Private Investigators in New York by City

Licensing

How New York Licenses Private Investigators

New York regulates investigators under Article 7 of the General Business Law. Section 70 requires a Department of State license for any person, firm, company, partnership, LLC or corporation that engages in or advertises the business of private investigator. A separate license is needed for each office and branch, licenses run for two years, and operating without one is a class A misdemeanor.

For a client, the key point is that the license belongs to the business and its offices. Ask which office will handle your matter and confirm that location is licensed. The Department of State Licensee Search lets you look up a license by name or number. Watch, guard and patrol agencies are licensed under the same article but may not offer investigator services.

Courts

How New York Courts Are Organized

New York's general trial court is, unusually, called the Supreme Court, and it sits in every county. It is the court that grants divorces. Each county also has a Family Court for custody, support and juvenile matters and a Surrogate's Court for estates. Outside New York City, County Courts hear felonies, while city, town and village courts handle minor cases. In New York City, the five boroughs are counties, and the city's Civil Court and Criminal Court handle many smaller cases.

Communities

New York Communities With a Private Investigator Page

Every New York 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 New York investigator guide

Neighboring states: Connecticut · Massachusetts · New Jersey · Pennsylvania · Vermont