How to Become a Private Investigator in Mississippi

You may want to become a private investigator, which is a popular profession in Mississippi.

For this to happen, you need to fulfill some criteria.

If you want to learn more, you should check the following article.

Private Investigator Requirements and Responsibilities in Mississippi

In Mississippi, the private investigators are overseen by the Mississippi Board of Private Detective and Protective Agent Services.

Popular Programs

The requirements you need to fulfill are:

• Be at least 21 years old
• Be an American citizen
• Have a clean record, both personal and criminal
• Apply for the PI test
• Pass the test
• Get some experience

Many investigators decide to take a course to learn more and get experience.

If you’ve worked in law enforcement, that can count as experience, too.

You need at least 100 hours of experience to become a PI.

Here’s what PIs do:

• Watch people on their own
• Record events from far away with good cameras
• Take clear pictures from a distance
• Stay healthy
• Understand what their clients need

Private Investigator Training in Mississippi

Getting an education in criminal justice or a similar program is a good start for those aiming to become private investigators.

You need to join a certified investigator program.

Having a bachelor’s degree, graduate degree, or graduate certificate is necessary for many jobs in law enforcement or investigations.

These can be in:

• Criminal justice,
• Computer forensics,
• Security management
• Investigation
• Or any related field

So, finishing a degree program makes sense for anyone interested in private investigations.

By law, PIs don’t have to get training in this state.

But that doesn’t mean you should ignore it completely.

Firstly, it can let you charge more from your clients, and secondly, it’ll make you better at what you do.

As I mentioned earlier, classes or degrees in law enforcement are the most helpful.

Sometimes, any degree could work for this job, even if it’s not really related.

In special classes, you’ll learn about the equipment you need and what’s not useful anymore.

Each PI can pick their own tools for the job, like:

• Maps
• Computers, tablets, and stuff like that
• Binoculars
• Cameras
• Microphones
• Cars or motorcycles

You’ll also learn stuff like the NATO phonetic alphabet and common terms.

Below you can see the schools where you can train in Mississippi.

NITA

Its training academy provides a range of online courses specially designed for those who dream of becoming private investigators.

These courses are all about improving your detective skills and getting you ready for the licensing test.

Prices for each course vary, starting at $99 and going up to $350.

Some classes are tailored for folks who want to dive deeper into the field.

PI Education

This institution offers a 70-hour course for those who want to get licensed.

The entire program is online, so having a good computer and internet connection is a must.

These hours count as 70 credit hours.

To enroll, you’ll need to pay a $399 tuition fee.

Becoming Licensed as a Private Investigator in Mississippi

The usual cost for a business license if you’re running a home-based business in Mississippi is $25.

Once you’ve registered your business with your local area or with the Secretary of State for LLCs, you can begin providing investigative services.

PI License Maintenance

No license maintenance is needed.

Permit to Carry a Weapon

To get permission to carry a hidden weapon, you must:

• Be at least 21 years old.
• Have lived in Mississippi for at least a year (unless you’re active military or retired law enforcement).
• Have no serious crime convictions.
• Not regularly abusing drugs or alcohol.
• You haven’t been judged mentally unfit in the last 5 years.
• Not be running from the law.
• Not be banned from having a weapon under federal law.

To apply to carry a gun, you need to:

• Fill out an Individual Firearms Permit form.
• Get the form notarized and take it to the Department of Public Safety HQ in Jackson or one of these Mississippi Highway Patrol offices:
  • Hattiesburg
  • Greenwood
  • Batesville
  • New Albany
  • Starkville
  • Meridian
  • Biloxi
  • Brookhaven
• Bring two IDs, and get fingerprinted when you hand in your form.
• Pay a $112 fee, which covers the $80 application fee and the $32 fingerprinting fee.

Salaries for Private Investigators in Mississippi

You may want to know how much you can make on this job.

In Mississippi, private investigators make $45,402 a year.

If you want to learn more about salaries in different locations, check out the table below.

Regional Salary in Mississippi

Private Investigator by State