Private Investigators in Minnesota by City

Licensing

How Minnesota Licenses Private Investigators

Minnesota regulates investigators through the Board of Private Detective and Protective Agent Services, which sits within the Department of Public Safety. The governing law is Minn. Stat. Sections 326.32 to 326.339. Under Section 326.3381, no person may engage in the private detective business, or advertise or suggest that they do, without first obtaining a license under those sections. The board publishes a list of businesses that currently hold licenses.

Minnesota licenses the business, and the license holder can then hire staff. Under Section 326.336, each new employee is fingerprinted for a state and federal criminal history check, and must carry an identification card from the license holder showing their photo and the license holder's name. For a client, that means checking the business on the board's list and asking the individual for that card.

Courts

How Minnesota Courts Are Organized

Minnesota's trial courts are the district courts, which sit in each of the state's 87 counties. The district court hears civil, criminal, family, probate and juvenile cases, and many courts organize these into separate divisions. Smaller civil claims go to conciliation court, which is part of the district court. For administration, the counties are grouped into 10 judicial districts. Hennepin County and Ramsey County each form a district on their own, while the others cover several counties.

Communities

Minnesota Communities With a Private Investigator Page

Every Minnesota 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 Minnesota investigator guide

Neighboring states: Iowa · North Dakota · South Dakota · Wisconsin