What Private Investigators Cannot Do

01 Mar What Private Investigators Cannot Do

While there are many things that a Private Investigator can do to help you find the answers you need, track someone down or get the proof you may need to build a case against someone, there are certain limits that constrain private investigators. Private investigator’s, or PI’s, are not above the law and they are not a law officer. Many were law officers or detectives or government agents in the past, but they are now private as the name says. They have skills and experience to legally gather evidence and do many things, but they cannot break the law.

Just like you or any private citizen, they must abide by the same laws as they go about their jobs. They are simply trained to work for you and use their investigative skills and experience to legally work on your case. But they are relegated to following all laws, and some laws do vary from state to state. Here is a list of some things that private investigators can and cannot do:

• They cannot arrest people. Again they are not officers of the law. They can deliver legal papers but they cannot arrest or detain anyone, or they would be arrested.
• Pi’s cannot wiretap a phone or tape a conversation without consent of a participant in either case. While these laws vary to certain degrees from state to state, no state allows them to tape any communication without some consent.
• They cannot hack someone’s computer or break into their emails or electronic communications. While there are ways to see what someone is doing online, there is a digital footprint that can be legally traced, these things are illegal.
• They cannot open or tamper with anyone’s mail. This is a federal offense. No one can take or open someone else’s mail.
• PI’s cannot attach a GPS device to anyone’s car to secretly follow them without the consent of an owner. This often means in spousal situations, with consent from one, or in company employee driven cars with consent from the company these devices can be used, but there must be some form of consent.
• A private investigator also cannot confiscate or tamper with certain protected records such as bank account information, phone records and credit records without a certain amount of consent, as with the recorded conversations and GPS.
• PI’s also cannot trespass. Private property is just that, they are prohibited by law unless again given consent by an owner of the property.

If you have the need for a skilled, experienced private investigator or a team of private investigators, contact Fast Investigators http://fastinvestigat.wpengine.com as soon as possible. Fast Investigators have the best staff of PI’s in the business, and can help anyone anywhere in the USA.