Colorado Private Investigator License Bill Passes Finance Committee

Mar 23, 2011

Denver, CO

Colorado HB11-1195, also known as the Colorado Private Investigator Voluntary License Bill passed the House Finance Committee on March 23, 2011 with a vote of 8-5. Representatives DelGrosso, Swerdfeger, Hullinghorst, Acree, Conti, Duran, Joshi, and Kagan voted in favor of the bill. Representative Bob Gardner is the prime sponsor of the bill with with Representative Su Ryden co-sponsoring HB1195. In the Colorado Senate, HB1195 has obtained the sponsorship of Senator Linda Newell.

House Bill 1195 was introduced as the result of a PI licensing committee formed by the Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado. Professional private investigators believe the option of a voluntary PI license offers ethical, professional minded private investigators in Colorado a means to distinguish themselves and highlight their background and experience. It allows the citizens, attorneys, and business people of Colorado who rely on private investigation services to more easily identify those private investigators who are qualified professionals.

The bill would allow private investigators to voluntarily obtain a license and be known as Licensed Private Investigator. HB1195 provides a penalty for a Colorado private investigator who holds him/herself out to be a Licensed Private Investigator. The PI faces a Class 2 misdemeanor for the first offense and a Class 1 misdemeanor for each subsequent offense. Currently, Colorado does not provide any licensing, education, training, or insurance requirements for private investigators, private detectives, or private investigations agencies.

Colorado HB 11-1195 now moves to the House Appropriations Committee.