Find a Licensed Private Investigator in Delaware

01Why people hire investigators here

When a Delaware matter needs a licensed investigator

Delaware is small, but the requests investigators receive cover a lot of ground. A New Castle County parent wants a record of what happens during a co-parent's visits before a Family Court hearing. A business owner in Dover suspects an employee is diverting customers to a side company. A Sussex County family is worried about a new friend who has taken an interest in an elderly relative's finances. An attorney in Wilmington needs a witness who moved across the line into Maryland. Each matter needs facts gathered lawfully and written up for a lawyer, judge or insurer.

Delaware also draws a different kind of request. So many companies are formed under Delaware law that disputes over ownership, fiduciary duty and asset transfers often land in the Court of Chancery. Those cases can call for corporate research and witness work. Whatever the matter, the first step is finding an investigator who actually holds a Delaware license and understands the courts where your case will be heard.

• Divorce, custody and support cases in Family Court
• Civil litigation: witness locates, statements and asset research
• Corporate and fiduciary disputes in the Court of Chancery
• Insurance and workers' compensation claim reviews
• Harassment and stalking documentation for counsel or police

02Licensing

How licensing works for a private investigator in Delaware

Delaware regulates investigators under the Private Investigators and Private Security Agencies Act, Chapter 13 of Title 24 of the Delaware Code. The program is run by the Professional Licensing Section of the Delaware State Police, and a board of examiners chaired by the State Police Superintendent oversees it. Section 1313 says that no person may act as a private investigator, or operate a private investigative agency, without first obtaining a license or identification card from the Professional Licensing Section.

The system has two layers. A business that investigates for hire needs an agency license; the State Police issue Class A licenses to investigative agencies and Class C licenses to agencies that provide both investigative and security services. An individual investigator must be employed by a licensed agency, even a one-person agency, and receives a license or identification card that the State Police describe as valid for five years. Applicants go through fingerprinting and state and federal criminal history checks before anything is issued.

For clients, that structure gives you two things to confirm: the agency's license and the individual's card. The State Police explain the program on the Professional Licensing Section's private investigator page. A legitimate Delaware investigator should be able to show you an identification card and give you the agency's license number without hesitation.

03Legal limits

What licensed Delaware investigators can and cannot do

A Delaware license allows investigative work for pay. It is not police authority. Licensed investigators cannot arrest, search, compel records or enter private property without permission, and the Act restricts badges for licensees. Recording law in Delaware is less tidy than in most states. The wiretap statute, 11 Del. C. Section 2402(c)(4), allows a person to record a communication they are a party to, or one where a party has given prior consent, unless the purpose is criminal or tortious. But the privacy statute, 11 Del. C. Section 1335(a)(4), separately prohibits intercepting certain private messages without the consent of all parties.

Because those two provisions point in different directions, Delaware is often described as having mixed or unsettled recording rules. The cautious approach is to get consent from everyone before recording, and to ask an attorney before relying on one-party consent for any recording you plan to use in court.

Vehicle tracking is clearer. Section 1335(a)(8) makes it a crime to knowingly install an electronic or mechanical location tracking device in or on a motor vehicle without the consent of the registered owner, lessor or lessee, with limited exceptions such as law enforcement and parents of minors. The stalking statute, Section 1312, exempts the legitimate activities of licensed private investigators, but that exemption does not authorize trackers or unlawful recording.

• Recording: 11 Del. C. 2402 allows one-party consent; 11 Del. C. 1335 refers to all parties
• Tracking devices need the vehicle owner's or lessee's consent under 11 Del. C. 1335(a)(8)
• No impersonating police or wearing unauthorized badges
• No pretexting for bank or telephone records under federal law

04Regions

Delaware's three counties each have their own character

New Castle County holds most of Delaware's people. Wilmington, Newark and the suburbs along I-95 and Route 1 tie into the Philadelphia metro area, and many residents commute to Pennsylvania or New Jersey. Large communities such as Bear, Glasgow, Hockessin and Pike Creek are unincorporated, so an address there may not match a city name in court records. New Castle County's courts sit in the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center in downtown Wilmington.

Kent County is centered on Dover, the state capital, with farmland, small towns and Dover Air Force Base. Cases there often involve state agencies or military families. Sussex County, the largest by area, mixes poultry farms and small inland towns with fast-growing beach communities such as Lewes, Rehoboth and Ocean View. Its population rises sharply in summer, and its courthouse is in Georgetown.

Because the state is narrow, a single case can easily touch Maryland's Eastern Shore, southeastern Pennsylvania or South Jersey across the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Each of those states licenses its own investigators, so it helps to list every location when you make a request.

