Surety Bond Encyclopedia

Private Detective ($10,000) Bond - Statewide in Pennsylvania

Brief Summary

Pennsylvania detective licenses are granted county by county, by the court of common pleas, and the court approves the bond itself. Getting a corporate surety bond in the right form, ready when the court calls for it, keeps your petition moving.

A Pennsylvania private detective license comes from the court of common pleas in your county, not from a state agency. Under the Private Detective Act of 1953, 22 P.S. 16, every licensee files a $10,000 corporate surety bond with the clerk of courts, executed to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and approved by the court. The bond is $10,000 whether the applicant is an individual or a partnership, association or corporation. Only the license fee changes.

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How to Apply for a Private Detective ($10,000) Bond:

Get your county's private detective petition packet from the clerk of courts.
File the petition, pay the county filing fees and complete fingerprinting.
Wait for the county's instruction on when to obtain the bond. Philadelphia says not to buy it until notified.
Obtain the $10,000 corporate surety bond, executed to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
File the bond with the clerk of courts for approval by the court of common pleas.
Pay the license fee of $200 for an individual or $300 for a partnership, association or corporation.

Detailed Information About the Pennsylvania Private Detective ($10,000) Bond:

Your county court is the licensing office

There is no statewide private detective license desk in Pennsylvania. You petition the court of common pleas in your county, and the clerk of courts handles the filing. In Philadelphia, the District Attorney's Office enforces the Act and investigates the facts stated in each application before the court acts.

Philadelphia's instructions say not to obtain the bond before you are notified. Check your own county's instructions on timing before you buy.

One bond amount, two fee levels

Section 16 of the Act sets a license fee of $200 for an individual or $300 for a partnership, association or corporation, for a two-year license. The bond does not change. Every applicant files a corporate bond in the sum of $10,000, conditioned for the faithful and honest conduct of the business. It must be written by a corporate surety company authorized to do business in Pennsylvania, and the court approves its form, manner of execution and sufficiency. Individual sureties are not used.

Who can claim on the bond

The bond runs to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Any person injured by a violation of the Act, or by a willful, malicious and wrongful act of the licensee or an employee, may sue on the bond in his or her own name. The surety's total liability for all such claims never exceeds the $10,000 bond.

Renewals

The clerk of courts renews a license when the holder pays the renewal fee and files a new surety bond, each in the same amounts the Act requires for the original license. Philadelphia lets renewing licensees request a two-year or five-year license.

Who does not need a license

The Act exempts several groups, including police officers, insurance adjusters, credit bureaus, attorneys, charitable organizations, and anyone employed as an investigator exclusively by one employer in connection with that employer's own affairs. An in-house investigator for a single company does not need this license. A firm that investigates for outside clients does.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Pennsylvania Private Detective ($10,000) Bond:

A corporate surety company authorized to do business in Pennsylvania. Individual sureties are not accepted.
Bond in the sum of $10,000, conditioned for the faithful and honest conduct of the business.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania named as obligee.
Court approval of the bond's form, execution and sufficiency.
A new bond in the same amount filed with each renewal.

Pennsylvania Private Detective ($10,000) Bond FAQs:

Does a detective agency need a bigger bond than an individual?

No. The Act sets one $10,000 bond for every applicant. A partnership, association or corporation pays a higher license fee, $300 instead of $200, but the bond amount is the same.

Where do I file the bond?

With the clerk of the court of common pleas in the county where you apply. The bond is executed to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the court approves it before the license issues.

Should I buy the bond before I file my petition?

Check with your county first. Philadelphia's instructions tell applicants not to obtain the bond until they are notified by phone. Buying early can leave you holding a bond for a petition that has not been approved.

Who can make a claim against my bond?

Anyone injured by your violation of the Act, or by a willful, malicious and wrongful act by you or your employee, can sue on the bond in their own name. All claims together are capped at $10,000.

I investigate only for my employer. Do I need this bond?

No. The Act exempts a person employed as an investigator exclusively by one employer in connection with that employer's affairs. Once you take work from outside clients, you need the license and the bond.