To Become a Private Investigator in Alberta is similar to most other places: you need to meet basic Private Investigator requirements such as age, language proficiency, and other usual PI requirements of this nature.
Furthermore, to become a Private Investigator in Alberta, you need to take a government approved Alberta Private Investigator's license course.
Alberta Justice: Private Investigator License
In Alberta, the government body that controls licensed Alberta Investigators is the Alberta Justice regulating PIs under the Security Services and Investigators Act. So, it is the Alberta Justice that will have a list of approved Alberta PI licensing courses or Private Investigator training.
This list is available on the Alberta government website.
After completing the PI course, you will need to pass an Alberta government PI test. Once you submit the proof of your ability to meet the requirements and completion of the licensing course and test to Alberta Justice, you will get your Alberta PI license. Most jurisdiction will have a PI beginner’s license, Alberta does not. You will get to start out with a full AB Private Investigator license. This is where you need to start developing practical PI skills.
Alberta Beginner's PI License
Your Private Investigator beginner’s license in Alberta is just a regular Private Investigator license. It will allow you to work for a PI agency, but you will not be able to work for yourself (your own PI company). This PI license means you must work under the supervision of a fully licensed Alberta PI agency. However, the term “under supervision” will be in namesake only. You will not be supervised or guided by an experienced Private Investigator.
This is why you need learn practical PI skills on your own.
In fact, PI agencies are not economically structured to have mentor or student surveillance teams. Furthermore, the Alberta licensing course will give you important education regarding PI legislation and some transferable knowledge but it will not set you up to become a successful Private Investigator all by its self. New Private Investigators still need to know how to be successful working operations. This is why practical Private Investigator education and training specifically for Private Investigators is necessary.
Mail application to:
Security Programs Alberta Justice and Solicitor General PO Box 1023 Station Main Edmonton, AB T5J 2M1
This lack of guidance is why so many new Alberta Private Investigators burn out and quit and why many experienced Private Investigators are jaded. On top of this, PI clients with small budgets typically get the new unqualified Private Investigators, nobody wins in this situation. It is also not fair to small PI clients to use their files to haphazardly train new Private Investigators.
So, the time comes for you to work investigations with no Private Investigator experience or education. The Alberta licensing course you took was essential for getting your PI license. However, without real practical Private Investigator training on surveillance or cyber investigations you struggle. You will always be told by employers that “soon you will get some PI training,” which never happens. It took me over five years to figure out the industry and get good at a few specialized fields. During that time, I struggled and probably lost several hundred thousand dollars due to losing work opportunities from a lack of skill and education. What is sad is that this is a common story in the industry. If you make it through this meat grinder and get an Alberta Investigator business license, you be qualified to work for yourself with your own PI agency. Hopefully, when you are hiring new Private Investigators, you will appreciate the importance of proper PI education.
Alberta Private Investigator License Requirements
Age: You must be 18 or older.
Criminal Record: You cannot have a criminal record or be the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation. You must obtain your own record check. The RCMP offers this service for typically $50.
Canadian Citizen: You need to be a Canadian citizen and submit a copy of government ID.
English: You must be able to speak and write in English.
Government Approved PI License Course: You will need to complete a PI license course approved by Alberta Justice.
Test: You will need to pass an Alberta government PI test.
Passport Photo: You have to provide Alberta Justice with a certified passport photo. This needs to be certified by the RCMP.
Fee: You will have to pay a $160 licensing fee. The PI license will be valid for two years.
Submitting: The documents you submit can be sent to Alberta Justice via mail or online uploading.
Working for Yourself: You need an Alberta PI business license to work for yourself. You first need an Alberta PI license to apply for the business license.
Thinking of Becoming an Alberta Private Investigator?
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Certification
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Become a Great Alberta Private Eye
Yes, you can become a great Alberta Private Investigator. How? Through Private Investigator education. Not through the short Alberta government licensing course, but through at least 100hrs of practical Private Investigator education. This can be online Private Investigator training classes or in an in-class training environment. In order to become a successful Alberta Private Investigator and meet Private Investigator requirements, you need to become educated on the complexities of the private investigation industry (this will also help you decide if you want to pursue the PI career) and how to set yourself up to become a successful Private Investigator. Secondly, you will need to become educated on how to perform investigations.
To learn the complexities of the Alberta private investigation industry you will need to understand a few Private Investigator industry topics. Regional licensing requirements for Private Investigators will teach you what you need to obtain your Alberta Private Investigator license. To help you decide if you want to enter the career of private investigation you, will have to learn the common misconceptions about the Private Investigation industry. Understanding the learning curve of a Private Investigator will set you up to become a successful PI.
Before entering the Alberta PI industry, it is useful to know the challenges encountered as a Professional Private Investigator. This will also help you make career decisions. Then you need to learn what you will be doing as a Private Investigator. Learning the areas of specialization as a Professional Private Investigator and types of clients and corresponding file requirements will help with this. You will need to learn how Alberta Investigators obtain assignments and hours of work to determine if this work environment is right for you.
