Minnesota

Private Detective Pre-Assignment Training, 12 Hours in Minnesota

Choose the Board-listed PPD course for Minnesota private-detective pre-assignment training.

By Sharon DeCet, Founder · Updated 3 Sept 2026

In brief

Minnesota private-detective employees need 12 hours of Board-certified PPD training within their first 21 days of employment. Learning Shop USA offers a 12-hour online course, and Minnesota’s current approved-course directory lists the provider’s PPD 031 record as online and open to outside students.

Minnesota PPD course details

Minnesota private detective pre-assignment course

A self-paced, online course for the Minnesota PPD training requirement.

Public price: $185 in 2026
12-hour course
Online-only, self-paced, rolling access
84 lessons, 11 assessments, and 80 questions
Certificate of completion after required work
Board directory record: PPD 031, 12 hours, online, outside students

Serving greater Minnesota

Minnesota

Start with the state’s course type

Minnesota requires a Pre-assignment Private Detective, or PPD, course for private-detective employees. A Protective Agent, or PPA, course is a separate requirement for a different role. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety training guidance sets both courses at 12 hours and assigns PPD to private-detective employees.

Learning Shop USA’s public course listing describes a 12-hour, online-only, self-paced Minnesota private-detective course. The current Board course directory lists Learning Shop Online Education’s PPD 031 as a 12-hour online course open to outside students.

Check the role, course, deadline, and record

The correct course is only one part of the requirement. Minnesota allows certified pre-assignment or on-the-job training, but the employee must complete the required hours within the first 21 days of employment.

The Four Checks Before Training Begins A four-step flow showing Minnesota private-detective employees selecting PPD training, completing 12 hours within 21 days, and retaining completion evidence.

Keep completion evidence with the employee record

Minnesota requires the instructor to provide successful students with completion evidence showing the covered subject areas and completed hours. The seven PPD subjects include investigator overview, legal authority and liability, communication, privacy, situational assessment, ethics, and Minnesota statutes and rules under Minnesota Rule 7506.2600.

When this course is not the right fit

A Minnesota Protective Agent role needs PPA, not PPD. Completing a pre-assignment course also does not create an individual private-detective licence, and armed work carries separate training requirements. For more detail, review the Minnesota pre-assignment guide and course-fit checks.

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Frequently asked

Yes. Minnesota requires a Board-certified course rather than a blanket classroom format, and the current approved-course directory lists Learning Shop Online Education’s PPD 031 as an online course open to outside students. Confirm the exact PPD record before enrolling.

PPD is the 12-hour Pre-assignment Private Detective course required for private-detective employees. PPA is a separate 12-hour Pre-assignment Protective Agent course with different required subject areas, so a PPA course does not satisfy a PPD requirement.

A private-detective employee must complete at least 12 hours of certified pre-assignment or on-the-job training within the first 21 days of employment. A person returning after leaving the profession for three years or longer must repeat the pre-assignment training.

Minnesota requires evidence of successful completion to identify the course subject areas covered and the number of hours completed. Keep that record with the employee file because the completion certificate belongs to the employee, regardless of who paid for training.

Start the Minnesota PPD course online

Enroll in the 12-hour course and complete the required lessons and assessments.

Enroll in the Course