Licensing
How Utah Licenses Private Investigators
Utah changed how it regulates investigators in 2026. The Private Investigation Licensing Act, Utah Code Title 58, Chapter 92, replaced the old Private Investigator Regulation Act in Title 53. Licensing moved from the Department of Public Safety to the Division of Professional Licensing, known as DOPL, which says it regulates the industry effective September 1, 2026. Section 58-92-301 provides that a license is required to engage in regulated private investigation work.
DOPL oversees agencies, agents, registrants and apprentices, so the individual's license type matters as much as the agency's. Licenses issued earlier by the Department of Public Safety generally remain valid until their assigned expiration date. For a client, the practical step is to search both the investigator and the agency in DOPL's license verification tool and confirm the type and status of each.
Courts
How Utah Courts Are Organized
Utah's general trial court is the district court, organized into judicial districts that each cover one or more counties. District court hears civil cases, felonies, domestic relations matters such as divorce, custody and support, and probate. Juvenile court handles delinquency and child welfare cases. Justice courts, run by cities and counties, handle many misdemeanors, traffic offenses and small claims. Some counties have more than one district court location.
Communities
Utah Communities With a Private Investigator Page
Every Utah 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.) |
|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake City | Salt Lake County | 217,783 |
| West Valley City | Salt Lake County | 138,144 |
| West Jordan | Salt Lake County | 116,688 |
| Provo | Utah County | 115,479 |
| St. George | Washington County | 106,288 |
| Orem | Utah County | 96,646 |
| Lehi | Utah County | 93,446 |
| Sandy | Salt Lake County | 92,840 |
| Ogden | Weber County | 88,656 |
| South Jordan | Salt Lake County | 86,156 |
| Layton | Davis County | 84,348 |
| Millcreek | Salt Lake County | 64,217 |
| Herriman | Salt Lake County | 62,352 |
| Eagle Mountain | Utah County | 60,575 |
| Taylorsville | Salt Lake County | 57,819 |
| Saratoga Springs | Utah County | 57,411 |
| Logan | Cache County | 56,770 |
| Murray | Salt Lake County | 50,817 |
| Draper | Salt Lake County / Utah County | 50,166 |
| Spanish Fork | Utah County | 47,809 |
| Riverton | Salt Lake County | 46,680 |
| Bountiful | Davis County | 45,024 |
| American Fork | Utah County | 41,298 |
| Tooele | Tooele County | 40,919 |
| Cedar City | Iron County | 40,885 |
| Kearns metro | Salt Lake County | 39,398 |
| Syracuse | Davis County | 38,999 |
| Roy | Weber County | 38,719 |
| Pleasant Grove | Utah County | 38,127 |
| Midvale | Salt Lake County | 36,219 |
| Springville | Utah County | 36,027 |
| Washington | Washington County | 35,501 |
| Clearfield | Davis County | 34,778 |
| Kaysville | Davis County | 33,252 |
| Cottonwood Heights | Salt Lake County | 32,437 |
| Magna metro | Salt Lake County | 31,381 |
| Holladay | Salt Lake County | 30,588 |
| South Salt Lake | Salt Lake County | 26,561 |
| Farmington | Davis County | 26,163 |
| Hurricane | Washington County | 24,753 |
| Payson | Utah County | 24,666 |
| West Haven | Weber County | 24,617 |
| Clinton | Davis County | 23,728 |
| North Salt Lake | Davis County | 23,593 |
| North Ogden | Weber County | 22,908 |
| Highland | Utah County | 21,146 |
| Brigham City | Box Elder County | 20,319 |
| Bluffdale | Salt Lake County / Utah County | 19,393 |
| Heber | Wasatch County | 19,042 |
| Santaquin | Utah County / Juab County | 18,394 |
| South Ogden | Weber County | 17,749 |
| Centerville | Davis County | 16,560 |
| Vineyard | Utah County | 16,077 |
| Grantsville | Tooele County | 15,682 |
| Smithfield | Cache County | 15,018 |
| Mapleton | Utah County | 14,812 |
| West Point | Davis County | 12,726 |
| Tremonton | Box Elder County | 12,677 |
| Lindon | Utah County | 12,018 |
| North Logan | Cache County | 11,727 |
| Woods Cross | Davis County | 11,493 |
| Pleasant View | Weber County | 11,337 |
| Salem | Utah County | 11,283 |
| Ivins | Washington County | 11,108 |
| Hyrum | Cache County | 11,043 |
| Vernal | Uintah County | 10,698 |
| Alpine | Utah County | 10,548 |
| Cedar Hills | Utah County | 9,916 |
| Hooper | Weber County | 9,548 |
| Providence | Cache County | 9,447 |
| Riverdale | Weber County | 9,184 |
| Washington Terrace | Weber County | 9,091 |
| Plain City | Weber County | 8,880 |
| Enoch | Iron County | 8,664 |
| Santa Clara | Washington County | 8,631 |
| Nibley | Cache County | 8,615 |
| Richfield | Sevier County | 8,330 |
| Park City | Summit County / Wasatch County | 8,292 |
| Price | Carbon County | 8,278 |
| South Weber | Davis County | 8,155 |
| Farr West | Weber County | 8,121 |
| Roosevelt | Duchesne County | 7,390 |
| Nephi | Juab County | 7,326 |
| Harrisville | Weber County | 6,947 |
| Ephraim | Sanpete County | 6,220 |
| Perry | Box Elder County | 6,111 |
| Midway | Wasatch County | 6,064 |
| Fruit Heights | Davis County | 5,969 |
| White City metro | Salt Lake County | 5,918 |
| West Bountiful | Davis County | 5,884 |
| Hyde Park | Cache County | 5,766 |
| Sunset | Davis County | 5,372 |
| Kanab | Kane County | 5,291 |
| Moab | Grand County | 5,242 |
| Elk Ridge | Utah County | 5,003 |
| Morgan | Morgan County | 4,553 |
| La Verkin | Washington County | 4,529 |
| Wellsville | Cache County | 4,272 |
| Erda | Tooele County | 4,035 |
| Mount Pleasant | Sanpete County | 3,935 |
| Beaver | Beaver County | 3,749 |
| Delta | Millard County | 3,730 |
| Manti | Sanpete County | 3,712 |
| Gunnison | Sanpete County | 3,617 |
| Parowan | Iron County | 3,283 |
| Blanding | San Juan County | 3,216 |
| Richmond | Cache County | 3,092 |
Read the full Utah investigator guide
Neighboring states: Arizona · Colorado · Idaho · Nevada · New Mexico · Wyoming
How this service works
Investigator Consulting in Utah
Delator Group is a private investigation firm licensed in Tennessee and headquartered in Nashville. In Utah, 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 Utah 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 Utah
Which Utah communities have their own page?
Every incorporated Utah city, town or village with more than 3,000 residents, plus every township or town government of that size, has its own page here, 107 in all. Smaller places are covered by the nearest page and the statewide guide.
Is Delator Group licensed in Utah?
No. In Utah, Delator Group provides investigator consulting and referral only. Investigations are performed by independently licensed Utah investigators who contract with you directly.
Who licenses private investigators in Utah?
The Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), Department of Commerce, under Utah Code Title 58, Chapter 92, Private Investigation Licensing Act. A license is required to engage in private investigation in Utah, and DOPL licenses agencies, agents, registrants and apprentices.
How do I check an investigator's Utah license?
Search the investigator and the agency in Utah's DOPL license verification tool and confirm each license type and status.
Is Utah a one-party or two-party consent state?
Utah is generally a one-party consent state. Under Utah Code Section 77-23a-4(7)(b), a participant in a conversation, or someone with a participant's prior consent, may record it unless the purpose is criminal or tortious. Secretly recording people who have not agreed is not covered, so ask an attorney first.
