Private Investigators in Michigan by City

Licensing

How Michigan Licenses Private Investigators

Michigan regulates investigators under the Professional Investigator Licensure Act, 1965 PA 285, MCL 338.821 and following. The program is run by the Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau within LARA. Under MCL 338.823, a person or company must be licensed before working as a professional investigator for hire, advertising that business or selling information about a person's character. LARA issues professional investigator agency licenses and branch licenses.

For a client, the license to check is usually the agency's. The individual doing the work may be the licensee or an employee working under the agency license. MiCLEAR shows license status, so confirm the agency name on the contract matches an active record. Michigan also uses the term professional investigator, so do not be surprised if that is the title on the license.

Courts

How Michigan Courts Are Organized

Michigan's trial courts include circuit courts, district courts and probate courts. The circuit court is the general trial court for felonies and larger civil cases, and its family division handles divorce, custody, support and many juvenile matters. District courts hear misdemeanors, traffic cases, landlord-tenant cases, small claims and civil cases up to a set dollar limit. Probate courts handle estates, trusts, guardianships and mental health cases. Some circuits and probate districts cover more than one county, and a few cities have municipal courts.

Communities

Michigan Communities With a Private Investigator Page

Every Michigan community over 3,000 residents, by population (U.S. Census Bureau, April 1, 2020 estimates base and July 1, 2024 estimates (Vintage 2024)).

Read the full Michigan investigator guide

Neighboring states: Indiana · Ohio · Wisconsin