How To Become A Private Investigator In Nevada

Nevada is best known for its gambling in Las Vegas, Tahoe, and Reno and is mostly desert. The population in Nevada is 3.14 million as of 2021. After reading this you will know the steps needed to become a private investigator in Nevada and have links to important resources as you begin your licensing journey.

The Private Investigator’s Licensing Board is responsible for the licensing of not just only private investigators but process servers, repossessors, and security consultants to name a few.

It is highly recommended that before beginning your journey as an investigation business owner you first work for an investigation company to learn about the industry firsthand and build practical private investigation experience. You will learn core investigation skills that will serve you well when beginning your own private investigator business.

Many companies say they prefer candidates with a college education but understand that it will not necessarily get you the job (if you have a college degree). So before you spend thousands of dollars on a degree be sure to investigate what companies in Nevada are looking for.

Minimum Requirements to Become a Private Investigator in Nevada

Be at least 21 years of age.
You must be a citizen of the United States or be lawfully allowed to be in the United States and work.
Have good moral character.
Not be convicted of a felony or any crime of moral turpitude (not honest, bad morals) or possession of a dangerous weapon.
Pass criminal history check through FBI and Nevada Department of Public Safety
Pass the exam with a score of 75% or better (only for individual applicants and qualified agent applicants).
Meet experience and education requirements

What is Considered Private Investigator Experience in Nevada

Nevada has some pretty steep requirements to be a private investigator and those requirements don’t make it easy to get licensed as a private investigator.

You can have at least 5 years of verifiable experience (2000 hours a year totaling 10,000 over 5 years) as an investigator or something equivalent if the board accepts it as experience.

You can have an associate’s degree in Police Science or Criminal Justice which is equal to 8 months or 1, 333 hours, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Police Science or Criminal Justice which is equal to 18 months or 3000 hours of experience. This may lessen the “in the field time required” if you have any of these degrees.

Applying for a Nevada Private Investigator License

Assuming you meet the qualifications stated above you will be required to pay fees when submitting your application to become a private investigator in Nevada. Here is what it looks like.

$20.00 for Application Processing Fee (non-refundable)
$100.00 for Examination (for each category))(non-refundable)
$500.00 for Initial Licensing (pro-rated)
$750.00 for a background investigation (plus $250 for each additional category of license)
Documents Submitted with Nevada Private Investigator Application Application (all pages must be completely filled out)

What You Will Need to Submit

Driver’s license or state/federal identification and Social security card or birth certificate or Non-expired US Passport is enough for both forms of identification;
(For Non-Us Citizens) Copy of your permanent resident card/employment authorizations card or a non-expired US Passport
Sign the Civil Applicant Waiver (Notice of Noncriminal Justice Applicant’s Rights)
Submit a passport-size photo (2×2 inches color) with the application
Submit a completed set of fingerprint cards or receipt of electronically submitted fingerprints (Three)
Submit any other supporting materials required. This would include W-2, 1099, and/or K-1 forms (past 3 consecutive years) for the person applying for the license, certificate or transcripts for college credit towards the license, and documentation that is notarized in regards to referencing your experience.

You will need to request all documents from the Nevada Licensing Board through their email at pilbinfo@ag.nv.gov.

At the time of writing this Nevada does not provide adequate information on a website to provide information on becoming a private investigator. While I believe this is very disappointing I will say that they quickly responded to my email when inquiring about the licensing requirements.

How Much Do Private Investigators Make in Nevada?

Approximately 100 private investigator work in Nevada which is actually less than the amount that works in Utah with a similar population. The median income of a private investigator in Nevada in the year 2021 was $78,480 which is above average for the United States.

If you would like to check out the private investigator salary guide you can check it out here.

Private Investigator Association in Nevada

Nevada has the Nevada Society of Licensed Private Investigators. This appears to be the only association or society for private investigators in Nevada. The main objective of the Nevada Society of Licensed Private Investigators is to basically monitor legislation as it relates to private investigators.

Recommended Additional Private Investigator Licensing

It is always recommended (in my opinion) that an investigator is licensed in other states as to be available for work in those areas when work is slow in their own state.