Finding Researchers and Private Investigators

ION Investigators Anywhere Referral Service

4 February 2008. Washington-based ION Incorporated, owned and operated by a private investigator, helps clients as well as investigations professionals find investigative services. You submit a request by Web-based form for investigative services in any country. The referral service responds by e-mail or phone.

PI Links

4 February 2008. PI Magazine, a must-read magazine for investigative professionals, offers a collection of links for researching or finding private investigators. You will find links for reviewing state licensing requirements (Note that some links lead to unofficial or non-agency sources for this information.), state and regional trade associations, national investigator associations, international investigator associations, foreign trade associations, related associations and more.

PInow.com

4 February 2008. PInow.com is a directory of local, pre-screened and professional private investigators. Owned by Westin Consulting, LLC, the site helps you find investigators by location and type of investigation. A "verified" logo next to a listing indicates the business has "gone through a thorough application process including - license verification, letters of recommendation, a phone interview and they must meet our minimum experience requirements."

The site's FAQ further provides information about licensing requirements for investigators. It also links out to individual state databases for licensing verification purposes.

Public Record Retriever Network (PRRN)

4 February 2008. BRB Publications, Inc. offers this database of local document retrievers. "With more than 750 members in 50 states that retrieve documents from local government agencies in over 2,000 counties nationwide, PRRN Members are recognized as the nation's leaders in local public record searching and document retrieval." Review the eligibility requirements for membership listing here.

The public may search this database for free. You drill down by state, and then county, to find a list of record retrievers. The detail provides the company's or individual's business contact information as well as information about the type of records retrieved.

A more expansive resource, titled National Directory of Local Court & County Record Retrievers-Web, provides detailed profiles for more than 3,300 vendors including record retrievers and abstractors, national and regional search firms, online databases and gateways, pre-employment screening firms, and tenant screening firms. It requires a paid subscription.