Being a private investigator can be tedious and tense all at the same time, and you will need to learn a lot before you can be a professional. You also need to be trained in many different aspects of private investigation before you can start your practice. However, do not be fooled by Hollywood or television and all its portrayals of glamorous private investigators who do sophisticated surveillance and follow people around. Private investigation is more than just spying and looking for answers to marital insecurities. It can be as simple as working for a company that needs to investigate fraud in its clients, or as complex as a collaboration among the police forces of different countries.

You will need to be trained as a private investigator, and there are many different training methods, not to mention courses. For instance, if you are good at electronics work and the Internet, then you may want to get training in how you can use your cyber skills to investigate people. This will involve using databases and search engines, going undercover in Internet chat rooms and forums, and even joining mailing lists and baiting potential suspects, all in the name of getting answers to certain questions. In your training, you will need to get legal training as well, since you could be skirting the bounds of the law with your cyber skills.

Surveillance is another type of private investigation training, and it can be as simple as carrying out a stakeout, or as complex as bugging, listening in on conversations, and planting cameras in order to spy on people. There are many ways that surveillance can get out of hand, and you could violate many different laws if you do not carry out proper surveillance. You need training in this part of private investigation so that you can get evidence that is admissible in court, and that will actually provide answers to questions.

There are many different investigations that you could get involved in, and these investigation types could dictate what kind of training you should receive. For instance, in divorce investigation, you could look for grounds for divorce, and you would need surveillance skills in order to do this. In insurance investigation, you may need shadowing skills, along with knowledge of the law and finance. In arson or homicide investigation, you would need skills in collecting evidence, examining evidence, and knowing what different artifacts indicate. All of these can be received with the proper training, so pick training that will suit your dreams as a private investigator.

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If you like detective work and being part of the team that solves a case, you might want to consider starting a private investigation company. But is it cheap or will it require a significant expense? Here are the costs you need to know about in case you’re considering investing on your own private investigation firm:

Cost of training
Unless you have prior experience in detective or police work, you will have to spend to obtain the proper training. Most states and jurisdictions require P.I.s to be certified and carry a license. To do that, you will have to undergo training as a private investigator.

Cost of licensure and permits
Once you’ve obtained the training, you will need to become a legal business entity. Different states have different requirements that you must meet, so it pays to check your locality to find out what you need to comply with. If you wish to practice on more than one state, you will have to comply with all the requirements of each jurisdication.

Fees for licensure vary, although you can expect to shell out around $400 for an individual license and around $500 for a business license. These licenses are valid for about 2 years. You will also have to pay for fingerprinting fees, which cost around $75.

Office and facilities
Unless you’re running your private investigation company from home, you will have to invest on a decent office space. This should be somewhere that’s easy for your clients to find. You’ll have to spend for the rental or lease and cost of facilities such as power, water, telephone line/s and Internet connection.

Equipment
Probably the most considerable investment you’ll have to make on a private investigation company would be the cost of equipment. You’ll need at least one computer, sufficient office furniture, a camera and videocam. And of course, you’ll have to spend for the most basic ’spy’ gadgets such as binoculars, voice recorders, listening devices, tracking devices, bug detectors, night vision and even products for self-defense.

And yes, you’ll probably need a car or vehicle of some sort to get you mobile.

Software
Modern private investigation work often relies on technology to make searches, background checks and referencing faster and more convenient. This can cost from a few hundred bucks to a few thousand, depending on the type and number of applications you buy.

Although purchasing software may seem like unnecessary expense, you’ll find that it will save you a lot of money and legwork in the future. With investigation software, you don’t have to leave your office just to conduct a search or verify someone’s identification.

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