To become a Private Investigator in Manitoba, you need to take a government approved Manitoba Private Investigator's license course.
Furthermore, becoming a Private Investigator in Manitoba 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.
Manitoba PI Licensing Agency: PISGP
In Manitoba, the government body that controls MB licensed Investigators is Manitoba Justice's Private Investigators and Security Guards Program (PISGP). So, it is the PISGP that will have a list of approved Manitoba PI licensing courses/ Private Investigator training. Once you submit the proof of your ability to meet the requirements and completion of the licensing course to the PISGP, you will get your Manitoba PI license. Most jurisdiction will have a PI beginner’s license, Manitoba does not. You will get to start out with a full MB Private Investigator license. This is where your struggle will begin.
Manitoba PI Beginner's License
Your Private Investigator beginner’s license in Manitoba 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 Manitoba PI agency. However, the term “under supervision” will be in namesake only. You will not be supervised or guided by an experienced Private Investigator. In fact, PI agencies are not economically structured to have mentor/ student surveillance teams. Furthermore, the licensing course will give you some transferable knowledge but it will not set you up to become a successful Private Investigator. 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.
Manitoba Justice Private Investigators and Security Guards Program
1800 –155 Carlton
Winnipeg
MB R3C 3H8
This lack of guidance is why so many new Manitoba 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 licensing course you took focused on legal matters with no real practical Private Investigator training or topics. 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 a Manitoba Private Investigator business license, you will 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.
Manitoba 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. You must also get a Manitoba Child Abuse Registry record check.
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 license course approved by Manitoba Justice.
Passport Photo: you have to provide Manitoba Justice with a certified passport photo.
Fee: you will have to pay a $30 licensing fee. The PI license will be valid for two years.
Submitting: the documents you submit can be sent to Manitoba Justice via online.
Working for Yourself: you need a Manitoba PI business license to work for yourself. You first need a Manitoba PI license to apply for the business license.
Thinking of Becoming a Manitoba Private Investigator?
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Certification
Get a certificate that "actually" matters. When you get certified by Novel Data in the 100 Level course, Private Investigator agencies will be aware that you understand the PI industry. This will give you a great competitive edge in the PI job market. Most PI applicants know very little about the PI job they are applying to. Not you. A PI hiring manager will not want to risk turnaround by hiring someone unfamiliar with the industry, they will choose an applicant who is familiar with what will be expected of them. With Novel Data's certification, that applicant will be you!
Become a Great Manitoba PI
Yes, you can become a great Manitoba Private Investigator. How? Through Private Investigator education. Not through the short Manitoba 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 Manitoba 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 Manitoba 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 Manitoba 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 Manitoba 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 Manitoba 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 a Manitoba Private Investigator and how to be a Private Investigator 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 Manitoba 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 a Manitoba 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. Manitoba 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 Manitoba Private Investigators are hired, is to obtain evidence. Obviously, learning how to obtain evidence, mostly in video form, is a must. As a Manitoba 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 Manitoba Private Investigator.
It should be apparent now, why and how you can become a Manitoba 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 Manitoba PI
Regional licensing requirements for Manitoba Professional Private Investigators
Common misconceptions about the Private Eye industry
The learning curve of a Professional Private investigator
Personal challenges encountered as a Manitoba Professional Private Investigator
Areas of specialization as a Manitoba Professional Private Investigator
Types of Manitoba clients and corresponding file requirements
How Manitoba Investigators obtain assignments and hours of work
What factors will determine your aptitude as a Professional Private Investigator
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 MB PI
Equipment Map
Computers, tablets and peripherals
Common terminology
NATO Phonetic Alphabet
The Investigative Mindset
What You Need to Learn to "Perform" Manitoba Investigations
How MB Desk Investigations are performed
Finding missing persons in MB
Finding missing children in MB
Finding MB people who intentionally disappear
Corroborated & circumstantial evidence
What is evidence & how to structure it
The Evidence Document
Google as an investigative tool
Canada Reverse Address Search
Canadian Reverse Name Lookup
Background checks
Searching phone numbers in MB
Daily surveillance Gear Protocol
Data & evidence security
MB SurveillancePre-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 Heat
MB traffic conditions
Driving methods for different areas or environments
Filming best practices
Mobile foot surveillance
Surveillance Gearbag
Required equipment
Identifying the subject
Surveillance 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
Proper security measures
Reporting for MB surveillance
About the Author
Peter Sandru is an Instructor & Co-Founder of NDIL with over 15 years as a Private Investigator having also been licensed in Manitoba as a PI and Manitoba 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 investigative & security training programs in various capacities. Thru NDIL, Peter has helped many Manitobans aspiring to become Private Detectives.