Since I was a licensed private investigator in Florida for four years, I’ve been asked to put down in writing what a PI can legally do in Florida. The following text may seem a bit confusing, or seem like it’s getting  overcomplicated for a game, but this is just information for you to keep in mind while RPing and for your background. You’re not going to have to ICly “apply” for these licenses. If you’re approved as a private investigator, you’ll be judgenoted as having them. Again, this is just for reference. 

To get a Class C Private Investigator’s License, you meet meet the following criteria: You must be 21 years of age or older, with no felony criminal record, and no history of drug abuse, alcohol abuse, or mental illness. You must have either (A) apprenticed under a licensed PI for 2 years; (B) have prior law enforcment experience; (C) have prior military intelligence  experience; or (D) have been a licensed investigator in another state. 

The State of Florida has the following information about licensed private investigators: name, social security number, date of birth, race, sex, mailing address, employment history, and fingerprints. This information is public to all Law Enforcement Personnel automatically and to other private investigators. This information may be public to regular citizens with proper storytelling and investigation rolls.

What you can legally do as a private investigator: 

You have easy access to all public records such as civil and criminal court records, driver’s license history, motor vehicle records, real property records, and criminal history records. You can follow people (conduct  surveillance) in the course of your job without being charged with stalking. You may legally take still photographs and videotape of people in public places, or if you can view them from public places. You may use what is  referred to in the industry as a “pretext” to gain information from people. (Basically, you can lie and mislead them, just don’t entrap them if your case is going to criminal court.) Search property for listening devices and wiretaps. 

What you can’t legally do as a private investigator:  

Break and enter; set up hidden cameras in people’s homes without the consent of the owner of the property; wiretap telephone lines; and install “bugs”  without the consent of the owner of the property.

Carrying a gun: 

It is fairly simple for a Private Investigator to obtain a license to carry a gun on the job. This is NOT the standard Concealed Weapons Permit, however. You must obtain a Class G Armed Guard License for you to carry while on the  job. You may not carry a weapon into a school, airport, courthouse, or place  of nuisance. 

Now, reading all that, it really doesn’t seem like having a license is all that important, since most of the information you’re getting is public, anyway. But, you’ll have a much easier time getting that information if you’re licensed and you have access to computer databases of nationwide public information that private citizens don’t. If Joe Blow with no license wanted to trace a license plate, well.. he’d have to jump through hoops with the State and wait at least several days, while you can just hop on your computer and pull the information up in about five minutes. You also have access to high tech surveillance equipment that the general populace doesn’t have ready access to.

Equipment:

Standard equipment for PI’s includes a computer (a /must/), membership in online public information databases, a still camera, and a video camera. Cameras must be created as objects. If you want any super-spiffy high tech stuff, be sure to go through your wizard to get it.

If you have any questions or need any further clarification, please +mail Andromeda.