Find a Licensed Private Investigator in Nevada

01Why Nevadans hire investigators

When a Nevada matter needs a licensed investigator

Nevada requests usually begin with a specific worry. A parent in a Clark County custody case wants to know who stays at the other household during visits. A Reno business owner thinks a manager has been skimming cash. A family in Henderson is trying to find a relative who moved to the rural north and stopped calling. A casino, hotel or insurer wants to know whether a claimed injury matches what a person does day to day. Each one needs facts gathered lawfully and written up so a lawyer, judge or claims examiner will rely on them.

Nevada treats that work as licensed. Under NRS 648.012, a private investigator is anyone who, for any consideration, engages in business or accepts employment to furnish, or agrees to make or makes, an investigation to obtain information about a person's identity, conduct, movements, whereabouts or character, lost or stolen property, the cause of accidents and injuries, a crime or tort, or evidence for a court or board. So the first step is not choosing the most visible ad. It is confirming who holds a current Nevada license.

• Family law: custody, divorce and protection order matters
• Civil litigation: witness locates, statements and asset research
• Insurance, workers' compensation and premises liability claims
• Business concerns: employee theft, embezzlement and fraud
• Personal safety: documenting harassment for counsel or police

02Licensing

How licensing works for a private investigator in Nevada

Nevada regulates investigators under Chapter 648 of the Nevada Revised Statutes and the board's regulations in Chapter 648 of the Nevada Administrative Code. The Private Investigators Licensing Board, a five-member board appointed by the Governor under NRS 648.020, issues licenses, investigates complaints and disciplines licensees. The same chapter also covers several related occupations, such as private patrol officers, security consultants and polygraph examiners, so the license category matters when you check a record.

The licensing rule is broad. NRS 648.060 says that, apart from a narrow exception, no person may engage in the business of private investigator, or advertise that business as such irrespective of the name or title actually used, unless licensed under the chapter. The same section says no one may be employed by a licensee unless registered under the chapter, which is why employees of Nevada investigation firms carry board-issued work cards. Anyone accessing only public records, public databases or other public information is excluded from the definition.

Advertising rules give clients a quick cross-check. NRS 648.148 requires every advertisement by a licensee to include the licensee's name and license number as they appear in the board's records. If a Nevada investigator's website or contract lacks a license number, ask for it and look it up. Program information, license verification and work card verification are on the Private Investigators Licensing Board site.

03Legal limits

What licensed Nevada investigators can and cannot do

A Nevada license allows investigative work for pay. It does not carry police powers. A licensed investigator cannot arrest, search, compel answers or go onto private property without permission. Most work is done from public places, public records, lawful data sources and voluntary interviews. Nevada's recording law has two parts. NRS 200.650 bars secretly recording a private in-person conversation unless one party authorizes it, so in-person recording generally follows a one-party rule.

Telephone calls are treated differently. NRS 200.620 governs wire communications, and the Nevada Supreme Court has read it to require the consent of all parties before a phone call is recorded, with a narrow emergency exception aimed mainly at law enforcement. That split is why careful Nevada investigators avoid recording calls without everyone's consent and check with counsel before relying on any audio. Vehicle tracking is restricted too. NRS 200.930, added in 2023, makes it a crime to knowingly install, conceal or place a mobile tracking device on another person's vehicle without the knowledge and consent of an owner or lessor.

Surveillance also has to stay clear of Nevada's stalking law, NRS 200.575, which covers a course of conduct that would make a reasonable person feel terrorized, frightened or harassed. That is why professional surveillance is planned, limited and documented. Federal law bars pretexting for bank or phone records and restricts use of driver records. An attorney can confirm how these rules apply to a given case.

• Generally lawful: observation and video from public places
• Generally lawful: recording an in-person conversation the investigator is part of
• Restricted: recording a phone call without every party's consent
• Restricted: a tracking device on a vehicle without an owner's or lessor's consent
• Not allowed: posing as police or using pretexts for bank or phone records

04Regions

Why local knowledge matters across Nevada

Most Nevadans live in two metros, and the rest of the state is some of the emptiest country in the lower 48. Clark County holds the Las Vegas Valley, where large communities such as Paradise, Spring Valley, Enterprise and Sunrise Manor are unincorporated and policed by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, while Henderson and North Las Vegas have their own departments. The Strip runs around the clock, so surveillance and witness work there follow a schedule unlike any other city.

Northern Nevada centers on Reno and Sparks in Washoe County, with Carson City, Douglas County and Lyon County close by and Lake Tahoe straddling the California line. Beyond that, towns such as Fallon, Winnemucca, Elko, Ely and Tonopah sit along Interstate 80, US 50 and US 95, often more than an hour apart, with limited services in between. West Wendover sits on the Utah line and keeps Mountain Time. District courts are organized into 11 judicial districts, and several rural districts cover more than one county.

Nevada has more than two dozen federally recognized tribes, bands and colonies, from the Moapa River Reservation northeast of Las Vegas to the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation north of Reno. Jurisdiction on tribal land can differ from the surrounding county, so an investigator working nearby should raise it early and the client's attorney should weigh in. Requests sent through Delator Group are matched by county for these reasons.

