Licensing
How Missouri Licenses Private Investigators
Missouri licenses investigators through a state board within the Division of Professional Registration. Under RSMo Section 324.1102, it is now named the Board of Private Investigators, Private Fire Investigators, and Professional Surety Bail Bond Agents, though some state pages still use the older name. The licensing law is RSMo Sections 324.1100 to 324.1148, and Section 324.1104 makes it unlawful to engage in the private investigator business without a license.
Missouri has two layers. Section 324.1104 requires an individual private investigator license and, separately, an agency license for anyone doing business as a private investigator agency. For a client, that means looking up both the person who will do the work and the business named on the contract in the Division of Professional Registration's licensee search, and confirming that each license is current.
Courts
How Missouri Courts Are Organized
Missouri's trial courts are the circuit courts, organized into 46 judicial circuits that cover every county and the City of St. Louis. Each county has a circuit court, usually at the county seat, and some hold court at additional locations. The circuit court works through divisions, including associate circuit, small claims, municipal, probate, juvenile and family divisions. The family division handles divorce, custody, child support and adoption, and probate matters go to the probate division.
Communities
Missouri Communities With a Private Investigator Page
Every Missouri community over 3,000 residents, by population (U.S. Census Bureau, April 1, 2020 estimates base and July 1, 2024 estimates (Vintage 2024)).
| Community | County | Population (2024 est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | Jackson County / Clay County / Platte County / Cass County | 516,032 |
| St. Louis | the City of St. Louis | 279,695 |
| Springfield | Greene County / Christian County | 170,596 |
| Columbia | Boone County | 130,900 |
| Independence | Jackson County / Clay County | 121,629 |
| Lee's Summit | Jackson County / Cass County | 106,419 |
| O'Fallon | St. Charles County | 95,355 |
| St. Charles | St. Charles County | 72,458 |
| St. Joseph | Buchanan County | 71,098 |
| St. Peters | St. Charles County | 61,398 |
| Blue Springs | Jackson County | 61,246 |
| Joplin | Jasper County / Newton County | 53,605 |
| Florissant | St. Louis County | 51,290 |
| Chesterfield | St. Louis County | 49,465 |
| Wentzville | St. Charles County | 48,646 |
| Jefferson City | Cole County / Callaway County | 42,564 |
| Cape Girardeau | Cape Girardeau County / Scott County | 40,818 |
| Wildwood | St. Louis County | 35,082 |
| University City | St. Louis County | 34,349 |
| Liberty | Clay County | 31,245 |
| Ballwin | St. Louis County | 31,036 |
| Kirkwood | St. Louis County | 29,348 |
| Raytown | Jackson County | 29,244 |
| Maryland Heights | St. Louis County | 27,671 |
| Gladstone | Clay County | 27,579 |
| Grandview | Jackson County | 26,630 |
| Nixa | Christian County | 26,352 |
| Raymore | Cass County | 25,962 |
| Belton | Cass County | 25,861 |
| Hazelwood | St. Louis County | 24,951 |
| Webster Groves | St. Louis County | 23,525 |
| Ozark | Christian County | 23,248 |
| Sedalia | Pettis County | 22,310 |
| Republic | Greene County / Christian County | 21,392 |
| Arnold | Jefferson County | 21,036 |
| Rolla | Phelps County | 20,660 |
| Warrensburg | Johnson County | 19,998 |
| Farmington | St. Francois County | 19,165 |
| Lake St. Louis | St. Charles County | 19,160 |
| Creve Coeur | St. Louis County | 18,533 |
| Manchester | St. Louis County | 18,122 |
| Ferguson | St. Louis County | 18,043 |
| Kirksville | Adair County | 17,841 |
| Clayton | St. Louis County | 17,512 |
| Grain Valley | Jackson County | 16,859 |
| Hannibal | Marion County / Ralls County | 16,809 |
| Poplar Bluff | Butler County | 16,177 |
| Sikeston | Scott County / New Madrid County | 16,062 |
| Jackson | Cape Girardeau County | 15,929 |
| Carthage | Jasper County | 15,703 |
| Overland | St. Louis County | 15,547 |
| Lebanon | Laclede County | 15,538 |
| Washington | Franklin County | 15,521 |
| Troy | Lincoln County | 14,963 |
