Nebraska
Nebraska licenses private detectives, private detective agencies, and plain clothes investigators through the Licensing Division of the Secretary of State. There is no licensing board. The licensing statute and rules have not changed since 2023; the changes in this period came from broader laws.
At a glance
- Authority
- Nebraska Secretary of State, Licensing Division. The Nebraska State Patrol runs the character investigation and fingerprint check.
- Statute
- Neb. Rev. Stat. 71-3201 to 71-3213 (private detective licensing)
- Rules
- Title 433, Nebraska Administrative Code, Chapter 3, with the same experience, exam, and fee terms as the 2013 compilation (2013 compilation;Nebraska Rules and Regulations)
- Who is licensed
- Private detectives (sole proprietors with no employees), private detective agencies, and plain clothes investigators. A plain clothes investigator must be employed by a licensed Nebraska agency, and the license is void when the agency’s license expires or the employment ends (433 NAC 3-006). An agency designates a manager who meets the experience requirement.
- Qualifications
- At least 21, a U.S. citizen, and of good moral character; no license for anyone in the debt collection business (71-3205). Detectives and agency managers need 3,000 hours of verifiable investigative experience, or 2,500 with an associate degree or 2,000 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or a related field. All applicants must score at least 80% on the exam (433 NAC 3-005 to 3-007).
- Renewal
- All licenses expire June 30 of each even-numbered year (71-3209). Initial and renewal fees are $50 for a private detective, $100 for an agency, and $25 for a plain clothes investigator, plus a $38 background check fee on initial applications only (433 NAC 3-008).
- Continuing education
- None in the statute or rules
- Bond or insurance
- A $10,000 surety bond for private detective and agency licenses (71-3207). No insurance requirement.
Changes, 2023 to 2026
No amendments to sections 71-3201 to 71-3213 or to 433 NAC Chapter 3 were enacted in this period. The statute was last amended by Laws 2020, LB 910 (section 71-3204). The changes below come from broader laws that reach licensed investigators.
New felony for tracking a person without consent, with a limited exception for licensed investigators
Enacted sections 28-1336 to 28-1339. It is a Class IIIA felony to knowingly install a mobile tracking device on another person’s property without consent, to use a device or app to track a person or their property without consent, or to fail to remove a device after consent is revoked. Consent is treated as revoked if the person says so, if either spouse files for divorce, annulment, or separate maintenance, or if the person obtains a protection order. The general exception for legitimate business purposes does not apply to private investigators. A person licensed under 71-3201 to 71-3213 is exempt only with the property owner’s consent and only to investigate crimes, locate a fugitive, locate lost or stolen property or court-awarded assets, or investigate workers’ compensation claims. The exception does not apply if the client is the subject of a protection order or if the investigator knows or reasonably should know the client wants help committing a crime. The act also added a tracking device conviction to the list of potentially disqualifying convictions for occupational licenses (84-941.01). An earlier tracking bill with a similar investigator exception, LB 1224, was indefinitely postponed on April 18, 2024.
For licensees: Do not place a GPS tracker or tracking app without the property owner’s consent, even for a client with a business purpose. Screen clients for protection orders before any tracking work.
Interim study of private detective licensing heard; no report filed
An interim study to review the credentialing requirements for private detectives, private detective agencies, and plain clothes investigators under the Occupational Board Reform Act, which requires each standing committee to review the occupations it oversees every five years (84-948). It was introduced March 25, 2024, referred to the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, and heard September 6, 2024. No action after the hearing is recorded, and the committee’s list of reports has no private detective report after its 2019 review, which recommended keeping licensure.
For licensees: Nothing has changed. No legislation resulted from the study.
Licensing for applicants credentialed in other states or the military
Amended the Occupational Board Reform Act. Under section 84-950, an occupational board must issue a license to an applicant who has held a credential for at least one year in another state, or a military occupational specialty, for an occupation with a similar scope of practice, if the credential required an exam or education, training, or experience standards and the applicant has no disqualifying criminal record, no revoked or surrendered credential, and no pending complaint. Applicants from states that do not license the occupation may qualify with three years of work experience. The board may require a jurisprudential exam on Nebraska law if one is required of other applicants, and must generally approve or deny a complete application in writing within 60 days. The exclusions in 84-946.01 do not name the Secretary of State or private detectives.
For licensees: Investigators licensed in another state for at least a year have a path to a Nebraska license. The Nebraska exam may still be required.
Last updated October 15, 2026Source: United States Council for Law & Investigation