Licensing
How North Carolina Licenses Private Investigators
North Carolina licenses private investigators under Chapter 74C of the General Statutes. The Private Protective Services Board, housed in the Department of Public Safety, runs the program and sets education and training rules. G.S. 74C-2 says no one may perform or advertise private protective services, including investigative work as defined in G.S. 74C-3(a)(8), without first meeting the chapter's requirements. Doing so unlicensed is a Class 1 misdemeanor under G.S. 74C-17.
Applicants must be at least 18, pass a background investigation and any required exam, and show proof of liability insurance before a license issues. A business must name a qualifying agent who holds the license. Some people work under a trainee permit instead, which requires direct supervision by a licensed investigator. A client can check the name on the license, its status and whether the person is a licensee or a trainee.
Courts
How North Carolina Courts Are Organized
North Carolina has a unified, state-run court system with trial courts in all 100 counties. Superior Court is the general-jurisdiction trial court for felonies and larger civil cases. District Court hears misdemeanors, civil cases under $25,000, juvenile matters and domestic cases such as divorce, custody and child support, while magistrates handle small claims. The elected clerk of superior court in each county also serves as the judge of probate for estates. Counties are grouped into judicial districts.
Communities
North Carolina Communities With a Private Investigator Page
Every North Carolina 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.) |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | Mecklenburg County | 943,476 |
| Raleigh | Wake County / Durham County | 499,825 |
| Greensboro | Guilford County | 307,381 |
| Durham | Durham County / Wake County / Orange County | 301,870 |
| Winston-Salem | Forsyth County | 255,769 |
| Fayetteville | Cumberland County | 209,496 |
| Cary | Wake County / Chatham County / Durham County | 182,659 |
| Wilmington | New Hanover County | 125,284 |
| High Point | Guilford County / Davidson County / Forsyth County / Randolph County | 118,601 |
| Concord | Cabarrus County / Mecklenburg County | 112,395 |
| Greenville | Pitt County | 95,138 |
| Asheville | Buncombe County | 94,992 |
| Gastonia | Gaston County | 85,535 |
| Apex | Wake County / Chatham County | 75,977 |
| Jacksonville | Onslow County | 70,840 |
| Huntersville | Mecklenburg County | 67,087 |
| Chapel Hill | Orange County / Durham County | 64,028 |
| Burlington | Alamance County / Guilford County | 61,365 |
| Kannapolis | Cabarrus County / Rowan County | 60,521 |
| Wake Forest | Wake County / Franklin County | 56,764 |
| Rocky Mount | Nash County / Edgecombe County | 54,541 |
| Mooresville | Iredell County | 52,884 |
| Holly Springs | Wake County | 48,674 |
| Wilson | Wilson County | 48,579 |
| Fuquay-Varina | Wake County / Harnett County | 46,317 |
| Hickory | Catawba County / Burke County / Caldwell County | 45,081 |
| Indian Trail | Union County | 43,867 |
| Monroe | Union County | 40,054 |
| Garner | Wake County | 39,345 |
| Salisbury | Rowan County | 36,579 |
| Goldsboro | Wayne County | 34,629 |
| Leland | Brunswick County | 34,451 |
| Cornelius | Mecklenburg County | 34,366 |
| New Bern | Craven County | 34,218 |
| Sanford | Lee County | 32,971 |
| Morrisville | Wake County / Durham County | 32,628 |
| Matthews | Mecklenburg County | 32,048 |
| Clayton | Johnston County / Wake County | 31,732 |
| Statesville | Iredell County | 31,693 |
| Mint Hill | Mecklenburg County / Union County | 28,825 |
| Kernersville | Forsyth County / Guilford County | 28,760 |
| Asheboro | Randolph County | 27,928 |
| Thomasville | Davidson County / Randolph County | 27,605 |
| Waxhaw | Union County | 23,178 |
| Shelby | Cleveland County | 22,778 |
| Clemmons | Forsyth County | 22,471 |
| Knightdale | Wake County | 21,829 |
| Carrboro | Orange County | 21,079 |
| Mebane | Alamance County / Orange County | 20,654 |
| Harrisburg | Cabarrus County | 20,335 |
| Boone | Watauga County | 20,080 |
| Lexington | Davidson County | 19,904 |
| Kinston | Lenoir County | 19,519 |
| Graham | Alamance County | 19,311 |
| Elizabeth City | Pasquotank County / Camden County | 19,028 |
