In Illinois, private detectives must be licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Licensure requirements include:

• applicants must be 21 years of age;
• have a minimum of three years of experience out of the five years immediately preceding application working full-time for a licensed private detective agency or meet Department of Financial and Professional Regulation standards; or
• have obtained a baccalaureate degree in police science or related field or business from an accredited college or university plus one year of experience in the areas mentioned; or
• have obtained an associate degree in police science or related field or business plus two years of experience;
• passage of an exam; and,
• payment of a license fee.

License renewal is required every three years.

Additional licensing information can be obtained from: