How to become a private detective in Canada

How to become a private detective in Canada

If you ask people who is your favorite book character 90% will answer sherlock holmes or harry potter. Harry Potter is a completely fictional character you can not imagine becoming Harry potter in real life. Sherlock Holmes is fictional but it is possible to become somewhat like sherlock holmes in real life. If you want to become a private detective like sherlock holmes in real life then you must read this article till the end.

How to become a private detective in Canada

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional book character created by Dr. Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes is a private detective who solves many criminal cases. Sherlock Holmes is a private detective which means that government does not pay sherlock holmes to solve cases but he is paid money by his clients.

Private detectives work for their clients and not for the government. But that does not mean anybody can become a private detective. In Canada to become a private detective, you must have a valid private investigator license and you have to renew it as per the policy of the Canadian government. In this article, we are going to discuss how to become a private detective in Canada.

Ministry of Community Safety & Correctional Services (MCSCS) issues valid licenses to people who want to work as private detectives in Canada.

The MCSCS keeps supervision of the private investigation industry in Canada. Private Security and Investigative Service Act define license requirements to become a private detective. The act also defines rules and regulations, and codes of conduct that must be followed by a private detective.

Why is a license is required to become a Private Detective?

The job of a private detective is to investigate. The investigation is a serious job to do. You need a trained and reliable person to do this kind of job. Issuing licenses and renewing licenses provide trained and reliable people to do the job. Any kind of investigation must be in accordance with the law of that country. Issuing a license makes sure that the investigator does not engage himself in illegal activity while doing an investigation.

Eligibility to become a Private Detective.

To apply for a Private Detective Licence, you must be

• must be at least 18 years of age.
• Be eligible to work in Canada.
• Does not have any criminal record.

How to get a Private Detective Licensed

The process of taking licensed to become a Private detective is a three-stage process.

Stage 1: Complete your Basic Training Course.

In order to become a private detective, you must complete at least 50 hours of a Basic Training course approved by MCSCS. You can complete this course from universities, colleges, and licensed private investigation services but make sure that the institution is approved by MCSCS. You can complete this course in a classroom or even online as per the availability. You can visit MCSCS’s official website for more information on the institute which provides the course.

The course has a wide scope and includes the following points:

• Introduction to the Industry
• Criminal and Civil Law
• Investigative Techniques
• Self-Management Skills
• Communication and Interaction key Principals

On completion of the Basic Training Course, you will be issued a completion certificate. This certificate contains a completion number which will be useful to register with a licensed issuing institution to schedule the licensing exam.

Stage2: Licensing exam

After successful completion of the Basic Training Course, you have to appear for the final licensing exam. The reason behind conducting this exam is to measure the knowledge and skills gained by candidates in Basic Training Course. The exam includes 60 MCQs. The result of the exam is declared just after 2 days of the exam. The exam is administered by MCSCS across the different provinces in Canada.

Stage 3: Apply for a Private Detective Licence

After successful completion of the Basic Training course and Licensing exam, you have to apply for a Private Detective Licence by filling online application. In this application, you have to fill in relevant information such as Name, Address, Driver’s license number, physical features such as height, eye color, etc., and do you have a permit to carry weapons.

Apart from the application, you have to submit the following papers

• passport photo.
• a copy of a government-issued id card such as a driving license.
• Canadian citizenship or immigration papers.
• The application fee.

What is the expenditure of obtaining a private investigator license?

The details of different types of fees that a candidate has to pay while taking a private detective license are as follows.

The fees of the basic training course are $200-$600 approximately. The fees vary from institute to institute.

• Exam FEE $75.00
• License fee $80.00

Validity Period for Private Detective Licence

The validity period for a private detective license is 1 to 2 years and it varies from province to province in Canada. You should renew it 30 days before it expires in order to continue your profession as a private detective. The application to renew the license is the same as it was when you apply for the new license. You have to fill out the application online submit the necessary documents and pay the prescribed fee to renew the license.

If you continue to work with an expired license then you will be punished as per the law which includes heavy fines, imprisonment for 2 years, or both.

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