| Lumberton | Robeson County | 18,882 |
| Mount Holly | Gaston County | 18,723 |
| Pinehurst | Moore County | 18,502 |
| Lenoir | Caldwell County | 18,280 |
| Hope Mills | Cumberland County | 18,102 |
| Morganton | Burke County | 17,825 |
| Stallings | Union County / Mecklenburg County | 17,617 |
| Havelock | Craven County | 17,407 |
| Albemarle | Stanly County | 17,344 |
| Southern Pines | Moore County | 16,987 |
| Wendell | Wake County | 16,845 |
| Davidson | Mecklenburg County / Iredell County | 16,276 |
| Belmont | Gaston County | 16,044 |
| Hendersonville | Henderson County | 15,656 |
| Eden | Rockingham County | 15,399 |
| Laurinburg | Scotland County | 15,130 |
| Henderson | Vance County | 14,807 |
| Reidsville | Rockingham County | 14,646 |
| Roanoke Rapids | Halifax County | 14,573 |
| Weddington | Union County / Mecklenburg County | 14,391 |
| Lewisville | Forsyth County | 14,203 |
| Newton | Catawba County | 13,571 |
| Smithfield | Johnston County | 12,806 |
| Lincolnton | Lincoln County | 12,353 |
| Archdale | Randolph County / Guilford County | 12,147 |
| Rolesville | Wake County | 11,854 |
| Kings Mountain | Cleveland County / Gaston County | 11,797 |
| Pineville | Mecklenburg County | 11,567 |
| Spring Lake | Cumberland County | 11,530 |
| Summerfield | Guilford County | 11,333 |
| Elon | Alamance County | 11,282 |
| Tarboro | Edgecombe County | 10,954 |
| Winterville | Pitt County | 10,899 |
| Waynesville | Haywood County | 10,709 |
| Mount Airy | Surry County | 10,583 |
| Zebulon | Wake County / Johnston County | 10,505 |
| Morehead City | Carteret County | 9,963 |
| Hillsborough | Orange County | 9,773 |
| Gibsonville | Guilford County / Alamance County | 9,744 |
| Washington | Beaufort County | 9,738 |
| Aberdeen | Moore County | 9,573 |
| Wesley Chapel | Union County | 9,495 |
| Oak Island | Brunswick County | 9,322 |
| Oxford | Granville County | 8,972 |
| Rockingham | Richmond County | 8,802 |
| Conover | Catawba County | 8,760 |
| Dunn | Harnett County | 8,754 |
| Black Mountain | Buncombe County | 8,572 |
| Clinton | Sampson County | 8,317 |
| Roxboro | Person County | 8,289 |
| Angier | Harnett County / Wake County | 8,284 |
| Fletcher | Henderson County | 8,251 |
| Woodfin | Buncombe County | 8,158 |
| Butner | Granville County | 8,134 |
| Siler City | Chatham County | 8,087 |
| Brevard | Transylvania County | 7,973 |
| Oak Ridge | Guilford County | 7,900 |
| King | Stokes County / Forsyth County | 7,764 |
| Kill Devil Hills | Dare County | 7,742 |
| Marion | McDowell County | 7,534 |
| Mills River | Henderson County | 7,426 |
| Forest City | Rutherford County | 7,397 |
| St. James | Brunswick County | 7,315 |
| Unionville | Union County | 7,258 |
| Selma | Johnston County | 7,228 |
| Trinity | Randolph County | 7,190 |
| Marvin | Union County | 6,985 |
| Carolina Beach | New Hanover County | 6,864 |
| Boiling Spring Lakes | Brunswick County | 6,738 |
| Cherryville | Gaston County | 6,385 |
| Dallas | Gaston County | 6,270 |
| Mocksville | Davie County | 6,224 |
| Stokesdale | Guilford County | 6,111 |
| Walkertown | Forsyth County | 6,027 |
| Locust | Stanly County / Cabarrus County | 5,992 |
| Hamlet | Richmond County | 5,888 |
| Nashville | Nash County | 5,850 |
| Holly Ridge | Onslow County | 5,766 |
| Bessemer City | Gaston County | 5,730 |
| Cramerton | Gaston County | 5,604 |
| Archer Lodge | Johnston County | 5,522 |
| Carolina Shores | Brunswick County | 5,463 |
| Whispering Pines | Moore County | 5,416 |
| Long View | Catawba County / Burke County | 5,289 |
| Ayden | Pitt County | 5,190 |
| Shallotte | Brunswick County | 5,161 |
| Pleasant Garden | Guilford County | 5,151 |
| Williamston | Martin County | 5,066 |
| Sawmills | Caldwell County | 5,059 |
| Midway | Davidson County | 5,053 |
| Creedmoor | Granville County | 5,049 |
| Midland | Cabarrus County / Mecklenburg County | 5,027 |
| Pittsboro | Chatham County | 4,989 |
| Wadesboro | Anson County | 4,965 |
| Surf City | Pender County / Onslow County | 4,961 |
| Granite Falls | Caldwell County | 4,942 |
| Beaufort | Carteret County | 4,895 |
| Erwin | Harnett County | 4,865 |
| Lillington | Harnett County | 4,848 |
| Weaverville | Buncombe County | 4,799 |
| Boiling Springs | Cleveland County | 4,759 |
| Ranlo | Gaston County | 4,756 |
