How to Become a Private Investigator in the U.K

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. However, that’s not everyone’s story as people access this industry from all angles. Either way, when answering this question it is received with open ears and wide eyes. 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.

Licensing

Unlike many other countries (the U.S for example), 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. 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. 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). 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. 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. 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. 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.

  
  

• 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 £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. 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.

  
  

• 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. 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:

• The Association of British Investigators (ABI)

• The Institute of Professional Investigators (IPI)

• The World Association of Professional Investigators (WAPI)

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.