Can a Felon Be a Private Investigator? Georgia, Texas, Minnesota

In Texas, a felon can become a private investigator once the 10-year disqualification for a listed felony has passed (unless the offense is permanently disqualifying), and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) also weighs the circumstances. In Georgia, the board decides case by case. In Minnesota, a felony conviction disqualifies unless a full pardon or similar relief has been granted. The table shows what each state's own rules say, as of November 2026.

Terms in the table: a crime of moral turpitude is generally one involving dishonesty or serious harm to others, and Georgia does not list which offenses qualify. Texas grades misdemeanors by seriousness, with Class A the more serious and Class B the lesser. A deferred sentence means the court postpones judgment while you complete supervision and dismisses the case if you finish. Texas Occupations Code Chapter 53 is the general law on how a criminal record affects any occupational license.

Sources: Minnesota Statutes §326.3381 and §326.336; Texas DPS Private Security Statutes & Rules, 2023-2024 Edition; 37 Texas Administrative Code §35.4; Georgia Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies Rule 509-2-.07.

Decide first whether you are applying for an agency license or to work for an agency, because the two have different checks. Minnesota requires a private detective license applicant to document 6,000 hours of employment as an investigator with an employer the statute lists (Minnesota Statutes §326.3382, subdivision 2), so most applicants gain that experience as employees first, which is our inference from the requirement.

Each state routes the worker differently:

• Minnesota. A licensed agency may employ unlicensed workers. The agency fingerprints each new hire for the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA, Minnesota's state records agency) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Until the report clears, the hire is a "conditional employee" who may not serve as a private detective, though the agency may train them.
• Texas. An individual license application includes fingerprints, a criminal history check fee and a letter from the company license holder requesting the license.
• Georgia. The employee registration is the worker's path, and its criminal conviction rule is the one that applies.

Our guide to starting as a part-time investigator under an agency's license explains the employee route.

Each board checks fingerprints against criminal records, then applies its own rule to what comes back. The rules differ in how much discretion the board has.

Minnesota: a felony is a bar, with a long list of other offenses

Minnesota disqualifies anyone convicted of a felony in any state or federal court. The same statute lists other offenses: criminal sexual conduct, assault, theft, larceny, burglary, robbery, carjacking, unlawful entry, extortion, defamation, buying or receiving stolen property, unlawful weapons offenses, burglary tools, escape and unlawful narcotics offenses. A full pardon or similar relief removes the bar. The applicant must also show "good character, honesty, and integrity," and a false statement on the application is itself a disqualifier (Minn. Stat. §326.3381, subd. 3).

As of May 2026 (Laws 2026, chapter 83), Minnesota no longer licenses partnerships; a corporate applicant's chief executive, chief financial officer, qualified representative and Minnesota manager must each meet the licensing requirements and submit fingerprints.

For employees, the hiring check looks for a felony or a listed offense, except a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor assault. The employer "shall immediately dismiss" an employee with a disqualifying offense (Minn. Stat. §326.336, subd. 1).

Texas: listed offenses, counted in years

Texas disqualifies a felony conviction for a listed offense for 10 years from the date of conviction, a Class A misdemeanor for 5 years and a Class B misdemeanor for 2 years. The listed categories cover assault, theft, fraud, burglary and criminal trespass, robbery, kidnapping, perjury, sexual offenses, criminal homicide, bribery, arson and property damage, obstructing governmental operation, and certain disorderly conduct offenses. Sexually violent offenses and burglary of a habitation are permanently disqualifying, subject to Occupations Code Chapter 53 (37 Texas Administrative Code §35.4, in the DPS 2023-2024 edition).

Our worked example uses the rule's arithmetic. A felony theft conviction dated June 2019 stays disqualifying until June 2029. A Class A theft misdemeanor from the same date stopped being disqualifying in June 2024, and a Class B in June 2021.

The department also weighs the nature of past activity, your age at the time, the time since, your conduct, rehabilitation and letters of recommendation (§35.4(j)).

A pending indictment or information for a disqualifying offense blocks the application. Sex-offender registration does too (Occupations Code §1702.113).

A deferred sentence is treated differently from a conviction. A person who pleaded guilty or no contest, received deferred proceedings, completed supervision and was discharged generally cannot be treated as convicted under the state's Chapter 53 licensing rules. There are exceptions, including offenses requiring sex-offender registration (Occupations Code §53.021).

Georgia: the board decides case by case

Georgia's rule for employee registration says a felony conviction "may" cause denial. The board examines the crime, your age at the time, the time elapsed, rehabilitation, present fitness and surrounding circumstances. Prior misdemeanors can be registered if the record does not prohibit a weapon permit. A felon gets no weapon permit without a pardon or restoration of civil rights that specifically restores the right to carry firearms (Rule 509-2-.07, amended effective July 26, 2022).

a dangerous-weapon crime or a crime of moral turpitude, but the board has discretion to license anyway and may inquire into the crime's nature and date. Whether your offense counts as moral turpitude is the board's call, which is a good question to put to the board in writing.

A course certificate does not change a background-check result because the check happens at hiring or application, using fingerprints, regardless of the certificate you hold. In our view, a course certificate cannot change what a board finds in your record.

Send the board a written question that names the license, the conviction and the rule, and keep its answer. In Texas, the board provides a specific tool: a person planning to enroll in a program for an initial license can request a criminal history evaluation letter (Occupations Code §53.102).

Use this script by email or letter:

Run these five checks before you pay for training:

1. The license is named. Pass: your message says "agency license," "employee registration" or "individual license." Fail: it says only "PI license."
2. The record is exact. Pass: you have offense name, class, conviction date and sentence from court papers. Fail: you are working from memory.
3. The rule is cited. Pass: the correct statute or rule number appears in your question. Fail: your message cites no rule number or the wrong one.
4. The answer is in writing. Pass: you hold a dated reply from the board. Fail: you have a phone conversation only.
5. The answer fits your case. Pass: the reply names your offense, class and date and states eligible or ineligible. Fail: it only repeats the general rule; reply and ask again with those details.

Once the board has confirmed your eligibility, pick the course for your state. As of November 2026, our prices are:

• Minnesota: the 102. Minnesota Pre-Assignment Course for Private Detectives/Investigators is $185. It is a 12-hour, self-paced online course that meets the pre-assignment training the Minnesota Private Detective and Protective Agent Services Board requires.
• Georgia: the 110. Georgia 70-hours Course is $290. It is 70 hours, self-paced, approved in Georgia, and the Georgia board mandates it as a prerequisite to a private investigator license.
• Texas: the 101. Texas Private Investigator Course is $175. It is an 18-hour continuing education course for current Class A and Class C license holders, not first-time applicants. Read the difference between renewal continuing education and initial investigator training before choosing.

Eligibility is the board's decision, not ours, so confirm it first. Guard work is a separate license with its own rules; see Can a Felon Be a Security Guard?.