| Liberty Township | Stoddard County | 14,826 |
| Dardenne Prairie | St. Charles County | 14,407 |
| Polk Township | Nodaway County | 13,924 |
| Marshall | Saline County | 13,791 |
| Neosho | Newton County | 13,782 |
| Festus | Jefferson County | 13,730 |
| Webb City | Jasper County | 13,391 |
| Moberly | Randolph County | 13,337 |
| Eureka | St. Louis County / Jefferson County | 13,277 |
| Union | Franklin County | 13,198 |
| Jennings | St. Louis County | 13,024 |
| Branson | Taney County / Stone County | 12,869 |
| St. Ann | St. Louis County | 12,704 |
| West Plains | Howell County | 12,704 |
| Fulton | Callaway County | 12,573 |
| Crestwood | St. Louis County | 12,239 |
| Independence Township | Dunklin County | 11,801 |
| Town and Country | St. Louis County | 11,625 |
| Bolivar | Polk County | 11,549 |
| Mexico | Audrain County | 11,482 |
| Bridgeton | St. Louis County | 11,301 |
| Kearney | Clay County | 11,215 |
| Smithville | Clay County / Platte County | 10,971 |
| Excelsior Springs | Clay County / Ray County | 10,727 |
| Bellefontaine Neighbors | St. Louis County | 10,401 |
| Ellisville | St. Louis County | 10,359 |
| Maryville | Nodaway County | 10,193 |
| Kennett | Dunklin County | 10,137 |
| Monett | Barry County / Lawrence County | 10,108 |
| Harrisonville | Cass County | 9,980 |
| Clinton | Henry County | 9,449 |
| Center Township | Vernon County | 9,434 |
| Warrenton | Warren County | 9,420 |
| Chillicothe Township | Livingston County | 9,183 |
| Des Peres | St. Louis County | 9,171 |
| Oak Grove | Jackson County / Lafayette County | 9,129 |
| Chillicothe | Livingston County | 9,103 |
| Sunset Hills | St. Louis County | 9,099 |
| Richmond Heights | St. Louis County | 9,096 |
| Parkville | Platte County | 8,980 |
| Clinton Township | Henry County | 8,980 |
| Olivette | St. Louis County | 8,960 |
| Ladue | St. Louis County | 8,937 |
| Pleasant Hill | Cass County / Jackson County | 8,864 |
| Park Hills | St. Francois County | 8,705 |
| Perryville | Perry County | 8,554 |
| Carl Junction | Jasper County | 8,435 |
| Nevada | Vernon County | 8,294 |
| Brentwood | St. Louis County | 8,111 |
| Maplewood | St. Louis County | 8,077 |
| Berkeley | St. Louis County | 8,058 |
| Marshfield | Webster County | 7,935 |
| Dexter | Stoddard County | 7,890 |
| Boonville | Cooper County | 7,863 |
| Pacific | Franklin County / St. Louis County | 7,842 |
| Aurora | Lawrence County | 7,573 |
| Cameron | Clinton County / DeKalb County / Caldwell County | 7,352 |
| Sullivan | Franklin County / Crawford County | 6,925 |
| Valley Park | St. Louis County | 6,747 |
| Willard | Greene County | 6,632 |
| Black Jack | St. Louis County | 6,575 |
| De Soto | Jefferson County | 6,503 |
| Bonne Terre | St. Francois County | 6,487 |
| St. John | St. Louis County | 6,472 |
| Cottleville | St. Charles County | 6,378 |
| Shrewsbury | St. Louis County | 6,263 |
| Battlefield | Greene County | 6,236 |
| Greenwood | Jackson County / Cass County | 6,235 |
| Peculiar | Cass County | 6,226 |
| Pevely | Jefferson County | 6,103 |
| Glendale | St. Louis County | 6,082 |
| Trenton Township | Grundy County | 5,980 |
| Richmond | Ray County | 5,939 |
| Wright City | Warren County | 5,723 |
| Odessa | Lafayette County | 5,689 |
| North Kansas City | Clay County | 5,630 |
| Trenton | Grundy County | 5,588 |
| Sherrill Township | Texas County | 5,567 |
| St. Robert | Pulaski County | 5,511 |
| Macon | Macon County | 5,509 |
| Waynesville | Pulaski County | 5,493 |
| Rogersville | Webster County / Greene County | 5,344 |
| Herculaneum | Jefferson County | 5,321 |
| Weldon Spring | St. Charles County | 5,304 |
| Caruthersville | Pemiscot County | 5,170 |
| Ashland | Boone County | 5,164 |
| Osage Beach | Camden County / Miller County | 5,123 |
| Savannah | Andrew County | 5,076 |
| Mount Pleasant Township | Bates County | 5,062 |
| Ste. Genevieve | Ste. Genevieve County | 5,025 |
| Piney Township | Texas County | 4,960 |
| Platte City | Platte County | 4,867 |
| Desloge | St. Francois County | 4,836 |
| Dellwood | St. Louis County | 4,833 |
| Centralia | Boone County / Audrain County | 4,807 |
| Higginsville | Lafayette County | 4,789 |
| St. Clair | Franklin County | 4,748 |
