New Hampshire licenses private investigators through the State Police, Permits and Licensing Unit, under RSA 106-F. There's no exam; the gate is four years of experience (cut to two with a degree or certification) and a $50,000 surety bond — with a low-cost employee tier as the on-ramp.
New Hampshire's employee tier is a genuine low-cost on-ramp; the independent license is a four-year climb.
Work under a licensed PI or agency on an employee license — about $5 plus background fees, with no experience requirement. You're covered by your employer's bond, and the employer is responsible for your conduct.
Meet the four-year experience standard (or a substitution), clear a character/background investigation, and post a $50,000 surety bond.
The State Police set these baseline criteria (RSA 106-F:5).
New Hampshire gates on four years of experience — halved by a qualifying degree or certification — and requires no exam.
You satisfy the requirement with four years full-time as a law-enforcement officer, an investigator for a licensed PI, or an arson-certified firefighter.
Substitutions cut it to two years: an associate or bachelor's degree in criminal justice or fire service plus two years of investigator employment, or an ASIS security/executive-protection certification plus two years of relevant experience. There is no licensing exam (armed licensees instead meet annual firearms proficiency).
New Hampshire's state fees are modest; the real cost is the $50,000 bond premium. Confirm current figures with the State Police.
| Item | Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Individual PI application | $150 | Plus a $25 criminal-record check and $10 background fee. |
| PI Agency application | $350 | Per agency type. |
| PI Employee | ~$5 | Plus the $25 + $10 background fees. |
| Surety bond | $50,000 | Two-year term, filed with the Secretary of State (+$50k per additional license type). |
| Individual state-fee total | ~$185 | Plus the bond premium. |
State fees are from official-derived guides (the State Police pages bot-block automated checks); the $50,000 bond is set by statute (RSA 106-F:9). Licenses run two years; no continuing-education requirement for unarmed PIs.
Work under a licensed PI/agency to gain experience at low cost.
Accrue qualifying experience, or pair two years with a degree/certification.
Complete the criminal-record check and character review.
File the surety bond with the Secretary of State.
Submit the individual or agency application (individuals apply in person in Concord).
Renew with proof the bond remains in force.
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.
New Hampshire's employee tier is the cheap way in while you earn the four years.
Start as a PI Employee. About $5 plus background fees puts you to work under a licensee, with no experience required — and it's how you build the four years.
Use a degree. A criminal-justice degree halves the experience requirement to two years.
Market reality. Pay varies widely by specialty and client base — consult 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 New Hampshire, not anywhere. An LLC is liability protection, not a licensing requirement.
You can work as an employee under someone else's licensed company without any entity of your own — the LLC question only arises if you operate independently or run your own firm.
When you do go independent, what some states require is a registered business behind the agency — and that can be an LLC, a corporation, or (sometimes) a sole proprietorship. The requirement is "a registered business," not "an LLC specifically." Choose an entity for liability protection, not because PI work demands it.
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. State Police pages bot-block automated checks and fees can change — confirm current requirements with the Permits and Licensing Unit, and consult a New Hampshire attorney for advice specific to your situation. Smoothquill points you to the real authorities; it doesn't replace them.
New Hampshire's employee tier is the low-cost on-ramp. Start with what the work actually looks like.
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