How to Become a Private Investigator Intern in Florida?

To become a private investigator intern in Florida, you need a Class “CC” Private Investigator Intern License from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). Getting it takes three things in order: a 40-hour training course from an approved school, a signed commitment from a licensed sponsor who will supervise you, and an application package with $162.75 in fees. You cannot do investigative work in Florida without this license, even as a trainee, and you cannot apply for it until a sponsor is already lined up.

Who Qualifies to Apply

Florida Statute 493.6106 sets the baseline. You must be at least 18 years old, demonstrate good moral character, and be a U.S. citizen, a permanent legal resident, or hold current employment authorization from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.¹

The moral character review goes beyond a standard background check. The state looks at whether you have been adjudicated incapacitated, committed for substance abuse within the past three years, or convicted of a controlled substance offense. Two or more DUI convictions in the three years before your application can also disqualify you, unless you can show completed rehabilitation and no current impairment.¹ If any of this applies to you, address it before spending money on training.

Finish the 40-Hour Training Course

The first concrete step is a 40-hour training course covering investigative techniques and Chapter 493 of the Florida Statutes.² The course must be offered by a state university or a school operating under the Florida Department of Education. Qualifying community colleges and vocational schools count; many private training outfits do not.

FDACS publishes a list of approved schools and instructional facilities on its website. Check that list before you enroll and pay, because a certificate from an unapproved provider will not be accepted with your application. When you pass, the school issues a Certificate of Completion. Hold onto it; it goes in your application package.

Line Up a Sponsor Before You Apply

This is where the Florida process diverges from a normal job hunt. You cannot submit the Class CC application without a sponsor already attached to it. The sponsor must be a licensed Class “C” private investigator, a Class “M” manager, or a Class “MA” manager, and they have to complete a Letter of Intent to Sponsor Private Investigator Intern that goes in with your paperwork.² In practice, you need a job offer at a licensed investigative agency before you can get the license.

Your employer will be a Class “A” licensed private investigative agency, or a branch office licensed as Class “AA” or “AB”. Any business performing private investigations in Florida must hold one of these agency licenses.³ Networking tends to open more doors than cover letters. Licensed investigators often hire interns they already know or who come recommended. Local PI associations, industry events, and the FDACS license database are all reasonable starting points for identifying agencies. When you reach out, say clearly that you have finished or are finishing the 40-hour course and understand the sponsorship requirement.

One structural note worth knowing before you fixate on a specific solo investigator: Florida caps each sponsor at six interns at a time.⁴ Larger agencies with several qualified sponsors can absorb more trainees, so they are often more accessible than a single investigator who is already at capacity.

Submit the Application and Fees

Once you have both the Certificate of Completion and a signed Letter of Intent to Sponsor, you can send the full package to the FDACS Division of Licensing by mail or drop it off at the nearest regional office.² The package includes the completed Class CC application form, the training certificate, the sponsor letter, a recent color photograph, fingerprints for the background investigation, and payment by check or money order.

Total fees come to $162.75:⁵

Application fee: $50
License fee: $60
Fingerprint processing fee: $42
Fingerprint retention fee: $10.75

All fees are non-refundable. After the package arrives, FDACS runs the background investigation. The agency does not publish a guaranteed turnaround, so plan for several weeks of processing. Do not take on any investigative work until the license is actually issued.

What the Internship Looks Like

Florida law treats the internship as training, not free staffing. Your sponsor must provide genuine direction, and the statute prohibits sponsors from letting interns operate independently or assigning work that does not build toward Class C qualification.⁴ All regulated duties must be performed in Florida during the internship.

Day-to-day work usually involves surveillance, background research, evidence collection, witness interviews, and report writing. The experience you need for the Class C license is calculated on a 40-hour-per-week basis, so part-time work extends your timeline proportionally.⁶

Pay

Because you are doing billable investigative work under the agency’s control, a Florida PI internship is a paid position. Florida’s minimum wage is $15.00 per hour as of 2026 and applies here. Many agencies pay above that, especially for interns with relevant education or prior experience in law enforcement or legal work.

How Long the License Lasts

The CC license is biennial, valid for two years from issuance. Since two years of full-time experience is also what you need for the Class C license, the timing is tight. FDACS sends a renewal notice roughly 90 days before expiration, and renewing on time is your responsibility. If the license lapses for more than three months, you must file an entirely new application with full fees. If it lapses for more than a year, you have to retake the 40-hour training course as well.⁷ You cannot perform investigative work between expiration and renewal.

Why You Cannot Skip the License

Doing investigative work that requires a Chapter 493 license without holding one is a first-degree misdemeanor on a first offense, punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. A second or subsequent offense is a third-degree felony with up to five years in prison, and the state can seek an additional civil penalty of up to $10,000. Anyone convicted of violating Chapter 493 is also barred from any license under the chapter for five years.⁸ Shadowing an investigator “just to learn,” volunteering at an agency, or starting work before your license is issued all fall inside this prohibition.

Moving Up to the Class C License

After two years of full-time investigative experience, you qualify to apply for the Class “C” Private Investigator license. That experience does not have to come entirely from intern work. Florida allows you to combine CC intern time with related professional experience in fields like law enforcement, plus up to one year of college coursework in criminal justice, criminology, or law enforcement administration.⁶ Bodyguard work does not count.

The Class C application normally requires passing a state examination on Chapter 493. If you hold a valid CC license when you apply for the Class C, you are exempt from the exam.⁶ The exemption goes away if your CC license has been invalid for more than a year, in which case you must take and pass the exam, which has a fee capped at $100. That is a strong reason to keep the CC current the whole way through and apply for the upgrade as soon as you have the hours.

Once you hold the Class C license, you can work independently, manage your own cases, and eventually sponsor interns yourself.

1
The 2025 Florida Statutes. Florida Code 493.6106 – License Requirements; Posting
2
Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Class CC Private Investigator Intern License Requirements
3
Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Class A Private Investigative Agency License Requirements
4
The 2025 Florida Statutes. Florida Code 493.6116 – Intern Requirements
5
Legal Information Institute. Florida Admin Code 5N-1.116 – Insurance; Fees
6
Florida Senate. Florida Code 493.6203 – License Requirements
7
The 2025 Florida Statutes. Florida Code 493.6113 – Renewal
8
The 2025 Florida Statutes. Florida Code 493.6120 – Violations; Penalty