How to Become a Private Investigator in Newfoundland
- Peter Sandru
- May 7, 2020
- 8 min read
Updated: Apr 14, 2024
To Become a Private Investigator in Newfoundland you need to take a government approved Newfoundland Private Investigator's license course as well as be hired by a local NL Private Investigator agency: This is a requirement of many provinces.
Furthermore, becoming a Private Investigator in Newfoundland is similar to most other jurisdictions: you need to meet basic Private Investigator requirements such as age, language proficiency, and other usual PI requirements of this nature.
Newfoundland PI Agency Sponsor
To get a Newfoundland Private Investigator's license, you need to be sponsored by a local Newfoundland Private Investigator agency as well as meet the basic PI requirements mentioned before. Getting hired as a PI in Newfoundland 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.
Newfoundland Consumer Affairs Division: PI Licensing
The Newfoundland government body that controls Private Investigators is called the Newfoundland Consumer Affairs Division. Once you submit the proof of your ability to meet the PI requirements and proof of a Newfoundland PI sponsor, the NCAD will give you your Newfoundland PI beginner’s license. This is where your struggle will begin.
Beginner’s PI License in Newfoundland
Your Private Investigator beginner’s license in Newfoundland 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 Private Eye license means you must work under the supervision of a fully licensed Newfoundland 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 policing/ military and criminal justice 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.
Consumer Affairs Division,
Service Centre
149 Smallwood Drive, Mount Pearl
P.O. Box 8700
St. John's, NL
A1B 4J6
This lack of guidance is why so many rookie Newfoundland Private Investigators burn out and quit and why many experienced Private Investigators are jaded. On top of this, Private Investigator 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 experience or education. Your background in policing/ military or criminal justice will offer little to no real practical Private Investigator knowledge. You will always be told by employers that “soon you will get some 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 Private Investigator skill and education. What is sad is that this is a common story in the Newfoundland PI industry. If you make it through this meat grinder of an industry, you can qualify to work for yourself (run your own PI agency). You will need a Newfoundland Private Investigator business license for this. Hopefully, when you are hiring new Private Investigators, you will appreciate the importance of proper PI education.
Newfoundland Private Investigator License Requirements
You need to be 19yo or older.
You need to be a Canadian citizen.
You need a clean criminal record.
You need to pay a $30 license fee.
You need to take an approved PI licensing course.
You need to be sponsored by a Newfoundland PI agency.
Thinking of Becoming a Newfoundland Private Investigator?
“ICPI Level 100 online Private Investigator Training course” 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.
To date, this online training system consists of over 100 informational slides, videos, exercises and quizzes that provide a step-by-step path on how to achieve your dream job as a Private Investigator.
ICPI Level 100 takes about two weeks to complete with over 30 hours of high-quality training content that will make you a Private Investigator well on your way to becoming an expert in this fascinating career.
Certification
Get a certificate that "actually" matters. When you get certified by Novel Data in the 100 Level Private Investigator course, Newfoundland 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 Newfoundland PI
Yes, you can become a great Newfoundland Private Investigator. How? Through Private Investigator education. Not through the short Newfoundland 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 Newfoundland 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 Newfoundland 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 Newfoundland 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 Private Eye.
Before entering the Newfoundland 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 Newfoundland 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 Newfoundland 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 Newfoundland 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 Newfoundland 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. Newfoundland 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 Newfoundland Private Investigators are hired, is to obtain evidence. Obviously, learning how to obtain evidence, mostly in video form, is a must. As a Newfoundland 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 Newfoundland Private Investigator.
It should be apparent now, why and how you can become a Newfoundland 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 Newfoundland PI
Regional licensing requirements for Newfoundland Professional Private Investigators
Common misconceptions about the Private Investigation industry
The learning curve of a Professional Private investigator
Personal challenges encountered as a Newfoundland Professional Private Investigator
Areas of specialization as a Newfoundland Professional Private Investigator
Types of Newfoundland clients and corresponding file requirements
How Newfoundland 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 Professional Private Investigator
Equipment Map
Computers, tablets and peripherals
Common terminology
NATO Phonetic Alphabet
The Investigative Mindset
What You Need to Learn to "Perform" Newfoundland Investigations
How Newfoundland Desk Investigations are performed
Finding missing persons in NL
Finding missing children in NL
Finding NL people who intentionally disappear
Corroborated & circumstantial evidence
What is evidence & how to structure it
The Evidence Document
Google as an NL investigative tool
Reverse Address Search
Canada Reverse People Search
Canada Background checks
Searching phone numbers in NL
Bug sweep (TSCM)
Daily PI Gear Protocol
Data & evidence security
Surveillance
Pre-surveillance research
Surveillance 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
NL traffic conditions
Driving methods for different NL areas or environments
Surveillance filming best practices
Mobile foot surveillance
PI surveillance Gearbag
Required surveillance 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
Forensic investigations (rare)
About the Author
Peter Sandru is an Instructor & Co-Founder of NDIL with over 15 years as a Professional Private Investigator. Peter has spent more than a decade conducting investigations and security operations throughout the world, primarily for insurance agencies, corporations, law firms, and government agencies. Peter has assisted in the creation of numerous investigative & security training programs in various capacities. Peter has personally trained many Newfoundland Private Investigators.