Mississippi pricing guide
How Much Do Investigations Cost in Mississippi?
Delator Group bills most Mississippi field investigations at $100 per hour, and common case types carry published minimums that start at $750 for misdemeanor defense work. Remote reports begin at $102, and county process serving starts at $125 Routine. Distance, hours and scope set the final figure, which you approve in writing before work starts.
- One $100 standard hourly rate
- Minimums published for each case type
- Total approved in writing first
- $100/hrStandard investigative rate
- $102Remote basic background check
- WrittenScope and price before work starts
- 5.0Google rating (18 reviews)
Quick answer
What does an investigation cost in Mississippi?
With Delator Group, most Mississippi field work is $100 per hour, and defined case types carry minimums, such as $1,000 for civil litigation support or an asset investigation and $2,000 for scam investigations. Remote reports are priced individually, starting at $102. The county rate decides serve prices. Our Mississippi service price list shows them all.
01The starting point
The $100 Hourly Rate and What It Covers
Delator's standard investigative rate in Mississippi is $100 per hour, the same rate the firm charges in Tennessee. It applies to field time such as surveillance, witness interviews, scene documentation and courthouse records work, and to the analysis and report writing that turn that time into evidence. There is no separate premium for evenings or weekends folded into a vague retainer; hours are hours. Capital-area attorneys pricing a case often begin with our Hinds County investigators, where many state and federal filings originate.
The hourly rate is only part of the investigation cost in Mississippi, because a case's total depends on how many hours the facts require. A two-day surveillance in a city with predictable routines costs less than a week of rural observation where the subject's schedule is irregular and vantage points are scarce. We estimate the hours from what you tell us at intake, explain the assumptions behind the estimate and adjust in writing if the facts change. Our surveillance investigations in Mississippi page describes what a typical day of field work involves.
02Published floors by case type
Case Minimums for Mississippi Investigations
Some matters always require a baseline of work, so they carry published minimums. Criminal defense investigations start at $750 for a misdemeanor, $1,000 for a single felony and $1,500 when there are multiple charges. A $1,000 floor applies to civil litigation support, to asset investigations and to skip traces that require field work. Audits start at $1,200, abuse investigations at $1,500, and scam investigations at $2,000. These are the same figures Delator uses in Tennessee. Defense counsel can see how those minimums are applied in our felony defense investigation services.
A minimum is a floor, not a forecast. A misdemeanor DUI with one officer and a dashcam may stay near $750, while a felony with several civilian witnesses spread across two counties will exceed $1,000 because of interview and travel hours. We tell you at the start which side of the minimum your case is likely to land on. Lawyers handling appointed cases can review our appointed counsel defense support, and those defending impaired-driving charges can see the scope of our DUI defense investigations.
03Records work without travel
Remote Reports: Background Checks, Skip Traces and Due Diligence
Many questions can be answered without anyone driving to Mississippi. Remote products are priced at the Tennessee price plus 20 percent: a basic background check is $102, a deep-dive background check is $300, a basic skip trace is $102, a due diligence report is $300, and an OSINT review or personal information wipe engagement is $900. These are defined-scope reports with set sources, which is why they can carry a set price rather than an hourly estimate. Employers screening applicants usually start with our Mississippi employee background checks.
A remote report is often the right first step even when field work may follow. A basic skip trace may confirm a current address before a process server makes a single attempt, and a deep-dive background check on a business partner may make a full investigation unnecessary. If the report raises new questions, its cost becomes part of the knowledge the field investigator starts with rather than money lost. Landlords use the same approach with our potential tenant background checks, and attorneys preparing jury selection use our jury pool research in Mississippi.
04Miles, interstates and rural counties
How Distance and Geography Change the Total
Mississippi is wide and largely rural, and travel time is real work. Delator has no Mississippi office; it assigns investigators to the county involved and coordinates from Nashville. A case near Jackson, Gulfport, Hattiesburg or the Memphis suburbs is close to interstate corridors such as I-55, I-20, I-59 and I-10, while a matter deep in the Delta or the southwest counties can involve long drives on two-lane roads. Travel is quoted in writing as part of the estimate, never added afterward. Delta clients can review a quote through our Washington County investigations team.
Geography also affects how many hours a task takes once the investigator arrives. Finding a witness in a dense neighborhood may take an afternoon, while locating someone on rural land with unmarked drives can take several visits. Weather matters too, from Gulf storms to spring severe weather, and a surveillance window can shift with it. We build those realities into the estimate rather than surprising clients later. Southwest Mississippi cases near the Natchez Trace's southern end are handled through our Adams County investigators, with travel priced up front.
