A Private Investigator's licence is required if you are employed to perform any of the following functions:
(a) Obtaining and giving information about any person;
(b) Searching for missing persons;
(c) Obtaining and giving information as to the cause and origin of or responsibility for any fires, libels, loss or accident or any damage to real or personal property;
(d) Obtaining and giving information as to the location or recovery of lost or stolen property; or
(e) Obtaining evidence to be used in civil or criminal proceedings.
A licensed Private Investigator is not allowed to solicit for services on his own. Only the licensee of a Private Investigation Agency can advertise to provide private investigation services.
1.1 Eligibility for Private Investigator's License
To be eligible for a Private Investigator's licence, you must meet the following criteria:
- Be a fit and proper1person.
- Be a Singapore Citizen or a Singapore Permanent Resident and above the age of 16.
1Sections 21(8) and 21(9) of the Private Security Industry Act 2007 states:
In deciding whether a person or an officer of a business entity is a fit and proper person, the licensing officer may consider any of the following matters as indicating that the person or officer may not be a fit and proper person:
(a) that the person or officer associates with a criminal in a way that indicates involvement in an unlawful activity;
(b) that in dealings in which the person or officer has been involved, the person or officer —
(i) has shown dishonesty or lack of integrity; or
(ii) used harassing tactics;
(c) that the person or officer is or was suffering from a mental disorder;
(d) that the person or officer is an undischarged bankrupt or has entered into a composition with the person's or officer's debtors.
The above mentioned shall not limit the circumstances in which a person or an officer of a business entity may be considered by the licensing officer not to be a fit and proper person.
1.2 Types of Applications
| Types of Applications |
Validity | Fees (Non-Refundable) |
| New Private Investigator Licence Application |
5 Years |
$16 |
| Renewal of Private Investigator Licence Application |
5 Years |
$16 |
| Amendment of existing Private Investigator Licence Application |
N/A | N/A |
| Cancellation of existing Private Investigator Licence Application |
N/A | N/A |
| Withdrawal of Private Investigator Licence Application |
N/A | N/A |
New
This is for persons who wish to apply for a Private Investigator Licence.
You may submit a new Private Investigator Licence via GoBusiness portal.
Renewal
You should receive the notification for renewal about 2-3 months before the expiry of your licence. Upon approval of the renewal application and payment of the prescribed fees, the Police Licensing and Regulatory Department will send the licence by post to the licensee’s registered mailing address.
Amend Licence Details
You can amend the following information of your existing Private Investigator licence:
- Biodata*
- Training Records and Experience
*If the biodata to be amended/updated are the same data items found in MyInfo, you do not have to submit a separate request for update. Any changes/update in MyInfo will automatically update your licence records. You can also make a check via GoBusiness Licensing to confirm that your biodata has been updated as per MyInfo.
Cancellation of Licence
You are permitted to terminate your existing Private Investigator licence any time before its expiration.
Please be informed that there will be no refund upon cancelling the existing Private Investigation licence.
Withdrawal
You can withdraw your application for a Private Investigation licence any time before licence approval.
Please be informed that there will be no refund of fees paid upon withdrawal of application.
If licence has been approved and issued, you will have to submit a request to cancel licence.
1.3 Licensing Conditions
1.4 Documents Required
| Types of Applications |
Descriptions | ||||||
| New Licences & Renewals |
You are required to obtain the following documents before applying for a Private Investigator licence. Scanned Copy of Passport (for Singapore Permanent Resident) *You may apply for an exemption from the training requirement. Please click here to find out if you are eligible for exemption. |
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| Amend Licence Details |
You are required to obtain the following document before amending your existing Private Investigator licence.
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| Cancellation of Licence | No supporting document is required. |
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| Withdrawal |
No supporting document is required. |
1.5 Submission of Application
1.6 Estimated Completion Time
Estimated Time to Complete
20 min
Processing time
| Types of Applications |
Processing Time |
| New Licences & Renewals |
At least 4-6 weeks from the receipt of the application, processing fee and the necessary supporting documents (if required). Any incomplete or incorrect submission will be rejected. You will be notified of the outcome of the application by post. Alternatively, you can login to GoBusiness Licensing to view your application status. |
| Amend Licence Details |
About 4-6 weeks from the receipt of the submission and the necessary documents, if required. Any incomplete or incorrect submission will be rejected. You will be notified by post once your training record(s) has been updated. Alternatively, you can login to GoBusiness Licensing to view your application status. |
| Cancellation of Licence |
Immediate upon the submission of your Cancellation Request. |
| Withdrawal |
Immediate upon the submission of your Withdrawal Request. |
1.7 Contact Details
| Resources |
Description |
| GoBusiness | If you are familiar with the application requirements and wish to apply now, please proceed to GoBusiness Licensing. SingPass or CorpPass is required for login to GoBusiness Licensing. |
| Relevant Legislation |