Become a Private Investigator in Manitoba
To Become a Private Investigator in Manitoba 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 Manitoba, you need to take a government approved Manitoba Private Investigator's license course.
Private Detective Aptitude Test
Manitoba PI Licensing Agency: PISGP
In Manitoba, the government body that controls MB licensed Investigators is Manitoba Justice's Private Investigators and Security Guards Program (PISGP). So, it is the PISGP that will have a list of approved Manitoba PI licensing courses/ Private Investigator training. Once you submit the proof of your ability to meet the requirements and completion of the licensing course to the PISGP, you will get your Manitoba PI license. Most jurisdiction will have a PI beginner’s license, Manitoba does not. You will get to start out with a full MB Private Investigator license. This is where your struggle will begin.
Manitoba PI Beginner's License
Your Private Investigator beginner’s license in Manitoba is just a regular Private Investigator license. It will allow you to work for a PI agency, but you will not be able to work for yourself (your own PI company). This PI license means you must work under the supervision of a fully licensed Manitoba PI agency. However, the term “under supervision” will be in namesake only. You will not be supervised or guided by an experienced Private Investigator. In fact, PI agencies are not economically structured to have mentor/ student surveillance teams. Furthermore, the licensing course will give you some transferable knowledge but it will not set you up to become a successful Private Investigator. New Private Investigators still need to know how to be successful working operations. This is why practical Private Investigator education and training specifically for Private Investigators is necessary.
This lack of guidance is why so many new Manitoba Private Investigators burn out and quit and why many experienced Private Investigators are jaded. On top of this, PI clients with small budgets typically get the new unqualified Private Investigators, nobody wins in this situation. It is also not fair to small PI clients to use their files to haphazardly train new Private Investigators.
So, the time comes for you to work investigations with no Private Investigator experience or education. The licensing course 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 and get a Manitoba Private Investigator business license, you will be qualified to work for yourself with your own PI agency. Hopefully, when you are hiring new Private Investigators, you will appreciate the importance of proper PI education.
Manitoba PI License Requirements
Age: you must be 18 or older.
Criminal Record: you cannot have a criminal record or be the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation. You must obtain your own record check. The RCMP offers this service for typically $50. You must also get a Manitoba Child Abuse Registry record check.
Canadian Citizen: you need to be a Canadian citizen and submit a copy of government ID.
English: you must be able to speak and write in English.
Government Approved PI License Course: you will need to complete a license course approved by Manitoba Justice.
Passport Photo: you have to provide Manitoba Justice with a certified passport photo.
Fee: you will have to pay a $30 licensing fee. The PI license will be valid for two years.
Submitting: the documents you submit can be sent to Manitoba Justice via mail.
Working for Yourself: you need a Manitoba PI business license to work for yourself. You first need a Manitoba PI license to apply for the business license.