Find a Licensed Private Investigator in Texas

01Why Texans hire investigators

When a Texas matter needs a licensed investigator

Most Texas investigation requests start with a question a person cannot answer alone. A parent in a Collin County custody case wants proof of what happens on weekend visits. A Houston business owner suspects a manager is steering contracts to a relative. An Austin family has lost touch with an aging parent who moved to the Hill Country. A claims adjuster in Corpus Christi doubts that an injured worker is as limited as the file says. Each of these needs facts gathered lawfully and written up in a form an attorney, judge or insurer will take seriously.

Texas law treats that fact-gathering as regulated work. Obtaining information about a person's identity, habits, conduct or whereabouts for pay, or securing evidence for use in court, is the business of an investigations company under the Occupations Code. That is why the first decision is not which search engine result looks polished, but which investigator actually holds a current Texas license and has worked the kind of matter you have, in the part of the state where it is happening.

• Family law: custody, divorce and protective order matters in district courts
• Civil litigation: witness locates, statements and asset research
• Insurance and workers' compensation claim reviews
• Business concerns: employee misconduct, fraud and due diligence
• Personal safety: documenting harassment or stalking for counsel or police

02Licensing

How licensing works for a private investigator in Texas

Texas regulates investigators through Chapter 1702 of the Occupations Code, administered by the Texas Department of Public Safety through its Private Security program. The old Texas Private Security Board no longer exists as a separate regulator; Section 1702.005 provides that references to that board now mean the department, and a seven-member advisory committee advises DPS on technical matters. Licensing has two layers. The business must hold an investigations company license, and each person doing the work must hold an individual private investigator license and be employed by a licensed company.

Section 1702.101 says a person without an investigations company license may not act as one, offer to perform its services, or engage in business that requires a license under the chapter. Section 1702.104 defines that business broadly. It covers obtaining or furnishing information about crimes, a person's identity, habits, conduct, movements or whereabouts, lost or stolen property, and the cause of a fire, loss, accident or injury, along with securing evidence for court. Electronically tracking a person or vehicle for hire is listed too. DPS issues the investigations-only company license as Class A and the combined investigations and security contractor license as Class C.

The penalties give the license real weight. Section 1702.3876 makes it a Class A misdemeanor to impersonate a private investigator or to knowingly purport to exercise a function that requires the license. Section 1702.386 makes it an offense to knowingly contract with or employ someone who lacks a required license, and Section 1702.381 allows civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation. For a client, the practical point is simple: hire only someone whose license you have checked, and keep the check on file. Program information is on the DPS Private Security page.

03Legal limits

What licensed Texas investigators can and cannot do

A license is permission to do investigative work for pay, not a badge. A licensed Texas investigator has no power to arrest, search, compel anyone to talk or enter private property without permission. Investigators generally work from public places, public records, lawful databases and voluntary interviews. Recording is governed by Texas Penal Code Section 16.02, which makes intercepting wire, oral or electronic communications a felony but gives a defense to a person who is a party to the conversation or has the prior consent of one party, unless the purpose is to commit an unlawful act. Texas is therefore generally described as a one-party consent state, though calls with people in all-party states raise separate questions.

Vehicle tracking is tighter than many people expect. Penal Code Section 16.06 makes it a Class A misdemeanor to knowingly install a tracking device on a motor vehicle owned or leased by another person. The defense for a licensed investigator requires written consent from the vehicle's owner or lessee, plus the property owner's consent if residential property must be entered, or a court order. A spouse who is not on the title should talk to an attorney before anyone places a device.

Surveillance itself also has edges. Stalking under Section 42.072 is a third-degree felony that turns on repeated conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person fear or distress, which is why professional surveillance is planned, limited and documented. Federal law separately restricts pretexting for financial records and phone records and limits access to driver records. An attorney can confirm how these rules apply to a given case.

• Generally lawful: public-place observation, public records, voluntary interviews
• Generally lawful: recording a conversation the investigator is part of
• Restricted: GPS on a vehicle without the owner's written consent or a court order
• Not allowed: impersonating police or using false pretenses to obtain bank or phone records

04Regions

Why local knowledge matters across Texas

Texas is large enough that where a matter happens changes how it is worked. El Paso sits more than 700 miles from Houston by interstate and runs on Mountain Time, so an investigator based in Dallas is rarely the right fit for a case there. The four big metros, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin, each have their own courthouse routines, traffic patterns and records offices. Suburban counties such as Collin, Denton, Fort Bend, Montgomery, Williamson and Hays have grown so quickly that addresses, subdivisions and even school zones change faster than many databases.

Outside the metros the work looks different again. The Rio Grande Valley and Laredo are shaped by international bridges, cross-border family ties and heavy commercial traffic. The Permian Basin around Midland and Odessa has oilfield work camps and transient labor. The Panhandle and South Plains are hubs surrounded by long stretches of ranch and farm country where an unfamiliar car on a county road stands out. East Texas has dense pine forest and small county seats.

