To become a Private Investigator in Minnesota is different from most other places. The difference is that Minnesota does not require much for you to work as a PI for a Private Investigator agency. A Private Investigator course or Private Investigator training is not even needed.
You simply need to be employed and registered under a licensed Minnesota PI.
However, you won’t have a Minnesota Private Investigator's license but you can work as one. This can be viewed as you being a Private Investigator under supervision.
PRIVATE DETECTIVE APTITUDE TEST
Minnesota Private Investigator Sponsor
To become a Private Investigator in Minnesota, you need to be hired by a local Private Investigator agency as well as meet the basic requirements. Getting hired as a PI in Minnesota requires experience. If you do not have investigative experience, you should take a PI course that focuses on practical skills: Intro to a Career as a PI 100.
Full Minnesota PI License
A full PI license allows you to work for yourself (your own business.) This requires you to have previous investigative experience (6000hrs). Other than investigative experience, to become a Private Investigator in Minnesota, you need to meet basic Private Investigator requirements such as age, language proficiency, and other usual PI requirements of this nature. Furthermore, you do "not" need to take a government approved PI licensing course/ test (most other places you do).
State of Minnesota Board of Private Detective and Protective Agent Services
In Minnesota, the government body that controls licensed Private Detectives is the STATE OF MINNESOTA BOARD OF PRIVATE DETECTIVE AND PROTECTIVE AGENT SERVICES. Once you submit the proof of your ability to meet the requirements and investigative experience to The Board, you will get your Minnesota PI license. Most jurisdiction will have a PI beginner’s license, Minnesota does not. However, being employed under a licensed Minnesota PI is similar to a beginner’s PI license. This is where your struggle will begin.
Minnesota Private Investigator Beginner License
Your Private Investigator beginner’s license equivalent in Minnesota is just being support staff to a Minnesota PI agency.
Your Minnesota PI agency employer will register you with the government.
Your title will be INVESTIGATOR.
This will allow you to work for a Minnesota PI agency, but you will not be able to work for yourself (your own PI company). This means you must work under the supervision of a fully licensed Minnesota 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, a background in non-PI investigations 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.
Minnesota Private Investigator Guidance
This lack of guidance is why so many rookie Minnesota Private Investigators burn out and quit and why many experienced Minnesota 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 in Minnesota with no Private Investigator experience or education. If you took a PI course or PI training, it most likely focused on legal matters with no real practical Private Investigator training or topics. You will always be told by Minnesota PI 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 of an industry and get 6000hrs of PI experience, you be qualified to work for yourself with your own Minnesota PI agency. Hopefully, when you are hiring new Private Investigators, you will appreciate the importance of proper PI education.

Minnisota Private Detective License Requirements
You need to be 18yo or older.
You need to be legally allowed to work in Minnesota.
You cannot have a history of mental illness.
You must have a clean criminal and personal record.
You need $10,000 in business liability insurance.
You need 6000hrs of investigative experience with a PI agency or government agency.
Learn more about Private Investigator Online Training
Private Detective Aptitude Test
Minnesota Private Detective Application
Private Investigator Salary Minnesota
Thinking of Becoming a Minnesota Private Investigator?
“ICPI Level 100 online Private Investigator Training” is the ultimate blueprint to start your exciting and rewarding career as a real Private Investigator.
ICPI will help you start successfully in this amazing new career, even if you know nothing about investigations.
Our team has vetted out the best training and investigative methods so that you can jump-start your journey towards having the meaningful career you’ve always wanted, immediately.
This training system will provide you, a successful detective, with all the templates that you need to succeed. A clear path on becoming a PI, understanding the PI business, becoming a successful PI, and thinking like a detective- all the tools you need to make six figures being an investigative Operative.
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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!