of being a private investigator. It is also the expected qualification requirement should legislative licensing be introduced. Learning how to check facts and verify information is crucial, as private investigators must ensure accuracy and reliability in their findings. You will need to deal with a variety of tasks, such as conducting research, gathering evidence, and fulfilling operational duties, so efficient task management is important. Excellent attention to detail, patience, and observation skills are essential for following suspects, conducting in-depth witness interviews, and noticing small but important evidence. People skills are vital for conducting background checks on employees and gathering information from individuals related to a case. Self-defence training is recommended to ensure your safety during potentially dangerous assignments. IT skills are also important for tracking suspects' email activity or decoding complex information provided by clients. Private investigators often help clients with legal, financial, or personal matters by tracking down information or people that are difficult to find. You may choose to specialise in certain areas, which can allow you to charge higher rates. The average salary of a private investigator is £16.81 per hour, but this can vary based on experience, location, and specialisation. Self-employed private investigators can manage their time more freely than law enforcement professionals and can increase their income by starting their own investigation agency. A beginner private investigator can expect to earn around £19,000 per year, while an experienced private investigator can earn up to £85,000 per year.
Get Registered - As a practicing private investigator in the U.K you must be a registered Data Controller with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) This is a legal requirement which enables you to collect, store, and distribute people’s personal data. As a private investigator your job role based entirely around managing sensitive personal data so it is imperative the investigators registration is kept up to date. Failure to do so can result in a data breach leading to an infinite fine imposed by ICO. The process of becoming registered is simple. It requires some form filling explaining what you are doing with peoples data and an annual fee of around £40.
Get Equipped - Being a private investigator requires a level of investment on equipment. You can spend as little or as much as you want on kit but as with any profession, you need to have the right tools for the right job. Your biggest investment is likely to be a vehicle. There is lots of travel involved and your vehicle will become your 2nd home. So, you will need something suitable, comfortable and reliable. Unfortunately an Aston Martin stands out a bit too much so it won’t be ideal for surveillance tasks. Obtaining a driving licence is essential, as it facilitates mobility and allows you to access different locations efficiently for surveillance and evidence gathering. You will need some form of computer whether desktop or laptop. For surveillance tasks as a minimum you will need a decent video or stills camera. I prefer everything in video format so I use Panasonic VFX1 When starting out you don’t need to invest in top of the range kit, so a video camera that shoots at a minimum of 1080p will do just fine. You will also need some form of covert video camera. Popular choices are the Lawmate PV - RC400UW 4K UHD Key-Fob and the Lawmate PV - 900EVO3 Smart Phone. There are many other options out there but these have been tried and tested over the years and delivered great results on tasks. We recommend also being equipped with a GPS vehicle tracker. These are used as an aid to surveillance which massively reduces the chances of losing the vehicle you are following. Again, there are hundreds of options out there but at present we believe the most reliable option is GT Blu Pro Tracking Device. When conducting surveillance, it is important to observe the subject closely and interpret their behaviour and body language to gather crucial information. Having the right resources and tools is vital to complete investigative tasks efficiently. Private investigators may be hired to investigate corporate issues such as suspected theft or fraud within a company, and can also assist individuals in personal matters, such as infidelity investigations or locating missing persons. Covert surveillance is a key service offered by private investigators, allowing them to observe subjects without detection. Private investigators may provide evidence that is suitable for court purposes, which is crucial for legal cases. People tracing is another important service offered by private investigators to locate individuals who may be difficult to find.
Get Insured - Professional insurance is a must in any industry and the private investigations industry is no different. When training to be a private investigator you will hear on multiple occasions to always expect the unexpected. This is true in an operational, practical, legal, administrative and financial sense. Its something I heed everyday because you never know whats around the corner (literally in surveillance sense). Having adequate public liability and professional indemnity insurance as a private investigator is not only sensible, its just plain bonkers to not have it. Premiums for this profession are reasonable and we recommend Hiscox Business Insurance. We have been with them for years and they are widely used across the Industry. If you have spent a lot of money on professional equipment, we also advise getting that insured too as your standard policies wont cover this.
Get Associated - We mean ‘get associated’ by as many ways as possible. As a private investigator in the U.K you need to get your self out there meeting, working and networking with other likeminded investigators. Networking is essential for private investigators to find clients and build their reputation in the field. Remember, there is no licensing in the U.K so we are not regulated by any official governing body. However, we do have some professional associations that separate the ‘Sherlocks’ to the legitimate private investigators. They all offer similar opportunities for training, guidance and support, but mainly they give credibility from newcomers to the industry to the seasoned veterans. Each association requires vetted approval for the level of membership you are applying for. Their vetting processes vary slightly but if you cover everything I have outlined in this post (and you have a clean basic DBS), you shouldn’t have too many problems.
The top 3 associations are:
Summary
Going back to the original questions (A private investigator? How did you get into that line of work?). Well, to put it bluntly... With a lot of hard work. This is an excellent career choice full of exciting and often unexpected opportunities. But you have to lay the foundations correctly to build legitimacy. Otherwise you will forever be known as a Sherlock.
