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Best Private Investigators in Chicago, IL

Our Recommended Top 13

We did the research for you!

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Our goal is to connect people with the best local professionals. We scored Chicago Private Investigators on more than 25 variables across five categories, and analyzed the results to give you a hand-picked list of the best.

690Reviewed

419Curated

13Top Picks

Learn about our selection process.

Providers

featured provider = Featured Provider

11555 Heron Bay Blvd Ste 200, Coral Springs, FL 33076

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.9 (39)
Yelp
3.4 (5)
Facebook
5.0 (2)

Why choose this provider?

Salazar Investigations operates for various insurance, legal, financial, and healthcare companies across Chicago. It investigates claims to identify fraudulent activities and help businesses improve their risk management tactics. Additionally, it performs surveillance, background checks, social media analyses, and asset searches, utilizing databases and public records to verify marital misconduct. The firm also assists in finding missing family members, debtors, and persons of interest. Salazar Investigations has been rendering its services to companies and individuals since 2015.

  • Cyber Crime Investigations
  • Asset Searches
  • Missing Persons
  • Background Check
  • Surveillance

Chicago, IL

Expertise.com Rating

Why choose this provider?

Need help contacting a Private Investigator in Chicago? Call our Concierge team at 848-Book-Pro (848-266-5776 from 6 am - 4 pm PT | Mon - Fri). They are standing by to help you get the service you need.

Chicago, IL 60602

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Facebook
4.3 (16)
Yelp
2.5 (5)
Google
3.7 (3)

Why choose this provider?

Heritage Investigations and Surveillance is a licensed private investigative agency in Chicago with over 33 years experience in the area. The agents are licensed by the state of Illinois and are specially trained to conduct investigations and surveillance regarding marital infidelity and child custody. Other services of the agency are alimony termination, fraud investigations, surveillance services, and GPS tracking in the case of cheating spouses.

70 West Madison Street, Chicago, IL 60602

Expertise.com Rating

Why choose this provider?

James Joyce Investigations is a firm of private investigators headquartered in Chicago. The experts at this company are dedicated to helping their clients gather accurate information through their individualized investigative services. They can assist in background investigation, activity checks, criminal record checks, tenant screening, and missing person investigation. James Joyce Investigations has helped attorneys, academic institutions, and government agencies through their discreet techniques. Operatives at this company can also perform cheating/adultery investigations for clients who are doubtful about their partners.

Chicago, IL 60641

Why choose this provider?

Mid-West Protective Service offers an array of protective, investigative and security services in Chicago and opened in 1993. The agency’s services include private investigations, surveillance, polygraph and lie detector exams, bodyguard services, security, eavesdropping, countermeasures, and security consulting. The agency’s president has over 30 years experience in law enforcement, private investigations, and security. The firm is a member of the American Polygraph Association, the Law Enforcement Alliance of America, the National Association of Investigative Specialists, and the National Association of Legal Investigators.

444 North Wabash Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611

Why choose this provider?

Subrosa Investigations is a private investigative agency in Chicago offering litigation support to attorneys and insurance companies, enhanced background checks for private equity, fund of funds, hedge funds and institutional investors, pre-employment background checks for multi-national corporations, and intellectual property and trademark enforcement for the retail sector. The agency is a member of the National Council of Investigation and Security Services, the Arizona Association of Licensed Private Investigation and the Special Agents Association.

  • Criminal and Civil Investigations
  • Corporate Investigations
  • Corporate

Chicago, IL 60611

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (2)

Why choose this provider?

Robert G. Hanrahan Investigations is a licensed private investigation firm in Chicago providing complex intelligence gathering services to law firms and businesses as well as private individuals since 1956. The firm’s services include matters such as personal injury, product liability, environmental issues, criminal activity, and trademark infringement, with a major focus on private investigations involving plaintiffs, personal injury attorneys, and asbestos litigation. The firm has over hundred trials to its credit and has assisted attorneys with over $1 billion dollars in settlements or verdicts. In addition, the firm has also photographed and videotaped hundreds of accidents.

Chicago, IL 60647

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Yelp
5.0 (5)
Facebook
5.0 (2)

Why choose this provider?

MSI Investigative Services is a private investigative agency in Chicago that has been serving private individuals, attorneys, government, and businesses for over 50 years. The agency’s services include lie detection, cell phone forensics and cellular data recovery, debugging and bug sweeps, computer forensic data recovery, cheating partner, missing persons, surveillance and much more. The agency has an A+, Complaint-free, Accredited Better Business Bureau rating as a testament of high-quality business practices.

Crown Point, IN 46307

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Facebook
5.0 (4)
Yelp
1.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

1Source Private Investigations is a private investigative agency in Crown Point that was founded in 1999 and has experience in many areas of private investigations with emphasis on legal investigations. The agency carries a $1,000,000 in business liability insurance for errors and omissions coverage even though the regulation only requires $100,000. The agency has “2,000 plus hours of courtroom experience”.

