Become a Private Investigator in Colorado

 

To Become a Private Investigator in Colorado is similar to most other places: you need to meet basic Private Investigator requirements such as age, language proficiency, and other usual PI requirements of this nature.

• Furthermore, to become a Private Investigator in Colorado, you need to take a government Colorado Private Investigator's license test but not a Private Investigator course or official state Private Investigator training.

Private Detective Aptitude Test

Colorado Office of Private Investigator Licenses

In Colorado, the government body that controls licensed Colorado Investigators is the Office of Private Investigator Licenses under the purview of Department of Regulatory Agencies. So, it is the OPIL that will administer the PI test. Once you submit the proof of your ability to meet the requirements and completion of the licensing test to OPIL, you will get your Colorado PI beginner’s license. This is where your struggle will begin.

Colorado PI Beginner License

Your PI beginner’s license in Colorado is called “Level 1 Private Investigator.”

• This license means you must work "under supervision" of a fully licensed Colorado PI.

However, the term “under supervision” will be in namesake only. You will not be supervised or guided by an experienced Colorado PI. In fact, PI agencies are not economically structured to have mentor/ student surveillance teams. And that Colorado licensing test you took? It does not teach investigation/ surveillance, only what laws Colorado Private Investigators need to be aware of. This is of course useful; however, new Colorado Private Investigators still need to know how to be successful working surveillance operations.

Colorado Private Investigator License Requirements

LEVEL 1 Colorado Private Investigator

1. You need to be 21yo or older.

2. You need to be an American citizen/ legal resident.

3. You cannot have a history of mental illness.

4. You must have a clean criminal and personal record.

5. You need to take and pass the Colorado Private Investigator test.

So, the time comes for you to work investigations in Colorado with no Private Investigator experience or education. The licensing test you took focused on legal matters with no real practical Private Investigator training or topics. You will always be told by employers that “soon you will get some PI training,” which never happens. It took me over five years to figure out the industry and get good at a few specialized fields. During that time, I struggled and probably lost several hundred thousand dollars due to losing work opportunities from a lack of skill and education. What is sad is that this is a common story in the industry. If you make it through this meat grinder with over 4000hrs of Colorado PI experience, you will qualify for a full PI license (Level 2). This basically means you can open your own PI agency. Hopefully, when you are hiring new Private Investigators, you will appreciate the importance of proper PI education.

Full Private Investigator License (Level 2) Requirements

1. You need 4000hrs of Private Investigator or law enforcement experience.

2. You need to take and pass the Colorado Private Investigator test.