Florida licenses private investigators through the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) under Chapter 493. The license that lets you investigate is the individual Class "C" — and there's a low-barrier Class "CC" intern route (a 40-hour course, no experience) to get started. Here's how the classes fit together.
Florida cleanly separates the entry-level intern license from the full investigator license — and the business license is separate again.
No experience and no exam — just be 18+, pass the background check, and complete a 40-hour FDACS-approved PI course. You then work under a sponsoring Class C/MA/M licensee, and your intern hours count toward the Class C.
Hold the individual Class C (2 years' experience + exam) to investigate; to run a business you also need a Class A agency license with a designated Class MA manager.
FDACS sets the baseline for both the intern and full investigator licenses.
The full investigator license turns on two years of verifiable experience — with a capped substitution for education or law-enforcement training.
For the Class C license you need two years of lawfully gained, verifiable, full-time experience or training in investigative work, per §493.6203.
Up to one year of that may be substituted with college coursework in criminal justice, criminology, or law-enforcement administration, or with completion of law-enforcement training — the substitution is capped at one year, so at least one year of actual experience (which can include your Class CC intern time) is always required.
The Class C exam is administered by Everblue, the FDACS-contracted vendor (in person, online-proctored, or on paper). It's 100 questions, 70% to pass, covering the business practices and legal responsibilities of the industry under Chapter 493.
One quirk to plan around: in Florida you must pass the exam before you submit the Class C application. The Class CC intern license has no exam.
Florida's state fees are low and there's no bond or insurance for PIs. Budget for the exam and, for interns, the required 40-hour course.
| Item | Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Class C application | $50 | Paid to FDACS. |
| Fingerprints + retention | ~$53 | $42 processing + $10.75 retention. |
| Class C license fee | $75 | On approval. |
| Exam (Everblue) | $70 | Paid to the vendor; passed before applying. |
| Bond / insurance | $0 | None required for a Class C PI or Class A agency. |
| Class C total | ~$248 | Class CC intern runs ~$163 plus the 40-hour course. |
Figures from the FDACS fee schedule; confirm current amounts (and the current exam vendor) on the FDACS Class C page. Note: there is no PI bond and no continuing-education requirement in Chapter 493 — claims otherwise on third-party sites are incorrect.
Class CC intern if you're starting fresh; straight to Class C if you already have two years' experience.
Complete an FDACS/DOE-approved private-investigator training course.
Florida requires passing the exam before you submit the Class C application.
Submit the application, fingerprints, and fees; clear the FDLE/FBI background check.
Log your hours under a Class C/MA/M sponsor toward the two-year requirement.
To run your own agency, obtain the Class A agency license and designate a Class MA manager.
A license lets you work — it does not lift the privacy laws that bind every investigator. These are the lines that get people in trouble, license or not.
The federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) restricts motor-vehicle records, and recording laws govern when you can capture a conversation. Before you record anyone or pull personal data, read our recording-consent guide — it applies to a licensed investigator exactly as written.
Florida's Class CC intern is one of the most accessible entry licenses in the country — no experience, no exam.
Start as a Class CC intern. A 40-hour course and a background check put you to work under a licensed sponsor, and that intern time counts toward the two years the Class C requires.
Use the education substitution. Criminal-justice coursework or law-enforcement training can cover up to one year of the experience requirement.
Market reality. Florida is a large, active market, but pay varies widely by specialty and client base — see the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for current figures rather than any single number.
The rule we never bend: no state requires an LLC to be a private investigator — not Florida, not anywhere. An LLC is liability protection, not a licensing requirement.
Florida licenses the individual (Class C) separately from the business (Class A). You can work as an employee or intern under someone else's licensed agency with no entity of your own.
If you open your own shop you'll need the Class A agency license — and a registered business behind it, which can be an LLC, a corporation, or a sole proprietorship. The agency requirement is "a registered business," not "an LLC specifically." Form an LLC for liability protection if and when it fits — it's recommended, not required.
For the honest version of when forming one actually helps a solo operator, see our breakdown of when an LLC is worth it.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Fees and the exam vendor change — confirm current requirements with FDACS, and consult a Florida attorney for advice specific to your situation. Smoothquill points you to the real authorities; it doesn't replace them.
Florida's intern route gets you working fast; the Class C and your own agency come with experience. Start with what the work actually looks like.
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