# Private investigators vs. detectives? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 24, 2002, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-investigators-vs-detectives/110622 "2002-05-24T05:12:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr\_Salads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mr\_Salads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Salads)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-investigators-vs-detectives/110622/1 "2002-05-24T05:12:49Z")
Is there a difference between private investigators and detectives, or are they the same thing? Moreover, are they independently paid, or do they work for the local police district? ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-investigators-vs-detectives/110622/2 "2002-05-24T06:11:05Z")
There are police detectives who are paid by the department they work for, and there are private investigators, who, as far as I know, are licensed by the police agency in the city from which they work but are paid “privately.” I think the main difference is that you can’t get police detectives to investigate the person you suspect of banging your spouse, but a PI will peform any kind of surveillance for you as long as it’s legal. I’ll see if a PI friend of mine will weigh in on this one. He/she is on the Boards, too. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-investigators-vs-detectives/110622/3 "2002-05-24T06:35:30Z")
When I think of a “detective,” I think of a person who works for a police dept. When I think of a “private” investigator, I think of someone who is not a law enforcement officer. But then there is Sherlock Holmes, the consulting _detective_! It looks like different states use different terminology and have different license requirements. See [http://www.tamberlane.org/faq.htm](http://www.tamberlane.org/faq.htm) I think law enforcement agencies might hire former law enforcement officers on a contract basis. ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-investigators-vs-detectives/110622/4 "2002-05-24T13:37:22Z")
I think **Violet** has it right. “Detective” is usually a police officer. I believe that in many cases, it’s a specific rank that one aspires to earning. Private investigators are the Sam Spade / Jake Gittes types. However, “detective” is often used generically to mean either. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-investigators-vs-detectives/110622/5 "2002-05-24T14:03:38Z")
Yup Detectives work for the police dept and Private investigators work usually by themselves or in a small firm. And most are retired Detectives… Actually, it is a good business if you know what your doing. I have a friend who retired from the police department and went into private securities… You should see his house… ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-investigators-vs-detectives/110622/6 "2002-05-24T18:53:42Z")
1. A private detective and a private investigator are the same thing, but “private investigator” is the usual term. 2. Private detectives, as the name suggests, receive their pay and their assignments from paying customers; what little authority they have comes from their licensing bodies. 3. Private investigators are normally licensed by the states in which they operate, not by local law enforcement. 4. Police detectives may be of any rank; detectives are senior to patrolmen, but a detective sergeant is equal in rank to a uniformed sergeant, and a detective lieutenant is equal in rank to a uniformed lieutenant. ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-investigators-vs-detectives/110622/8 "2013-02-14T11:58:06Z")
You woke up a zombie!:dubious: Reported.