Licensing
How Louisiana Licenses Private Investigators
Louisiana regulates private investigators through the Louisiana State Board of Private Investigator Examiners, a state board based in Baton Rouge. Its authority comes from La. R.S. 37:3500 through 37:3525. Anyone doing investigative work for pay in Louisiana generally needs a board license, and businesses that provide investigators need an agency license as well. Applicants submit fingerprints for state and federal criminal history checks under R.S. 37:3507.1 before a license is issued.
For a client, there are usually two things to check: the agency license and the individual license. The board's online search shows the license type, status and expiration date for both. Louisiana also issues journeyman licenses, and the board notes that journeyman licensees may work only for licensed agencies, not directly for the public. If the person you are speaking with holds a journeyman license, confirm which agency they work under.
Courts
How Louisiana Courts Are Organized
Louisiana's general-jurisdiction trial courts are the district courts, organized into judicial districts that each cover one or more parishes. They hear felonies, civil suits, divorce, custody and succession (probate) matters. Orleans Parish has a separate Civil District Court and Criminal District Court, and a few parishes have specialized family or juvenile courts. City courts and parish courts handle smaller civil claims, misdemeanors and traffic cases. Louisiana's civil law tradition also shapes property and family law, so local counsel matters.
Communities
Louisiana Communities With a Private Investigator Page
Every Louisiana community over 3,000 residents, by population (U.S. Census Bureau, April 1, 2020 estimates base and July 1, 2024 estimates (Vintage 2024)).
| Community | Parish | Population (2024 est.) |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | Orleans Parish | 362,701 |
| Baton Rouge | East Baton Rouge Parish | 220,907 |
| Shreveport | Caddo Parish / Bossier Parish | 176,578 |
| Lafayette | Lafayette Parish | 122,280 |
| Lake Charles | Calcasieu Parish | 81,157 |
| Kenner | Jefferson Parish | 64,650 |
| Bossier City | Bossier Parish | 63,218 |
| Monroe | Ouachita Parish | 46,622 |
| Alexandria | Rapides Parish | 43,133 |
| Central | East Baton Rouge Parish | 30,161 |
| Slidell | St. Tammany Parish | 28,440 |
| New Iberia | Iberia Parish | 26,849 |
| Hammond | Tangipahoa Parish | 23,426 |
| Ruston | Lincoln Parish | 22,330 |
| Sulphur | Calcasieu Parish | 20,572 |
| Zachary | East Baton Rouge Parish | 20,370 |
| Youngsville | Lafayette Parish | 19,038 |
| Gretna | Jefferson Parish | 17,185 |
| Natchitoches | Natchitoches Parish | 17,165 |
| Thibodaux | Lafourche Parish | 15,569 |
| Broussard | Lafayette Parish / St. Martin Parish | 15,312 |
| Opelousas | St. Landry Parish | 15,176 |
| Pineville | Rapides Parish | 13,966 |
| Gonzales | Ascension Parish | 13,837 |
| Mandeville | St. Tammany Parish | 12,973 |
| Carencro | Lafayette Parish | 12,883 |
| West Monroe | Ouachita Parish | 12,476 |
| Baker | East Baton Rouge Parish | 12,147 |
| Covington | St. Tammany Parish | 11,686 |
| Crowley | Acadia Parish | 11,216 |
| Minden | Webster Parish | 11,195 |
| Abbeville | Vermilion Parish | 10,902 |
| Morgan City | St. Mary Parish / St. Martin Parish | 10,813 |
| Bogalusa | Washington Parish | 10,367 |
| DeRidder | Beauregard Parish / Vernon Parish | 9,508 |
| Scott | Lafayette Parish | 9,468 |
| Denham Springs | Livingston Parish | 9,321 |
| Jennings | Jefferson Davis Parish | 9,280 |
| Eunice | St. Landry Parish / Acadia Parish | 9,044 |
| Bastrop | Morehouse Parish | 8,922 |
| Harahan | Jefferson Parish | 8,819 |
| Westwego | Jefferson Parish | 8,231 |
| Ponchatoula | Tangipahoa Parish | 7,735 |
| Breaux Bridge | St. Martin Parish | 7,582 |
| Addis | West Baton Rouge Parish | 7,538 |
| Rayne | Acadia Parish | 6,983 |
| Donaldsonville | Ascension Parish | 6,945 |
