American Special Investigative Group, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale since 2014, provides local clients with 24/7 investigative services. The team is wholly composed of highly-trained investigators, many of them former law enforcement detectives, former federal agents for U.S. intelligence organizations, and former private security firm employees.
Bolton Investigations, Inc. is a full-service private investigative agency serving Miami and Coral Gables since 1990. The agency's experienced staff specializes in conducting a wide range of investigative and security services, including video surveillance, background checks, phone searches, criminal history, insurance fraud, lawsuits, and corporate investigations. These services are also available throughout Central and South America and the Caribbean. Bolton Investigations Inc., which is led by David Bolton, also focuses on the area of documenting and investigating cruise ship shore excursion accidents.
Crossroads Investigations is a P.I. agency centered in Miami, owned and operated by a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer. Marc Hurwitz, a Board-Accredited Investigator, is a member of the Florida Bar's Grievance Committee, and the Aventura Marketing Council's Law Committee. Mr. Hurwitz has, over the years, assembled a team strictly including former law enforcement officers and federal intelligence agents. Services include bank searches, employee and tenant screenings, national background reports, and worldwide watch list checks. Employees are members of the National Association of Divorce Professionals, the Bankruptcy Bar Association, and the Coral Gables Bar Association.
Founded more than 35 years ago, Destin Investigations is a Miami P.I. firm whose investigators have been working with local clients for over 35 years. Owner and principal investigator Jim Blackburn leads a team of qualified private detectives, handling everything from infidelity investigations to background checks to surveillance and security for businesses. Pricing varies depending on the amount of travel necessary, the complexity of the case, and the amount of time. Payments can be made via Paypal, cash, check, or money order.
Grey Ghost – Private Investigator Miami opened in Miami in 2008 and has, since then, provided local people and companies with 24/7 investigative services. The team is trained and experienced in infidelity investigations, corporate investigations (such as "due diligence" investigations of prospective employees and business partners). Although mainly specializing in surveillance cases, Grey Ghost – Private Investigator Miami also performs background checks, missing person tracking, and other cases.
Since it opened in Miami in 1955, Investigators Inc. has provided investigative services to clientele across the U.S. and the world. Edward L. Du Bois, Jr. founded the agency in 1955 and led the team for several decades before his son, Edward L. Du Bois III, assumed ownership and leadership. Now Mr. Du Bois works alongside licensed, experienced investigators, including Ty Hart, Valerie Tucci, and Sally Barr.
Pelleas Group LLC is an investigation and security consulting firm, based in Miami. Michael H. Levy, who owns and leads the firm, is a longtime security risk management professional, with over 10 years of experience directing complex security projects. Additionally, he is a skilled strategist, with particular expertise in terrain and infrastructure 3D modeling, crime scene reconstruction, composite portraits, and forensic visualization. Mr. Levy is a member of Infragard, a partnership between the FBI and private sector investigation agencies.
Ralph N. Garcia & Associates is based in Miami, and its investigators work throughout the area, investigating a variety of issues for businesses as well as individual clients. Areas of expertise include criminal and civil investigations, infidelity, background checks, and national and international research. Ralph N. Garcia founded the firm in 1980, after 14 years of professional experience, including time as a Patrol Officer and then a Detective at the Washington D.C. Police Department, as well as a stint as a Special Agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Revival Private Investigations is a Miami-based detective agency that investigates insurance fraud, marital infidelity and other domestic matters, child custody suitability, and missing persons cases. Revival Private Investigations is unique in that, for both residential and commercial clients, its staff installs closed-circuit television (CCTV) video cameras. Installation technicians are licensed, with extensive experience, who install only high-quality digital surveillance systems to protect families and businesses.
Saffron Investigations is an investigations agency in Miami that specializes in investigating motor vehicle accidents. Its owner and lead investigator is a former law enforcement officer who is certified and licensed by the State of Florida as an accident investigator. His law enforcement experience helps him to quickly and accurately collect, analyze, preserve, and present evidence for the benefit of the client's insurance provider. In addition to accidents, team members can investigate injuries, infidelity, fraud, and other matters.
Advanced Global Security is a P.I. agency in Sunny Isles Beach that can perform investigations and provide corporate security. Operating in the greater Miami community for more than 20 years, the agency has offered its services to government officials as well as corporate leaders, in the U.S. and abroad. Agents at the firm are licensed and experienced, and they have been trained to work quickly and confidentially.
The Wasser Agency, headquartered in Miami for more than 30 years, has performed investigations across Florida State. Its specialties are video surveillance, accident investigations, worker's compensation and personal injury investigations, and domestic infidelity investigations. The agency's President, David Wasser, used to work as an investigator at the Public Defender's Office, Major Crimes Division. He is a former Certified Fraud Examiner and Certified Legal 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
It's completely legal to hire a private investigator. The operations of licensed private investigators are also legal and protected by the law. They are, however, subject to scrutiny and strict regulations that ensure they conduct investigations with professionalism and ethics.
The cost of hiring a private investigator depends on the service you need. Most PIs have a fixed rate for services, such as background checks, GPS tracking, record searches, and debt collection, ranging from $50 to $300 or more per day. For complex assignments, including finding missing persons, tracking infidelity, or locating long-lost relatives, the PI may charge per hour or ask for a retainer. On average, a private investigator will cost around $50 to $200 per hour.
Private detectives are well trained and experienced in performing investigations and surveillance without risking exposure. The information they gather can be difficult for an average person to obtain. Hiring a private investigator could provide valuable information, but whether that knowledge is worthwhile depends on your individual needs.
Private investigators are not law enforcement and, in most cases, will refrain from revealing their identity to maintain a low profile. For identification and to confirm their official status, PIs carry a badge and a private investigator’s license.
A private investigator may contact you if:
Private investigators are not easily recognized. However, if you suspect you are being watched or followed, the best option is to call the police and not confront them. It's also advisable to stay indoors until the issue gets resolved since they don't have permission to trespass into your home.
A licensed private investigator can conduct surveillance, record, and even follow suspects. The license gives them a permissible purpose, and they can do so without their actions being regarded as stalking. As long as they don’t intimidate or invade a person's privacy, it's within the confines of the law, and they cannot be charged. If you have concerns about someone who may be a PI, contact the police to discuss your options.
Hiring a private investigator is legal, and you cannot sue someone for hiring one to get information on you. However, if there have been instances of invasion of personal space, harassment, or intimidation, you can sue both the PI and the client for damages incurred.
While there are no fixed academic qualifications for becoming a private investigator, having education and knowledge of the criminal justice system is essential. This enables the investigators to know their limitations without breaking the law. Additionally, most states require PIs to obtain a private investigator's license, which is reviewed regularly to ensure compliance.
Curiosity, persuasion, patience, and the ability to analyze information are all traits required for a successful career as a private investigator. Their work involves interviewing people, observing, and gathering information. This makes the qualities above very important for success in the profession. Having previous experience in law enforcement is also helpful.
Different states have different regulations and requirements before issuing a license. Some of the most common qualifications include completing a private investigation course, two years of work experience, no previous criminal record, and weapons permit for armed personnel. Private investigators are also regularly tested to ensure the validity of their certification.
The most direct path for this career is getting a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, which usually takes four years. Then take a one-year internship in an investigative firm to gain hands-on experience. Having done this, you can count yourself as a private investigator.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual median wage for private investigators in 2020 was $53,320. Entry-level private investigators with only a high school diploma earn around $30,000, while those with a criminal justice bachelor's degree and over five years of experience make up to $84,000 annually.
