Find a Licensed Private Investigator in Pennsylvania

01Why Pennsylvanians hire investigators

When a Pennsylvania matter needs a licensed private detective

Pennsylvania's investigation requests are as varied as its geography. A Chester County parent wants a record of what happens during a co-parent's weekends. A Lehigh Valley distribution center suspects that loads are walking out the back door. A Pittsburgh family is trying to locate an heir before an estate can close. A workers' compensation carrier wants to know whether a claimant in Luzerne County is as limited as reported. In each case the facts need to be gathered lawfully and written up in a way a lawyer or judge will rely on.

The Private Detective Act of 1953 treats that work as licensed activity. It defines the private detective business to include investigations for hire into crimes, a person's identity, habits, conduct and whereabouts, the credibility of witnesses, lost or stolen property and the securing of evidence for trial. That definition reaches most of what people have in mind when they search for a private investigator in Pennsylvania. The task is finding one who is actually licensed and knows the county where your matter sits.

• Divorce, custody and support cases in the courts of common pleas
• Civil litigation: witness locates, statements and asset research
• Workers' compensation and insurance claim reviews
• Employee theft, fraud and business due diligence
• Harassment and stalking documentation for counsel or police

02Licensing

How licensing works for a private investigator in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is unusual. It has no state board or agency that licenses investigators. Instead, the Private Detective Act of 1953, codified at 22 P.S. Section 11 and following sections, gives the licensing role to the county courts. The Act originally named the court of quarter sessions; those courts were merged into the courts of common pleas when Pennsylvania's judiciary was reorganized, so applications now go to the clerk of courts in the county where the business keeps its office, and a judge of the court of common pleas enters the order granting the license.

Section 13 of the Act says that no person, partnership, association or corporation may engage in the business of private detective or investigator, or advertise its business to be that of a detective or detective agency, without a license. Under Section 14, an individual applicant, or at least one member of a firm, must show at least three years of work as a detective or in qualifying law enforcement or investigative positions. Applicants submit fingerprints and community references, and counties require a surety bond. Section 16 ties the license to the premises named in the application, and each branch office needs its own license.

Because licensing is county-based, there is no single statewide search. Verifying an investigator means knowing which county issued the license and checking with that county's clerk of courts. Some counties publish a roster of licensed private detectives, while others confirm licenses by phone. Ask any investigator you consider which county licensed them and for the license number.

03Legal limits

What licensed Pennsylvania investigators can and cannot do

A Pennsylvania license allows a detective to investigate for pay, but it does not grant police powers. Licensed investigators cannot arrest, search, compel records or enter private property without permission. Recording is the area where Pennsylvania differs most from its neighbors. The Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act makes intercepting a wire, electronic or oral communication a felony under 18 Pa.C.S. Section 5703, and the general exception in Section 5704(4) applies only when all parties to the communication have given prior consent. Pennsylvania is therefore an all-party consent state.

The statute defines an oral communication by reference to an expectation that it is not being intercepted, so courts look at whether the people speaking reasonably expected privacy. That analysis is fact-specific. A client should never record a phone call or a private conversation in Pennsylvania without consent from everyone in it, and an investigator should not either. When the other person is in New York or New Jersey, which are one-party states, the answer can get more complicated, so an attorney can confirm what applies.

Pennsylvania also criminalizes stalking under 18 Pa.C.S. Section 2709.1 and harassment under Section 2709, and secretly tracking another person can support those charges. Federal law prohibits pretexting to obtain bank and phone records. A careful investigator will explain these limits before work starts.

• Recording: all-party consent under 18 Pa.C.S. 5703 and 5704(4)
• Covert tracking can support stalking or harassment charges
• No impersonating police or public officials
• No pretexting for bank or telephone records under federal law

04Regions

Pennsylvania's regions shape how a case is worked

Southeastern Pennsylvania is one large metro area. Philadelphia is both a city and a county, and its courts sit at City Hall and the Stout Center for Criminal Justice. Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties surround it with dense suburbs, and many residents work across the river in New Jersey or south in Delaware. Surveillance in the city depends on foot and transit work, while suburban cases depend on vehicles and timing.

Western Pennsylvania centers on Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, with Westmoreland, Washington, Butler and Beaver counties around it. Hills, rivers and bridges shape routes, and Marcellus Shale activity has brought new industry to the southwest. Erie sits apart in the northwest on the lake. Central Pennsylvania, from Harrisburg and Lancaster to State College and Williamsport, is a mix of small cities, farmland and interstate corridors, with long gaps between towns.