| St. Gabriel | Iberville Parish | 6,857 |
| Oakdale | Allen Parish | 6,490 |
| Walker | Livingston Parish | 6,402 |
| Franklin | St. Mary Parish | 6,284 |
| Ville Platte | Evangeline Parish | 6,148 |
| Plaquemine | Iberville Parish | 5,985 |
| Tallulah | Madison Parish | 5,677 |
| Patterson | St. Mary Parish | 5,614 |
| Leesville | Vernon Parish | 5,339 |
| Grambling | Lincoln Parish | 5,278 |
| St. Martinville | St. Martin Parish | 5,229 |
| Port Allen | West Baton Rouge Parish | 4,991 |
| Marksville | Avoyelles Parish | 4,805 |
| Westlake | Calcasieu Parish | 4,735 |
| Winnsboro | Franklin Parish | 4,602 |
| Haughton | Bossier Parish | 4,574 |
| Jeanerette | Iberia Parish | 4,557 |
| Mansfield | De Soto Parish | 4,545 |
| Berwick | St. Mary Parish | 4,495 |
| Springhill | Webster Parish | 4,485 |
| New Roads | Pointe Coupee Parish | 4,295 |
| Kaplan | Vermilion Parish | 4,164 |
| Jena | LaSalle Parish | 4,133 |
| Amite City | Tangipahoa Parish | 4,086 |
| Church Point | Acadia Parish | 4,032 |
| Jonesboro | Jackson Parish | 4,028 |
| Winnfield | Winn Parish | 3,979 |
| Jackson | East Feliciana Parish | 3,932 |
| Vidalia | Concordia Parish | 3,888 |
| Richwood | Ouachita Parish | 3,809 |
| Ball | Rapides Parish | 3,801 |
| Franklinton | Washington Parish | 3,592 |
| Farmerville | Union Parish | 3,375 |
| Blanchard | Caddo Parish | 3,371 |
| Welsh | Jefferson Davis Parish | 3,275 |
| Lake Providence | East Carroll Parish | 3,231 |
| Rayville | Richland Parish | 3,195 |
| Bunkie | Avoyelles Parish | 3,183 |
| Sunset | St. Landry Parish | 3,167 |
| Iowa | Calcasieu Parish | 3,150 |
| Vinton | Calcasieu Parish | 3,108 |
| Greenwood | Caddo Parish | 3,091 |
| Maurice | Vermilion Parish | 3,071 |
Read the full Louisiana investigator guide
Neighboring states: Arkansas · Mississippi · Texas
How this service works
Investigator Consulting in Louisiana
Delator Group is a private investigation firm licensed in Tennessee and headquartered in Nashville. In Louisiana, Delator Group is not licensed as a private investigator or private investigative agency and does not perform, supervise or direct investigations. We review requests and refer them to independent investigators who hold the license Louisiana requires. Those investigators contract with clients directly, set their own fees and are responsible for the work. Delator Group may receive compensation from participating investigators for referrals.
FAQ
Questions About Finding an Investigator in Louisiana
Which Louisiana communities have their own page?
Every incorporated Louisiana city, town or village with more than 3,000 residents, plus every township or town government of that size, has its own page here, 90 in all. Smaller places are covered by the nearest page and the statewide guide.
Is Delator Group licensed in Louisiana?
No. In Louisiana, Delator Group provides investigator consulting and referral only. Investigations are performed by independently licensed Louisiana investigators who contract with you directly.
Who licenses private investigators in Louisiana?
The Louisiana State Board of Private Investigator Examiners, under La. R.S. 37:3500 through 37:3525 (Private Investigators Law). A business that provides investigators needs a board agency license, and each individual investigator needs a board-issued license; journeyman licensees may work only for licensed agencies.
How do I check an investigator's Louisiana license?
Search the investigator and the agency on the board's online license search and confirm the license numbers, status and expiration dates.
Is Louisiana a one-party or two-party consent state?
Louisiana is generally a one-party consent state. Under La. R.S. 15:1303(C)(4), a person who is part of a conversation, or who has one participant's prior consent, may generally record it, as long as the purpose is not criminal or tortious. Recording a conversation no participant agreed to is a different matter. An attorney can confirm how the rule applies to your situation.