05Pricing

How Nevada investigators usually price their work

Every investigator sets and quotes their own fees, and the structure depends on the assignment. Surveillance and field work are usually billed by the hour, often with a minimum block per day so that a short shift still covers travel. Mileage and travel time are commonly added when the work is far from the investigator's base, which matters in a state where a case in Ely or Winnemucca can be a long day's drive from Las Vegas. Database searches, record copies and court fees are usually passed through as expenses.

Many investigators ask for a retainer and bill against it, refunding or invoicing the balance at the end. Some quote a set price for a narrow task such as a single records search or a defined background report. Ask what the quote includes, how often you will get updates, whether report writing and video editing are billed separately and what happens if a planned surveillance day turns up nothing. A written agreement that covers those points protects both sides.

06Before the first call

How to prepare for the first conversation with an investigator

A productive first call is short and specific. Write down what you need to know, why it matters and what you will do with the answer. If a case is open, have the case number, the district court and county, your attorney's contact information and any hearing dates. For a person, gather the full name, date of birth if known, last known addresses, vehicles, employer, a recent photo and the usual schedule, including shift work, which is common in Nevada. For a business matter, collect the records that raised the concern.

Expect the investigator to ask questions that test whether the goal is lawful and realistic. A licensed investigator will turn down work that looks like an effort to harass someone or to find a person who has good reason to stay hidden, and may ask for court papers in custody or protection order matters. Mention anything that affects safety, such as weapons, past violence or an existing order. The clearer the picture, the more accurate the quote. When you are ready, send a short request with the county and the goal.

• Your goal, in one or two sentences
• County and city or community where the activity happens
• Names, dates of birth, addresses and vehicles you already know
• Case number, court and attorney contact, if any
• Budget range and any hard deadline

Cities

Top 20 cities and communities in Nevada for private investigator requests

Nevada has only 19 incorporated cities, and several of its largest communities are unincorporated towns in Clark and Washoe counties. This list ranks the 20 largest places, cities and census-designated communities together, using Census Bureau estimates for cities and recent counts for unincorporated areas. Because an unincorporated address can carry a Las Vegas mailing name, include the street address when you send a request.

Counties

All 17 Nevada counties for investigator requests

Nevada has 16 counties plus Carson City, a consolidated municipality that functions as its own county. All 17 are listed below in order of population by recent estimates, from Clark County, home to about three in four Nevadans, to Esmeralda County with well under a thousand residents. District courts sit in 11 judicial districts, and rural districts often cover several counties.

Investigation types

Investigations licensed Nevada investigators handle

These are the request types Delator Group most often refers to licensed Nevada investigators. Each investigator decides what work to accept and how to carry it out. The descriptions explain what the work generally involves under Nevada law, so you can describe your need clearly when the investigator calls.

• SurveillanceA licensed investigator observes and video-records activity from public places, keeps a time-stamped log and writes a report. Around-the-clock casino and resort settings call for careful planning.Learn more
• Child custody investigationsInvestigators document conditions during visitation, a parent's conduct and who is present, giving a family law attorney observations to weigh before a district court hearing.Learn more
• Infidelity investigationsNevada divorce is no-fault, but conduct can still matter to custody or the waste of community property. An investigator gathers lawful observations an attorney can evaluate.Learn more
• Locating peopleInvestigators find witnesses, heirs, debtors and relatives through public records, licensed data sources and field checks, within federal limits on phone, bank and driver records.Learn more
• Background researchInvestigators review court, property and business records on a person or company. Reports used for employment, tenant or credit decisions fall under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.Learn more
• Asset searchesInvestigators trace real property, vehicles, business entities and liens through county and state records, which matters in a state where many companies are formed by out-of-state owners.Learn more
• Insurance and workers' comp claimsFor carriers, employers and defense counsel, investigators compare claimed limitations with observed activity and interview witnesses, including slip-and-fall claims at hospitality properties.Learn more
• Fraud and embezzlementInvestigators help businesses and counsel document cash handling losses, vendor schemes and employee theft, coordinating with accountants and forensic examiners as needed.Learn more

How matching works

How investigator matching works in Nevada

1. 01

   Send your request

   Use the contact form or call. Describe what you need, the county and community, any deadline and how you prefer to be contacted. Keep sensitive details brief until you speak with the investigator.

2. 02

   Request review

   Delator Group reviews the request for completeness and lawful purpose and may ask a quick follow-up about location, timing or whether a court case is open.

3. 03

   Referral to a Nevada investigator

   The request is referred to an independent investigator who holds a Nevada license and works in or near the county involved, so local courts and long rural drives are familiar.

4. 04

   The investigator contacts you

   The investigator calls or emails, discusses scope and method, quotes their own fee and, if you decide to proceed, signs a written agreement with you directly.

5. 05

   You verify and decide

   Before you sign, check the investigator's license number in the board's online license verification. There is no obligation to hire, and the decision stays with you.

Licensing

How Nevada licenses private investigators

Nevada licenses investigators through a single state board rather than counties or cities. The Private Investigators Licensing Board reviews applications, administers examinations, runs background checks, issues licenses and registers the employees who work for licensees. Every licensee must put the license number in its advertising, so checking a Nevada investigator is usually quick: find the number, enter it in the board's verification tool and confirm the status before you sign.

Before you hire

What to check before you hire an investigator in Nevada

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Nationwide

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