| Valdese | Burke County | 4,713 |
| Randleman | Randolph County | 4,692 |
| Whiteville | Columbus County | 4,688 |
| Ahoskie | Hertford County | 4,665 |
| China Grove | Rowan County | 4,610 |
| Raeford | Hoke County | 4,578 |
| Farmville | Pitt County | 4,547 |
| Benson | Johnston County / Harnett County | 4,534 |
| Sunset Beach | Brunswick County | 4,521 |
| Wingate | Union County | 4,517 |
| Newport | Carteret County | 4,501 |
| Mount Olive | Wayne County / Duplin County | 4,498 |
| Edenton | Chowan County | 4,492 |
| Canton | Haywood County | 4,422 |
| North Wilkesboro | Wilkes County | 4,412 |
| Franklin | Macon County | 4,362 |
| Southport | Brunswick County | 4,341 |
| Troutman | Iredell County | 4,234 |
| Spindale | Rutherford County | 4,168 |
| Swansboro | Onslow County | 4,165 |
| Stanley | Gaston County | 4,147 |
| Elkin | Surry County / Wilkes County | 4,094 |
| Trent Woods | Craven County | 4,047 |
| Emerald Isle | Carteret County | 4,001 |
| Lowell | Gaston County | 3,863 |
| Maiden | Catawba County / Lincoln County | 3,854 |
| Landis | Rowan County | 3,838 |
| Tabor City | Columbus County | 3,831 |
| Burgaw | Pender County | 3,825 |
| Fairview | Union County | 3,775 |
| Jamestown | Guilford County | 3,773 |
| Hudson | Caldwell County | 3,771 |
| Rutherfordton | Rutherford County | 3,718 |
| Eastover | Cumberland County | 3,710 |
| Gamewell | Caldwell County | 3,699 |
| Kitty Hawk | Dare County | 3,691 |
| Wilkesboro | Wilkes County | 3,620 |
| Flat Rock | Henderson County | 3,602 |
| Lake Park | Union County | 3,582 |
| Rural Hall | Forsyth County | 3,562 |
| Wallace | Duplin County / Pender County | 3,531 |
| Red Oak | Nash County | 3,480 |
| Mineral Springs | Union County | 3,456 |
| Louisburg | Franklin County | 3,423 |
| Spencer | Rowan County | 3,406 |
| Green Level | Alamance County | 3,362 |
| Bermuda Run | Davie County | 3,290 |
| Elizabethtown | Bladen County | 3,290 |
| Windsor | Bertie County | 3,268 |
| Belville | Brunswick County | 3,255 |
| Wallburg | Davidson County | 3,255 |
| Plymouth | Washington County | 3,190 |
| Red Springs | Robeson County / Hoke County | 3,181 |
| Southern Shores | Dare County | 3,127 |
| Granite Quarry | Rowan County | 3,107 |
| Nags Head | Dare County | 3,106 |
| Yadkinville | Yadkin County | 3,026 |
Read the full North Carolina investigator guide
Neighboring states: Georgia · South Carolina · Tennessee · Virginia
How we work
How Delator Group Works in North Carolina
In North Carolina, investigations are handled by Delator Group NC, the firm's North Carolina branch, under the state's private investigator licensing rules administered by the North Carolina Private Protective Services Board (N.C. Department of Public Safety). The scope and price are confirmed in writing before work starts.
FAQ
Questions About Finding an Investigator in North Carolina
Which North Carolina communities have their own page?
Every incorporated North Carolina city, town or village with more than 3,000 residents, plus every township or town government of that size, has its own page here, 214 in all. Smaller places are covered by the nearest page and the statewide guide.
Does Delator Group work directly in North Carolina?
Yes. In North Carolina, investigations are handled by Delator Group NC, the firm's North Carolina branch.
Who licenses private investigators in North Carolina?
The North Carolina Private Protective Services Board (N.C. Department of Public Safety), under N.C. General Statutes Chapter 74C (Private Protective Services). Anyone who conducts investigations for a fee must hold a private investigator license, a firm must operate through a licensed qualifying agent, and trainees must work under a licensee's direct supervision.
How do I check an investigator's North Carolina license?
Search the investigator and the firm by name in the Board's Licensee and Trainer Search and confirm the license is active.
Is North Carolina a one-party or two-party consent state?
North Carolina is generally a one-party consent state. Under G.S. 15A-287(a), intercepting a communication is a felony only when it happens without the consent of at least one party. Someone who is part of the conversation can usually record it. Calls that cross into all-party consent states can be different, so check with an attorney.