05Published county rates
Process Serving Costs by Mississippi County
Serves are priced differently from investigations. Each Mississippi county has a published Routine starting rate, set by population and distance from the nearest metro hub, and the rates run from $125 to $210. Hinds, Harrison, DeSoto, Forrest and Lamar counties start at $125; Warren and Pearl River at $145; Lauderdale at $185; and Washington at $190. Urgent service is 1.5 times Routine, Rush is 2 times and Same Day Rush is 3 times, so a Hinds County serve is $188 Urgent and $375 Same Day. The full list sits on our Mississippi serve rate map.
For comparison, the statutory sheriff's fee for service is $45 under Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-19, and M.R.C.P. 4(c)(1) generally allows a private server's costs to be taxed up to that amount. Private service is chosen for speed, documentation and persistence with hard-to-find defendants, not because it is the least expensive route. Each serve is documented with logged, time-stamped attempts and a signed affidavit. Our Hinds County process serving page and the statewide Mississippi process serving hub explain what each attempt includes.
06No open-ended retainers
Written Scope, No Burning Retainer
A common complaint about investigators is the retainer that disappears without a clear account of what it bought. Delator works differently. Before an investigator is assigned, you receive a written scope listing the objectives, the tasks, the estimated hours, any case minimum, travel and the total. If the investigation uncovers something that justifies more work, we stop and ask, in writing, before spending beyond the approved figure. Attorneys who need to explain costs to a client or a court find that structure useful, and our Mississippi attorney services are built around it.
Reports are written for courts, with sources, dates and methods stated so the work can be relied on and, if necessary, defended on the witness stand. That standard is part of what the price buys. Mississippi has no state private investigator license, so Delator holds every Mississippi assignment to the standard of Tennessee, where it is a licensed private investigation firm. Clients comparing providers can use our guide to hiring without a Mississippi PI license to see which questions to ask about pricing and reporting.
07Practical ways to spend less
How Clients Keep the Investigation Cost in Mississippi Under Control
The single biggest saving is a clear objective. A case defined as proving one fact, such as whether a claimant works a second job, costs far less than an open request to find out everything about someone. Sharing what you already know, including addresses, vehicles, schedules and prior reports, prevents paid hours spent rediscovering it. Starting with a remote report and moving to field work only if needed is another reliable saving. DeSoto County clients near Memphis often take this route through our DeSoto County investigations staff.
Bundling related work also helps. When a case needs both an investigation and service of process, running them under one file avoids duplicate travel and duplicated research into the same person. Timing matters as well: Urgent and Same Day serves cost more, so filing papers early enough for Routine service saves money. Finally, honest feedback on the estimate lets us adjust the plan before work begins. Gulf Coast clients can talk through a budget with our Harrison County team, and anyone can request a quote through the Delator contact page.
Services
Mississippi Services and How Each One Is Priced
- SurveillanceBilled at $100 per hour for field time and reporting, with hours, travel and any vantage-point challenges estimated in writing before the first day.Learn more
- Criminal defense investigationMinimums of $750 for a misdemeanor, $1,000 for a single felony and $1,500 for multiple charges, then $100 per hour beyond them.Learn more
- Civil litigation supportWitness work, records research and scene documentation for civil counsel, carrying a $1,000 minimum and billed hourly once that floor is reached.Learn more
- Asset investigationsProperty, business-interest and transfer research for creditors, spouses and estates, with a $1,000 minimum under a written scope approved in advance.Learn more
- Skip tracingA remote basic skip trace costs $102, while field-work skip traces that need interviews or site checks start at a $1,000 minimum.Learn more
- Background checksRemote basic background checks cost $102 and deep-dive background checks cost $300, each with defined sources and a written report.Learn more
- AuditsCompliance, fraud risk, emergency preparedness and active shooter risk audits start at $1,200, scoped to the facility and the questions involved.Learn more
- Scam and abuse investigationsScam investigations carry a $2,000 minimum and abuse investigations a $1,500 minimum, reflecting the interviews and records work these cases require.Learn more
- Process servingCounty Routine rates from $125 to $210, with Urgent at 1.5 times, Rush at 2 times and Same Day Rush at 3 times Routine.Learn more
How it works
How Delator Prices a Mississippi Investigation
- 01
Tell us the goal
Describe what you need to prove, find or document, plus what you already know. A clear objective is the most important factor in keeping the estimate accurate.
- 02
Receive a written scope
We send the tasks, estimated hours, any case minimum, travel and the total. Remote reports and county serves carry their published prices without hourly estimates.
- 03
Approve before assignment
No investigator is assigned and nothing is billed until you approve the scope in writing. Attorneys can route approval through their office or their client.
- 04
Change orders in writing
If the facts justify more work, we pause and send a written change with the added hours and cost. You decide whether to continue before we spend more.
