Utah
Since September 1, 2026, Utah licenses private investigators through the Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) under a new Private Investigation Licensing Act, replacing licensing by the Department of Public Safety. A May 2026 law made placing a tracker on a person or using a tracking app without permission a crime, with the investigator exception limited to vehicle trackers. Continuing education of 16 hours applies to renewals on or after May 6, 2027.
At a glance
- Authority
- Division of Professional Licensing, Department of Commerce (Utah Code 58-92-201), since September 1, 2026
- Statute
- Private Investigation Licensing Act, Utah Code 58-92
- Rules
- R156-92, a 120-day emergency rule effective September 1, 2026
- Who is licensed
- Private investigator agents, registrants, and apprentices; only an agent may hold a private investigation agency license, and registrants and apprentices work under an agent with an agency license (58-92-301, -304, -305, -311). The definition includes skip tracing and serving civil process (58-92-101(5)). Collection agencies, credit reporting agencies, and employees of Utah attorneys, among others, are excluded.
- Qualifications
- At least 21 for agents and registrants, 18 for apprentices; a U.S. citizen or legal resident; fingerprints and a background check (58-92-302). A felony, a dangerous weapon offense, an offense involving violence, dishonesty, or fraud, or impersonating a peace officer is a bar, as is being on probation or parole or named in a warrant (58-92-302(2)). Agents need 5,000 hours of experience and registrants 2,000 (58-92-307); new agents pass a law and ethics exam with at least 75% (58-92-308; R156-92-303(2)).
- Renewal
- Every 2 years, in August of odd-numbered years (R156-92-201a). DOPL application fee $160 for individuals and $215 for agencies; the fingerprint vendor’s fee is separate.
- Continuing education
- 16 hours per 2-year period for renewals on or after May 6, 2027 (58-92-309)
- Bond or insurance
- A $10,000 surety bond (58-92-303, -304; R156-92); agencies also need $500,000 in general liability insurance (58-92-311; R156-92-311).
- Firearms
- No investigator firearms license or endorsement; badges and shields are prohibited (R156-92-313).
Changes, 2023 to 2026
DOPL emergency rule
Sets $10,000 bonds, an agent exam passing score of 75%, renewal in August of odd years, continuing education topics, and agency requirements. It requires agent and registrant experience to have been earned as a licensed investigator or government investigator within 10 years (R156-92-303(1)(c), -304(1)(e)).
For licensees: A permanent rule may change these details.
Licensing moves from Public Safety to DOPL
Repeals Title 53, Chapter 9 and enacts the Private Investigation Licensing Act, Title 58, Chapter 92, administered by DOPL. Holders of Public Safety licenses are considered to hold the matching new license (58-92-314). Also amends the tracking-device exception to cover jail release orders in the protective order check, and removes the requirement that process servers wear visible credentials; servers must still print their name and license number on the first page (78B-8-302).
For licensees: Public Safety licenses stay valid until their expiration date; DOPL says you may apply up to 60 days before it.
Tracking a person or using a tracking app without permission is a crime
Expands Utah Code 76-12-305 to cover placing a tracker on a person or the person’s property and using a tracking application, as well as vehicle trackers, without permission. The licensed investigator exception applies only to vehicle trackers and still requires a protective order check first (76-12-305(4), (7)). An injured person may recover statutory damages of $50 a day or $5,000, whichever is greater.
For licensees: There is no investigator exception for trackers on people, their belongings, or phones.
Motor vehicle record rule reenacted; investigator-only address display kept
Repeals and reenacts the motor vehicle record rule without changing the existing process: the Driver License Division still displays a record subject’s address only on motor vehicle records released to licensed private investigators, with exceptions for permitted uses under the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (R708-36-4(2)).
For licensees: Have your license number ready when ordering records.
Continuing education requirement enacted
Required 16 hours of continuing education for renewals beginning May 7, 2027, and changed ID card and notice provisions in the former Title 53, Chapter 9. S.B. 149 repealed that chapter in 2026 and carried a 16-hour requirement into 58-92-309.
For licensees: The current requirement is in 58-92-309.
Tracking-device offense renumbered
Moved the tracking-device offense and its investigator exception from Utah Code 76-9-408 to 76-12-305 as part of the criminal code recodification.
For licensees: Cite 76-12-305.
Investigator board merged with the bail recovery board
Repealed the Private Investigator Hearing and Licensure Board and gave its role to the renamed Bail Bond Recovery and Private Investigator Licensure Board, until S.B. 149 moved licensing to DOPL in 2026.
For licensees: Historical since September 1, 2026.
Checked and unchanged
- Licensed investigators remain authorized to serve all process (78B-8-302).
- DOPL’s application and renewal pages listed no investigator renewal or late fee as of October 18, 2026.
Last updated October 18, 2026Source: United States Council for Law & InvestigationCite as: United States Council for Law & Investigation, “Utah private investigator licensing: Licensing Law Tracker,” uscli.org/licensing-tracker/utah (last updated October 18, 2026). Text licensed CC BY 4.0.