| Cotton Hill Township | Dunklin County | 4,744 |
| Brookfield Township | Linn County | 4,741 |
| Salem | Dent County | 4,726 |
| Eldon | Miller County | 4,714 |
| Holts Summit | Callaway County | 4,714 |
| Crystal City | Jefferson County | 4,703 |
| Mount Vernon | Lawrence County | 4,703 |
| Mountain Grove | Wright County / Texas County | 4,690 |
| Rock Hill | St. Louis County | 4,669 |
| Castor Township | Stoddard County | 4,667 |
| Hollister | Taney County | 4,659 |
| Lexington | Lafayette County | 4,595 |
| Fredericktown | Madison County | 4,581 |
| California | Moniteau County | 4,522 |
| Riverside | Platte County | 4,498 |
| Charleston | Mississippi County | 4,447 |
| Scott City | Scott County / Cape Girardeau County | 4,432 |
| Bowling Green | Pike County | 4,380 |
| Breckenridge Hills | St. Louis County | 4,369 |
| Lamar | Barton County | 4,299 |
| Butler | Bates County | 4,283 |
| Normandy | St. Louis County | 4,247 |
| Moscow Mills | Lincoln County | 4,144 |
| Brookfield | Linn County | 4,110 |
| Fenton | St. Louis County | 4,073 |
| Camdenton | Camden County | 4,035 |
| St. James | Phelps County | 3,932 |
| Woodson Terrace | St. Louis County | 3,888 |
| Carrollton Township | Carroll County | 3,840 |
| Frontenac | St. Louis County | 3,777 |
| St. Paul | St. Charles County | 3,725 |
| El Dorado Springs | Cedar County | 3,674 |
| Palmyra | Marion County | 3,644 |
| Pike Township | Stoddard County | 3,607 |
| Northwoods | St. Louis County | 3,592 |
| Malden | Dunklin County | 3,525 |
| Buffalo | Dallas County | 3,512 |
| Carrollton | Carroll County | 3,491 |
| Hillsboro | Jefferson County | 3,489 |
| Windsor Township | Henry County | 3,431 |
| Bethany Township | Harrison County | 3,317 |
| Burdine Township | Texas County | 3,283 |
| Grand River Township | DeKalb County | 3,277 |
| Union Township | Dunklin County | 3,270 |
| Cassville | Barry County | 3,247 |
| Louisiana | Pike County | 3,244 |
| Cuba | Crawford County | 3,230 |
| Sugar Creek | Jackson County / Clay County | 3,223 |
| Byrnes Mill | Jefferson County | 3,189 |
| Ava | Douglas County | 3,184 |
| Oronogo | Jasper County | 3,159 |
| Clever | Christian County | 3,118 |
| Duck Creek Township | Stoddard County | 3,032 |
| Chaffee | Scott County | 3,017 |
Read the full Missouri investigator guide
Neighboring states: Arkansas · Illinois · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Nebraska · Oklahoma · Tennessee
How this service works
Investigator Consulting in Missouri
Delator Group is a private investigation firm licensed in Tennessee and headquartered in Nashville. In Missouri, 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 Missouri 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 Missouri
Which Missouri communities have their own page?
Every incorporated Missouri city, town or village with more than 3,000 residents, plus every township or town government of that size, has its own page here, 205 in all. Smaller places are covered by the nearest page and the statewide guide.
Is Delator Group licensed in Missouri?
No. In Missouri, Delator Group provides investigator consulting and referral only. Investigations are performed by independently licensed Missouri investigators who contract with you directly.
Who licenses private investigators in Missouri?
The Board of Private Investigators, Private Fire Investigators, and Professional Surety Bail Bond Agents, Missouri Division of Professional Registration, under RSMo Sections 324.1100 to 324.1148. Any person engaging in the private investigator business must hold an individual Missouri license, and anyone doing business as a private investigator agency needs an agency license.
How do I check an investigator's Missouri license?
Use the Division of Professional Registration's online licensee search to look up the investigator and the agency and confirm both licenses are current.
Is Missouri a one-party or two-party consent state?
Missouri is generally a one-party consent state. RSMo Section 542.402.2(3) allows a person who is a party to a communication, or who has one party's prior consent, to record it unless the purpose is criminal or tortious. Secretly recording people who have not agreed is not covered, so check with an attorney first.