Three federally recognized tribes have land in Texas: the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas near Livingston, the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas near Eagle Pass and Ysleta del Sur Pueblo in El Paso. Jurisdiction on tribal land can differ from the surrounding county, so an investigator working near those areas should raise it early and the client's attorney should weigh in. Requests sent through Delator Group are matched by county for this reason.

05Pricing

How Texas investigators usually price their work

Every investigator sets and quotes their own fees, and the right structure depends on the type of work. Most licensed investigators bill surveillance and field work by the hour, often with a minimum number of hours per day so a short assignment is still worth the travel. Mileage or travel time is usually added for work outside the investigator's home area, which matters in a state where a single assignment can mean a long drive between county seats. Database searches, records requests and court filings are commonly passed through as expenses.

Many investigators ask for a retainer before work begins and bill against it, returning 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 is included, how often you will get updates, whether report writing and video editing are billed separately, and what happens if a subject does not move on the planned surveillance day. A clear written agreement protects both sides and avoids surprises when the invoice arrives.

06Before the first call

How to prepare for the first conversation with an investigator

A good first call is short and specific. Write down what you want to learn, why it matters, and what you will do with the answer. If a court case is open, have the cause number, the court and county, your attorney's name and any deadlines ready. For a person, gather full name, date of birth if known, last known addresses, vehicles, employer, a recent photo and the usual schedule. For a business matter, collect the documents that raised the concern and the names of people involved.

Expect the investigator to ask questions that test whether the goal is lawful and realistic. A licensed investigator will decline work that looks like an attempt to harass or find someone who does not want to be found for a harmful reason, and may ask for court paperwork in protective order or custody matters. Tell the investigator about anything that could affect safety, such as weapons, prior violence or a protective order. The more accurate the picture you give, 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 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 in Texas for private investigator requests

These are the 20 largest Texas cities by the Census Bureau's 2025 population estimates, with the county that holds most of each city. Several cross county lines, so the county where an address actually sits can decide which courthouse, sheriff and records office matter. Tell us the street address or ZIP code when you send a request.

Counties

Top 20 Texas counties for investigator requests

Texas has 254 counties, more than any other state, and each has its own district clerk, county clerk and justice of the peace precincts. The 20 below are the most populous by July 2025 Census Bureau estimates. Investigators who work these counties regularly know where records are kept and how local courts handle subpoenas and testimony.

Investigation types

Investigations licensed Texas investigators handle

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

• SurveillanceA licensed investigator observes and records activity from public places, keeps a time-stamped log and writes a report. Texas investigators plan surveillance carefully to stay clear of trespass and stalking laws.Learn more
• Child custody investigationsInvestigators document conditions during possession periods, a parent's conduct and who is present in the home, producing evidence a family lawyer can present in a Texas district court custody hearing.Learn more
• Infidelity investigationsTexas allows fault grounds such as adultery in divorce. An investigator gathers lawful observations and records that an attorney can weigh for the property division or a fault claim.Learn more
• Locating peopleInvestigators locate witnesses, debtors, heirs and lost relatives through public records, licensed data sources and field checks, within federal limits on phone and financial records.Learn more
• Background researchInvestigators search court, property and business records for a person or company. Reports used for employment, tenant or credit decisions fall under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act and need a consumer reporting agency.Learn more
• Asset searchesInvestigators trace real property, business interests, vehicles and liens through county and state records to support collections, divorce property division or a judgment enforcement strategy in Texas courts.Learn more
• Insurance and workers' comp claimsFor carriers, employers and defense counsel, investigators check claimed injuries against observed activity, interview witnesses and verify employment, all from lawful vantage points.Learn more
• Criminal defense investigationWorking through defense counsel, investigators interview witnesses, canvass scenes, collect video and review police reports for felony cases in district court and misdemeanors in county courts.Learn more

How matching works

How investigator matching works in Texas

1. 01

   Send your request

   Use the contact form or call. Describe what you need, the county and city, any deadline and how you prefer to be reached. 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 follow-up question about location, timing or court involvement before referring it.

3. 03

   Referral to a Texas investigator

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

4. 04

   The investigator contacts you

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

5. 05

   You verify and decide

   Before you sign, look up the investigator and their company in the DPS TOPS search. There is no obligation to hire, and the choice is always yours.

Licensing

How Texas licenses private investigators

Texas licenses both the business and the person. A company that does investigations must hold an investigations company license from the Department of Public Safety, and each individual who investigates must hold a private investigator license and work for a licensed company. DPS states that individuals must be licensed and affiliated with a company or entity it licenses. Checking both layers takes a few minutes in the state's TOPS system and is the simplest protection a client has.

Before you hire

What to check before you hire an investigator in Texas

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Nationwide

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