05Pricing

How Delaware investigators usually charge

Each investigator sets their own fees; Delator Group does not set or quote them. Most licensed Delaware agencies bill by the hour for field work, research and report writing, usually against a retainer paid when the agreement is signed. Surveillance often carries a minimum number of hours per day, and two-person teams cost more than a single investigator. Mileage, tolls and database charges are commonly added to invoices.

Records research or a single-address check may be quoted as a set project, while surveillance and locates are usually estimated in stages. Ask for the estimate in writing, ask what happens when the retainer runs low and ask how often you will receive updates. A written engagement letter keeps scope and costs clear for both sides.

06Preparing

How to prepare for your first call with a Delaware investigator

Collect the basics before you talk with an investigator. Write down full names, dates of birth, last known addresses, workplaces, vehicles and phone numbers. Note the county and court where any case is pending, along with case numbers and hearing dates, and have your attorney's contact information ready. Gather copies of relevant documents or messages, but hold them until you have agreed on terms.

Be clear about what decision the information needs to support. A Family Court petition, a Chancery dispute, an insurance claim and a police report each need different kinds of evidence. Mention any protection from abuse orders or safety concerns. Ask the investigator how findings will be reported, whether video is included and whether they have testified in Delaware courts.

• Names, dates of birth and last known addresses
• County, court and case number
• Vehicles, workplaces and known routines
• Attorney contact and deadlines
• Any protection orders or safety concerns

Cities

Top 20 Delaware cities and towns for private investigator requests

These are Delaware's 20 most populous incorporated cities and towns, ranked by the Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Several of the state's larger communities, including Bear, Glasgow, Hockessin and Pike Creek Valley, are unincorporated and are not ranked here. Delaware investigator licenses come from the State Police and cover the whole state.

Counties

All three Delaware counties for investigator requests

Delaware has only three counties, all listed here in order of current Census Bureau estimates. Sussex County has grown past Kent and is now the second most populous. Superior Court, Family Court, the Court of Common Pleas and the Court of Chancery each hold court in all three county seats, while the Delaware Supreme Court sits in Dover.

Investigation types

Investigations licensed Delaware investigators handle

Licensed Delaware investigators work personal, legal and business matters in all three counties. These descriptions are general. The investigator you are matched with will explain what is lawful in your situation, how the work would be carried out and what it is likely to cost before you commit.

• SurveillanceAn investigator observes and documents activity from public places, keeps a time-stamped log and prepares a report, staying within Delaware's limits on tracking devices and recording.Learn more
• Infidelity and divorceInvestigators document relationships, cohabitation or hidden spending relevant to a divorce in Family Court, so the client's attorney can decide how to use the findings.Learn more
• Child custodyInvestigators document parenting time, home conditions and safety concerns for Family Court custody matters, coordinating with counsel on what evidence will help.Learn more
• Background researchInvestigators review court records, judgments, liens and business filings on people and companies. Reports used for hiring or tenant screening fall under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.Learn more
• Asset searchesFor judgments, divorces and Chancery disputes, investigators research real property, business interests and public filings to identify assets a party may hold, within the limits of privacy law.Learn more
• Locates and skip tracingInvestigators find witnesses, debtors, heirs and lost contacts through lawful databases, public records and field checks, confirming an address before reporting it.Learn more
• Insurance and workers' compensationFor carriers, employers and defense counsel, investigators document claimant activity and interview witnesses in claims before the Industrial Accident Board and the courts.Learn more
• Criminal defense investigationWorking for defense attorneys, investigators interview witnesses, canvass scenes, collect video and review discovery in cases from Justice of the Peace Court to Superior Court.Learn more

How matching works

How investigator matching works in Delaware

1. 01

   Send your request

   Use the contact form or call. Describe what you need, the county and town, any deadline and how you would like to be contacted. Keep the details short until you speak with the investigator.

2. 02

   We review it

   Delator Group checks the request for completeness and may ask a follow-up question about location or timing. We do not carry out the investigation.

3. 03

   Referral to a licensed investigator

   We refer your request to an independent investigator licensed through the Delaware State Police who works the county where your matter is.

4. 04

   The investigator contacts you

   The investigator reaches out to discuss goals, legal limits and cost. Any agreement, retainer and payment are directly between you and the investigator.

5. 05

   Verify and decide

   Ask to see the investigator's identification card and the agency's license number, confirm them with the Professional Licensing Section and decide whether to hire.

Licensing

How Delaware licenses private investigators

Delaware licenses investigators at the state level through the State Police. The Private Investigators and Private Security Agencies Act requires both an agency license and an individual license or identification card, and it ties every individual investigator to a licensed agency. Background checks are part of the process. The table below summarizes the essentials and explains how a client can confirm both credentials before work begins.

Before you hire

What to check before you hire an investigator in Delaware

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Nationwide

Find an investigator in another state