4 companies compared
State Rules Decide Which Investigative Academy Alternative Fits
These four options serve different PI-training purposes. The ranking prioritises an exact state or renewal route first, then published 2026 tuition, delivery details, and completion-record information.
By Sharon DeCet, Founder · Reviewed 25 Sept 2026
The short answer
An online PI course can be useful, but it is not a national PI licence. For Minnesota private-detective employees, the defensible route begins with a Board-listed 12-hour PPD course completed within 21 days. This roundup separates Minnesota PPD, Georgia renewal CE, and focused skills courses by published purpose and price.
The shortlist
How we ranked them
- Exact match between the learner’s state, role, and course purpose
- Current regulator directory or rule where available
- Published 2026 course tuition
- Published delivery, assessment, and completion-record details
The companies in detail
National Investigative Training Academy
Minnesota PPD course with a lower published tuition
National Investigative Training Academy is the lower-priced published Minnesota PPD option for an employee who needs a Board-directory course record and self-paced online delivery.
Strengths
- Minnesota’s Board directory lists PPD 044 as 12 hours, online, and open to outside students.
- NITA publishes $170 course tuition for 2026.
- NITA publishes 100% online, on-demand delivery and a 75% passing threshold.
Limitations
- The Minnesota PPD route does not establish PI licensing in other states.
- Minnesota Board approval does not represent an endorsement or quality guarantee.
Learning Shop USA
Minnesota PPD course with visible lesson and assessment counts
Learning Shop USA is a Minnesota PPD option for shoppers who value visible lesson and assessment counts, although its published tuition is higher than NITA’s.
Strengths
- Minnesota’s Board directory lists PPD 031 as 12 hours, online, and open to outside students.
- The course page lists 84 lessons, 11 assessments, and 80 questions.
- The course page says a Certificate of Completion is emailed within seconds after completion.
Limitations
- Its published $185 tuition is $15 higher than NITA’s published Minnesota PPD price.
- The documented state-specific use is Minnesota PPD, not a nationwide PI licensing route.
PI Institute
Short PI certificate courses for targeted topics
PI Institute fits learners seeking a short, topic-specific PI certificate course rather than a first-state licensing route.
Strengths
- PI Institute publicly lists 46 courses.
- Its catalog includes listed two-hour certificate courses at $45.
- PI Institute identifies itself as Texas DPS Continuing Education School Y00105.
Limitations
- PI Institute directs learners to check state credit before using a course for renewal.
- A two-hour skills course does not replace Minnesota’s 12-hour PPD requirement or Georgia’s 16-hour renewal total.
Pro PI Academy
A published 16-hour Georgia PI continuing-education course
Pro PI Academy matches Georgia’s 16-hour private-detective renewal total, but the learner still needs the required ethics, homeland-security, and industry-hour mix.
Strengths
- Pro PI Academy publicly lists a 16-hour Georgia PI continuing-education course for $235.
- The provider says the course covers Georgia ethics and homeland-security requirements.
Limitations
- Georgia renewal documentation must still meet the Board’s instructor and record requirements.
- Georgia continuing education does not replace the state’s separate 70-hour basic-training requirement.
Minnesota turns a generic search into a deadline
Minnesota requires a private-detective employee to complete 12 hours of preassignment training within the first 21 days of employment. The Minnesota Board’s training guidance distinguishes the required Pre-assignment Private Detective course from the separate Protective Agent course.
The correct completion record identifies the covered subjects and hours. The Minnesota training rules also require six hours of Board-certified continuing training each year, with added armed-training obligations where applicable.
Minnesota compliance checkpoints
A Georgia renewal course solves a different problem
Georgia’s rule sets a 70-hour basic-training requirement for private-detective licensees and registered employees. The same Georgia Board rule separately requires 16 renewal CE hours for registered private-detective employees, including two ethics hours, two homeland-security hours, and 12 industry-related hours.
That distinction is why a focused certificate course, a Minnesota PPD course, and a Georgia CE course should not be treated as interchangeable alternatives.
Compare the route before the platform
- Use Minnesota’s PPD definition when the job is a Minnesota private-detective role.
- Use the guide to separate preassignment training from renewal CE before buying a course for a renewal deadline.
- Use the state-credit verification checklist when a provider’s course title does not state the exact state outcome.
Learning Shop USA publishes this roundup and sells one ranked course. Its entry is marked as owned, and the ranking uses published route, price, delivery, and record details rather than a quality score.
How we built this list
Methodology
Prices are published course tuition observed in 2026. Minnesota eligibility was checked against the Board’s training guidance and its approved-course directory, which lists Learning Shop Online Education PPD 031 and National Investigative Training Academy PPD 044 as online courses open to outside students.
Georgia training and renewal requirements come from the Georgia Board’s current rules. NITA, PI Institute, and Pro PI Academy course details are attributed to each provider’s published course materials and are not linked here. Learning Shop USA owns one ranked entry, which is marked in the list.
This page is published by Learning Shop USA. If anything here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
Related pages
Frequently asked
No. A course certificate documents course completion, while private-investigator licensing depends on the state and may also involve experience, examinations, employer sponsorship, or other requirements. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says most states require private detectives and investigators to be licensed.
Minnesota assigns the 12-hour Pre-assignment Private Detective, or PPD, course to private-detective roles. Protective-agent roles use the separate PPA course type, so the course title and the employee’s assigned role must match before enrolment.
No. Georgia separates its 70-hour basic-training rule for private-detective licensees and registered employees from its 16-hour renewal CE requirement. A renewal course can address continuing education, but it does not replace the initial 70-hour training route.
No. Price is useful only after the course matches the state, role, and purpose. A lower-priced Minnesota PPD option can be appropriate for a Minnesota employee, while a short skills certificate may be unsuitable for a state training or renewal requirement.
No. Minnesota says course approval checks whether course content and instructors meet the applicable statutes and rules. The Board expressly says approval is not an endorsement and does not guarantee a provider’s quality.
Start with the Minnesota PPD course when that is your assigned route
Review the published course structure, assessments, and completion-certificate process before enrolling.
Review the Minnesota PI course