PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR SERVICES

The Utah Justice Foundation provides the following general information with regard to Private Investigators and the criminal justice system in the state of Utah. We recommend watching the brief video (only 5 minutes) in the right column below, Interview with a Top Investigator.

The law provides that private investigators are to be licensed by the State of Utah. The primary requirements to be met for a person to be licensed as a private investigator in Utah are:

(1) Must be at least 21 years of age.
(2) Must be a U.S. Citizen.
(3) Must be of good moral character.
(4) Must meet one of the following 3 levels of experience.

1. Agency License - minimum 2,000 hours investigative experience.
2. Registrant License - minimum 1,000 hours investigative experience and work for a provate investigation agency.
3. Apprentace Applicant - must work for a private investigation agency.

If you have an attorney, it is likely that your attorney will hire the investigator as there are certain advantages to be gained with the attorney doing the hiring rather that the accused. For more on this topic, read the section below, Who Should Hire the Investigator?

If an accused, friend or relative plans on hiring a private investigator directly, the Utah Justice Foundation recommends that they request the investigator's license number and then check on his or her status with Utah's licensing agency at:

Utah Department of Public Safety & Law Enforcement Services
Bureau of Regulatory Licensing
4501 South 2700 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84119
(801) 965-4461

Generally, the fees for Private Investigators will be hourly for time spent and a fixed amount for certain "standard services" like criminal record or credit checks. On the other hand, you may be able to negotiate a "flat fee" for the services to be provided so you can put an upper limit on the charges.

A written fee agreement is recommended just to be certain that both sides understand and confirm the extent of the services to be provided and for how much. Be certain that the investigator is required to give the client a written report (could be several) as well as any photos, tape recordings, or other materials generated as part of his or her work for the client. Another problem area can be mileage charges as they can add up very quickly - making or breaking the deal for both inverstigator and client. The best solution is to be certain that this topic is covered specifically in the written fee agreement, and if the client is to be charged for "travel time" it should be at a lower hourly rate in most cases.

For more detailed information or to hire a Private Investigator, we suggest that you contact one of the following licensed private investigators in Utah:

Mark Nosack Investigations - Mark Nosack is a retired Sandy City Police Lieutenant and has been conducting investigations for more than 20 years - be sure to mention the Utah Justice Foundation for special case handling.
Phone: 801-556-5936

Executive Investigations - Daniel Burton is licensed to conduct investigations throughout Utah and in several neighboring states - be sure to mention the Utah Justice Foundation for special case handling.
Phone: 801-225-1093

Private Investigator's Association of Utah - The PIAU Utah maintains a list of its members, who are licensed Private Investigators. Click here for the currently posted list as well as other helpful information.
2469 East Ft. Union Boulevard, Suite 114, Salt Lake City, UT