Private Investigator onboarding at a glance

Week one covers orientation, safety and shadowing. Days 1–30 build vocabulary and supervised practice on core procedures; days 31–60 move to independent work with competency sign-offs; days 61–90 focus on full productivity, cross-training and a credential plan.

Before day one

Confirm start date, schedule, pay and supervisor in writing
Verify required credentials: State private investigator license, Professional Certified Investigator (PCI) (as applicable)
Prepare equipment and access: cameras and video equipment; investigative databases; public records portals; GPS and mapping tools
Assign a buddy or preceptor
Enroll the new hire in Private Investigator training so foundations are covered before or during week one

Week one: orient and protect

Workplace tour, emergency procedures and incident reporting
Plan for personal safety during surveillance
Know and follow privacy and recording laws
Avoid confrontations
Share your location with your office
Shadow an experienced private investigator through a full shift
Training modules 1–3: role foundations, a day on the job and essential vocabulary (15 terms)

Days 1–30: learn

Goal: perform core tasks safely under supervision.

Supervised practice: conduct legal surveillance
Supervised practice: run a skip trace
Supervised practice: write an investigation report
Training modules 4–7: duties, step-by-step tasks, tools and safety
30-day check-in: confidence, questions and early wins

Days 31–60: contribute

Goal: handle a regular workload independently.

Conduct surveillance: independently
Research public records and databases: independently
Run background checks: independently
Locate people and assets: independently
Competency sign-offs completed (see checklist below)
Training final knowledge check and certificate of completion
60-day check-in

Days 61–90: own

Goal: full productivity and a growth plan.

Meet productivity and quality targets for the role
Begin cross-training on a secondary task
Agree on a credential goal (for example, State private investigator license)
Discuss the career path: Investigator Trainee → Licensed Private Investigator → Senior or Specialized Investigator
90-day review

Competency checklist

Skill or task	Trained	Observed	Signed off
Conduct Legal Surveillance
Run a Skip Trace
Write an Investigation Report
Surveillance techniques
Records research
Interviewing
Report writing

How to measure onboarding success

Report quality and completeness
Post-order compliance in audits
Client complaints or incidents
90-day retention

How Private Investigator training maps to this plan

Introduction to the Private Investigator Role
A Day on the Job
Essential Private Investigator Vocabulary
Core Duties and Responsibilities
Common Tasks, Step by Step
Tools, Equipment and Technology
Safety, Compliance and Professional Standards
Skills Employers Look For
Launching Your Private Investigator Career
Final Knowledge Check

Get team pricing

Private Investigator Onboarding Plan (30-60-90 Days)