If you are concerned about your ability to perform as an Alberta Private Investigator and how to be a Private Investigator with no experience that is successful, learning what factors will determine your aptitude as a Professional Private Investigator and what makes a “good” Professional Private Investigator will be essential. It is also important to know the physical and health requirements and health considerations. Then there is equipment. Learning about equipment needed in order to get started in a career as a Professional Private Investigator is a must.
Furthermore, you will need to educate yourself on communication devices and their role in private investigation. Lastly and most importantly, you must learn “The Investigative Mindset.” This will teach you how to think like a Private Investigator. After you learn these concepts, you will be well on your way to becoming a Private Investigator even without experience.
After learning the complexities of the Alberta private investigation industry, you will need to develop practical skills in various areas. The most important areas are Desk Investigations, Pre-surveillance, surveillance, mobile vehicle surveillance, on-foot surveillance, obtaining evidence, and litigious reporting. To learn Desk Investigations, you will need to understand what is a Desk Investigation, Desk Investigation nomenclature, corroborated/ circumstantial evidence, The Evidence Document, The Desk Investigators Mindset, Google Basics for North America, and social media search basics for North America. Surveillance will be the largest subject to learn. Under this field you should learn about setting up a proper surveillance vehicle, surveillance spot checks, and surveillance set ups for various investigative operations.
As an Alberta Private Investigator, you will spend the majority of your time performing investigations solo. This is why learning single person surveillance is crucial. Furthermore, you will occasionally work in surveillance teams, so you will need to learn how to perform surveillance with two or more surveillance operatives. Alberta Private Investigators perform a lot of their surveillance from a surveillance vehicle, but also on foot, you will need to learn this also. The entire reason Alberta Private Investigators are hired, is to obtain evidence. Obviously, learning how to obtain evidence, mostly in video form, is a must. As an Alberta Private Investigator, you will need to obtain quality video that is litigious and that will satisfy your client. At the end of all this, you will need to learn how to create an investigative report that will most likely be used in litigation. After you learn all of this, you will have no trouble becoming a successful Alberta Private Investigator.
It should be apparent now, why and how you can become an Alberta Private Investigator. Yes, the government licensing course is necessary but it will not set you up for success as a Private Investigator. You will always need at least 100hrs of practical Private Investigator education. You will need to learn the PI industry, as well as how to perform. In fact, becoming a Private Investigator through proper education will set you up to become more successful than Investigators with many years of experience but who have not developed a strong foundation with proper Private Investigator education.
What You Need to Learn to Become a successful Alberta PI
Regional licensing requirements for Alberta Professional Private Investigators
Common misconceptions about the Private Investigation industry
The learning curve of an Alberta Investigator
Personal challenges encountered as an Alberta Investigator
Areas of specialization as an Alberta Professional Private Investigator
Types of Alberta clients and corresponding file requirements
How Alberta Investigators obtain assignments and hours of work
What factors will determine your aptitude as a PI
What makes a “good” Professional Private Investigator?
Physical health requirements and health considerations
Equipment needed in order to get started in a career as a PI
Equipment Map
Computers, tablets and peripherals
Common terminology
NATO Phonetic Alphabet
The Investigative Mindset
What You Need to Learn to "Perform" Alberta Investigations
How Desk Investigations are performed
Corroborated & circumstantial evidence
What is evidence & how to structure it
The Evidence Document
The Investigative Mindset
Background checks
Reverse Address Search
Reverse Name Search
Google as an investigative tool, such as reverse AB phone searches
Daily Gear Protocol
Data & evidence security
Surveillance vehicle
Surveillance set-up
Pre-surveillance research
Communication protocols
Clients perspective
Active mobile surveillance two or more investigators
Skill vs, luck and circumstances
Risk vs. reward
Subject identification
Understanding & managing surveillance Heat
Traffic conditions
Driving methods for different areas or environments
Filming best practices
Organizational necessities
Transitioning to foot surveillance
Transitioning back to a surveillance vehicle
Mobile foot surveillance
Surveillance Gearbag
Required equipment
Identifying the subject
Clothing and props
The physics or mechanics of foot surveillance
Covert equipment & techniques
On foot following techniques & best practices
Transitioning in and out of buildings
Video framing and quality
Reporting
About the Author
Peter is an Instructor & Co-Founder of NDIL with over 15 years as a Professional Private Investigator, including several years working in AB as a licensed Alberta PI and Alberta Security Professional. Peter has spent more than a decade conducting investigations and security operations throughout the world, primarily for corporations, law firms, and government agencies. Peter has assisted in the creation of numerous Alberta investigative & security training programs in various capacities. Peter has personally trained many Edmonton Private Investigators and Calgary Private Investigators.