70 West Madison St, Chicago, IL 60602

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.4 (18)
Yelp
2.0 (3)

Why choose this provider?

Northshore Process Service Network in Chicago, Illinois, is a private investigation firm offering its services to residents and business owners throughout the greater Chicago area. Doing business for more than a quarter-century, the firm offers an array of services, including workplace and theft investigations, surveillance, process service, pre-marital and pre-employment searches and screenings, and judgment recovery. It also takes on insurance claims investigations, juror screenings, activity checks, adultery/cheating investigations, and asset searches.

Chicago, IL 60618

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.7 (159)

Why choose this provider?

ONQ Protection and Investigation Services is a private investigative agency in Chicago, founded in 2011 by a former Homeland Security ICE-Investigator with over 10 years experience. The agency’s areas of expertise include child custody, background investigation, witness statement, undercover assignment, electronic debugging, and much more. The agency also offers training courses for concealed carry weapons, firearm training, and a permanent employee registration card security officer course. The agency is a member of NCiSS, NISP, and WAD.

Oak Lawn, IL 60453

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Yelp
5.0 (4)

Why choose this provider?

Lawrence Ryan Investigation is a private investigative agency in Oak Lawn whose “strength is field work.“ The agency’s services include attorney litigation and process support, corporate investigation and risk management, and domestic investigations. The agency brings over 38 years of law enforcement and investigations experience. A client says of the private investigative agency, “I confidently recommend Lawrence Ryan Investigations, Inc. because all my expectations were exceeded.”

Chicago, IL 60611

Expertise.com Rating

Why choose this provider?

VTS Investigations is a premier Chicago private detective, security and process serving agency founded in 1979. The firm has extensive experience dealing with investigative issues such as asset searches, computer forensics, eavesdropping sweeps, litigation support, fraud and theft investigations, and surveillance. The firm is fully insured and licensed for investigative duties in the area. The investigative agency is affiliated with different associations including the World Association of Detectives, the National Association of Legal Investigators, the Associated Detectives of Illinois, and the National Council of Investigation.

Compare our Top Private Investigators

NameExpertise RatingAddressPromotionsLearn more
Salazar Investigations
11555 Heron Bay Blvd Ste 200, Coral Springs, FL 33076Free Consultation
Heritage Investigations and Surveillance
Chicago, IL 60602
A James Joyce Investigations - Chicago, IL
70 West Madison Street, Chicago, IL 60602
Mid-West Protective Service
Chicago, IL 60641
Subrosa Investigations
444 North Wabash Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611
Robert G. Hanrahan Investigations
Chicago, IL 60611
MSI Investigative Services
Chicago, IL 60647
1Source Private Investigations
Crown Point, IN 46307
Northshore Process Service Network
70 West Madison St, Chicago, IL 60602
ONQ Protection and Investigation Services
Chicago, IL 60618
Lawrence Ryan Investigation
Oak Lawn, IL 60453
VTS Investigations
Chicago, IL 60611

FAQs

  • Introduction

    Some cases grow cold without ever getting solved by the police, and others tend to be too unorthodox for the police since they're mainly limited to criminal cases. This is where private investigators come in.

    Private investigators, also known as PIs, offer a wide range of services, including finding missing persons, tracking marital infidelity, investigating theft, running background checks, verifying insurance claims, and collecting debts on behalf of their clients.

    PIs work on any case requiring extensive research and investigation. Their duties range from gathering vital facts and connecting clues to providing conclusive information regarding the case.
  • What is a private investigator?

    Private investigators are experienced individuals hired to carry out detective work. They are fact-finding experts who dedicate time and effort to gather evidence and reveal information that would be difficult to gain through ordinary means. Private investigators can either operate alone or work for an agency.

  • Are private detectives real?

    Yes, private investigators are real. They provide their expertise to anyone who needs an in-depth investigation for an important matter. Whether tracking a long-lost loved one, running background checks, finding missing persons, or conducting general research, private detectives operate with discretion and rarely make the news.

  • What do private investigators do?

    PI work involves a lot of information gathering and fact analysis. Their field assignments involve carefully following persons of interest, conducting surveillance, interviewing people, and, sometimes, going undercover to get more information. They use GPS tracking devices, video recorders, computers, and other technology to collect information.

  • How do private investigators work?

    Private investigators’ ability to conduct examinations and close cases without their targets knowing their involvement makes them very effective. A PI firm may have different personnel, each specializing in a particular field. From computer experts to web-data analysts and field officers, these agents work together to solve cases or complete an objective.

  • What is a private investigator allowed to do?

    PIs are civilians, so they're required to operate within the confines of the law. Private investigators search multiple online databases, public records, and open source files to collect information. However, they cannot bug phones or hack into online accounts to acquire protected information. They can conduct surveillance on people in public places, but they can't trespass into their homes or property.