The northeast includes Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton and the Pocono Mountains, where resort areas and commuter towns draw people from New York and New Jersey. Large rural areas across the northern tier have few investigators, so an out-of-area case may involve travel time. A licensed investigator who knows the region can plan the work around these distances.

05Pricing

How Pennsylvania investigators usually charge

Each investigator sets their own fees, and Delator Group does not set or quote them. Most licensed Pennsylvania detectives bill hourly for field work, research and report writing, typically against a retainer paid when the agreement is signed. Surveillance often carries a daily minimum because the investigator commits a block of time whether or not the subject moves. Mileage and database charges are common additions, and travel time matters for cases in rural counties.

Discrete records research may be priced as a single project, while surveillance and locates are usually estimated in phases. Ask for the estimate in writing, ask what the retainer covers and ask how you will be told before costs go beyond it. An engagement letter that spells out scope, methods and reporting protects both sides.

06Preparing

How to prepare for your first call with a Pennsylvania investigator

Gather the basics before the first call. Write down full names, dates of birth, last known addresses, employers, vehicles and phone numbers. Note the county where any case is pending, the docket number and any hearing dates, and have your attorney's contact information ready. If you have documents, photos or messages, collect copies, but hold them until you have agreed on terms with the investigator.

Know what decision the information needs to support, whether that is a custody petition, a settlement, a hiring choice or a police report. Tell the investigator about any protection from abuse orders or safety concerns. Ask which county licensed them, how findings will be reported and whether they have testified in a court of common pleas.

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

Cities

Top 20 cities in Pennsylvania for private investigator requests

These are Pennsylvania's 20 most populous cities, ranked by Census Bureau population figures. Pennsylvania also has large townships and boroughs, such as Upper Darby, Bensalem, Lower Merion and State College, which are separate types of municipality and are not shown. Wherever a matter is, the investigator's license comes from a county court, so local knowledge is worth asking about.

Counties

Top 20 Pennsylvania counties for investigator requests

Pennsylvania has 67 counties, grouped into 60 judicial districts for the courts of common pleas, so a few rural counties share judges. This list ranks the 20 most populous counties by current Census Bureau estimates. The county seat is where the clerk of courts keeps private detective license records and where most civil, family and criminal filings are made.

Investigation types

Investigations licensed Pennsylvania investigators handle

Licensed Pennsylvania private detectives take on personal, legal and business matters throughout the Commonwealth. The descriptions below are general. The investigator you are matched with will explain what is lawful in your situation, how the work would be done in your county and what it is likely to cost.

• SurveillanceAn investigator observes and documents activity from public places, keeps a time-stamped log and prepares a report. Pennsylvania's all-party recording rule means surveillance video is typically captured without audio.Learn more
• Infidelity and divorceInvestigators document relationships, cohabitation or hidden spending relevant to a divorce in a court of common pleas, 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 custody cases, working with counsel so the evidence fits what a family court judge will consider.Learn more
• Background researchInvestigators review court dockets, judgments, liens and public filings on people and companies. Reports used for employment or tenant decisions fall under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.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 Pennsylvania's workers' compensation judges and the courts.Learn more
• Criminal defense investigationWorking for defense attorneys, investigators interview witnesses, canvass scenes, collect video and review discovery in cases from magisterial district courts to the courts of common pleas.Learn more
• Corporate and fraud mattersInvestigators look into employee theft, vendor fraud, cargo loss and pre-deal due diligence for Pennsylvania businesses, often alongside company counsel.Learn more

How matching works

How investigator matching works in Pennsylvania

1. 01

   Send your request

   Use the contact form or call. Describe what you need, the county and municipality, any deadline and how you would like to be contacted. Keep sensitive details short for now.

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 private detective licensed by a Pennsylvania court of common pleas who works your region, from Philadelphia to Erie.

4. 04

   The investigator contacts you

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

5. 05

   Verify and decide

   Ask which county issued the license, confirm it with that county's clerk of courts and decide whether to hire. You are under no obligation to go ahead.

Licensing

How Pennsylvania licenses private investigators

Pennsylvania licenses private detectives through its county courts rather than a state agency. The Private Detective Act of 1953 sets the experience requirement, the application and bonding process and the rule that each office needs its own license. The clerk of courts in each county handles applications and keeps the records. The table below summarizes the essentials and explains how a client can confirm a license.

Before you hire

What to check before you hire an investigator in Pennsylvania

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Nationwide

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