Compare
Sample Delator Prices in Mississippi (2026)
| Service | Published price | How it is billed |
|---|---|---|
| Field investigation | $100 per hour | Hourly, estimated in writing |
| Misdemeanor defense investigation | $750 minimum | Minimum, then hourly |
| Remote basic background check | $102 | Per report |
| Asset investigation | $1,000 minimum | Minimum, then hourly |
| Hinds County Routine serve | $125 starting rate | Per serve, confirmed in writing |
Statewide coverage
Investigation Cost in Mississippi by Region
The hourly rate and case minimums are the same in all 82 Mississippi counties; only travel and each county's serve rate change. Capital-area work runs through Hinds and Madison County investigators, the Coast through Harrison and Jackson County cost estimates, and north Mississippi through DeSoto and Lafayette County casework. East-central cases through Lauderdale carry higher serve rates because of distance, as do Delta counties such as Washington. Our multistate serve pricing map compares Mississippi with the other states we cover.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What hourly rate does Delator charge in Mississippi?
Delator's standard investigative rate in Mississippi is $100 per hour, the same as in Tennessee. It covers field time, interviews, records research, analysis and report writing. Certain case types carry published minimums, and remote reports are priced individually. Every estimate is confirmed in writing before any work begins, so the hourly rate never runs unsupervised.
Do you require a retainer?
We do not run open-ended retainers that drain without explanation. You approve a written scope with a total before an investigator is assigned, and any additional work requires a written change you approve first. Payment terms are set out in that scope, so you know exactly what you are paying for and when.
Why does a process serve cost more in some counties?
Each county's Routine rate reflects its population and its distance from the nearest metro hub, which drives travel time and the number of attempts realistically needed. Metro counties such as Hinds and Harrison start at $125, while distant counties run higher, up to $210. Our Lauderdale County process serving page shows a higher-distance example at $185 Routine.
How much does surveillance cost in Mississippi?
Surveillance is billed at $100 per hour for field time and reporting. The total depends on how many hours are needed to capture the activity in question, which depends on the subject's routine, the location and the vantage points available. A focused plan built around known schedules usually costs far less than open-ended observation, and we estimate the hours in writing.
What does a background check cost?
A remote basic background check is $102 and a deep-dive background check is $300. A due diligence report on a business is also $300. These carry set prices because their sources and scope are defined. If a background check reveals something that needs field work, we quote that separately in writing. Our executive hire screening covers senior roles.
Are your Mississippi prices different from Tennessee?
The hourly rate and case minimums are the same. Remote products are priced at the Tennessee price plus 20 percent, so a basic background check is $102. Process serving uses Mississippi's own county rate table. Travel inside Mississippi is quoted in writing as part of each estimate rather than billed as a surprise afterward.
Can an attorney pass investigation costs to the client or the court?
That depends on the engagement, the court and the type of case, so counsel should decide. Our written scopes and itemized reports make it easier to explain and document costs. In service of process, M.R.C.P. 4(c)(1) generally allows a private server's costs to be taxed up to the statutory sheriff's fee, which is $45 under Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-19.
What does it cost to find someone who is avoiding service?
A remote basic skip trace is $102 and often confirms an address before any field attempt. When the person is actively hiding and the case needs interviews or site checks, a field-work skip trace starts at $1,000. The serve itself is priced from the county's published rate. Our evasive person skip tracing explains the field approach.
Is a low hourly rate always the better value?
Not necessarily. Low hourly rates can hide extra hours, weak reports or work that cannot be used in court. Compare what each firm commits to in writing: the scope, the total, how changes are approved and what the final report contains. Mississippi has no state investigator license, so asking those questions matters more here, and our guide to lawful investigator work in Mississippi helps.
How do I get a quote?
Call (629) 310-8667, email contact@delatorgroup.com or use our contact form. Describe the objective, the people and places involved and any deadlines. We respond with questions or a written scope and total. Nothing is billed until you approve it, and the quote states clearly which items are published prices and which are hourly estimates.
Every service
Investigations available in Mississippi
Every service below is available in Mississippi and across Mississippi, run by the same Delator Group leadership that manages our Tennessee casework. Choose a service to read how it works in Mississippi.
Core services
Infidelity
Surveillance
Background checks
Corporate
Audits
Locates
Sensitive matters
Service areas
Private investigators across Mississippi
Counties we cover
More counties
Process serving
Delator Group is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Work in Mississippi is managed by Delator Group leadership; Photography: Justin Wilkens / Unsplash · Elijah Mears / Unsplash · Kelly Sikkema / Unsplash. Last reviewed .
Delator Group Private Investigators
Get a Written Mississippi Investigation Quote
Describe the question your case has to answer. We will send the scope, estimated hours, any case minimum, travel and the total price, in writing, before any investigator is assigned.
Delator Group Private Investigators · Nashville headquarters · Tennessee, Wyoming, South Dakota, Idaho, Alaska and Mississippi
