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- How to Become a Private Investigator in South Dakota: Step-by-Step
- Private Investigator Schools in South Dakota
- 1 National Investigative Training Association
- Schools Summary Table
- Private Investigator Salary in South Dakota
- Find Private Investigator Career Guides by State
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What exactly does a private investigator do in South Dakota?
- How is a police investigator different from a private investigator?
- How are private investigators related to security guards?
- What is the downside of having very few requirements for being a private investigator in South Dakota?
- What are some things that would be unique to South Dakota as far as private investigators are concerned?
South Dakota is one of the easiest states to begin working as a private investigator.
You can get a general business license, declare yourself open for business, and start work as a private investigator.
It is that simple.
The state’s attorney general’s office website says no license is required.
All you need is a sales tax license.
That sounds pretty easy, but there is a downside, which we will explain.
How to Become a Private Investigator in South Dakota: Step-by-Step
As noted, no license is required for you to be a private investigator in South Dakota.
This means no education is required, no experience is needed, and no real hoops to jump through at all.
The business license is a sales tax license, which is a tax number for the state.
Some rules may apply in isolated places, so it would be a good idea to check with local authorities.
If you want to start your own business, you must create the business and register with the state.
Most people start out working for a larger agency, and when you go on your own, you can start your business.
At the state level, all you have to do is be 18 years old and a U.S. citizen or legal resident.
Building Credibility
The downside to this is that it is up to you to establish credibility.
When there are no requirements or licensing, the public may have little reason to trust you.
That could make it hard to find people willing to pay you to investigate anything.
Why should they think you can do a better job than they could?
While no education is required, it’s good to have some.
A degree, or at least some classes in criminal justice or law, would be helpful and might give you a bit of credibility.
Experience in law enforcement or security could also give the public a reason to trust you.
Working for an established investigative or security firm could give you some hands-on experience.
That could also give you some contacts, and even some clients of your own down the road.
Taking a private investigator course online could also be helpful.
Joining a national organization for this business could also give you a little more credibility.
Private Investigator Schools in South Dakota
Since there are no education requirements in South Dakota for private investigators, there are no schools for this occupation.
There are educational opportunities, however, that could help you establish credibility.
You could get an associate’s degree in criminal justice or a related subject at a junior college, or a BA or MA from a four-year university.
Even taking several classes in this area would help.
Some other degrees that could help would be law, journalism, forensics, or psychology.
Program: Private Investigator Career Diploma
Program Details:- Study at your own pace, anytime with 24/7 access
- Flexible, affordable tuition with personalized payment options
- Accredited both regionally and nationally
- Support from experienced instructors every step of the way
1 National Investigative Training Association
The National Investigative Training Association is an online school that offers a lot of classes in this area.
They offer some complete programs in private investigator work, which could give you the same certification as people in other states have.
They also have classes on individual subjects such as surveillance or interviewing.
This is a good place to learn some skills, and a certification from there would give people some confidence that they know what they are doing.
Contact Information
- Address: 250 International Pkwy, Lake Mary, Florida 32746, US
- Phone: 1-800-730-6482
- Website: Visit School Website
Schools Summary Table
| Rank | School | |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | National Investigative Training Association |
Private Investigator Salary in South Dakota
The average salaries in South Dakota for private investigators are below the national average, but the cost of living is too.
The average salary in Sioux Falls is $47,302, ranging from $30,000 to $66,000.
In Deadwood, the average is around $45,000.
Those two are the extremes in South Dakota, with other towns falling somewhere in between.
The national average salary for private investigators is $52,202, ranging from $33,000 to $72,000.
| Item | Percent |
|---|---|
$44.6K |
|
$79.2K |
|
$85.1K |
Average Salary in South Dakota
| City Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | $61,532 |
| Rapid City | $79,228 |
| Aberdeen | $44,615 |
| Brookings | $50,539 |
| Watertown | $50,549 |
| Mitchell | $50,349 |
| Yankton | $50,479 |
| Huron | $52,160 |
| Pierre | $55,946 |
| Box Elder | $49,997 |
Find Private Investigator Career Guides by State
- AL Alabama
- AK Alaska
- AZ Arizona
- AR Arkansas
- CA California
- CO Colorado
- CT Connecticut
- DE Delaware
- FL Florida
- GA Georgia
- HI Hawaii
- ID Idaho
- IL Illinois
- IN Indiana
- IA Iowa
- KS Kansas
- KY Kentucky
- LA Louisiana
- ME Maine
- MD Maryland
- MA Massachusetts
- MI Michigan
- MN Minnesota
- MS Mississippi
- MO Missouri
- MT Montana
- NE Nebraska
- NV Nevada
- NH New Hampshire
- NJ New Jersey
- NM New Mexico
- NY New York
- NC North Carolina
- ND North Dakota
- OH Ohio
- OK Oklahoma
- OR Oregon
- PA Pennsylvania
- RI Rhode Island
- SC South Carolina
- SD South Dakota
- TN Tennessee
- TX Texas
- UT Utah
- VT Vermont
- VA Virginia
- WA Washington
- WV West Virginia
- WI Wisconsin
- WY Wyoming
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly does a private investigator do in South Dakota?
One of the most common things a PI does is surveillance, documenting what someone does.
They may also help find missing people or do background checks on people.
They may interview people as part of investigations and do due diligence on businesses or people.
Investigating fraud might be another possibility, either online or on paper.
Evidence collection is yet another aspect of the job.
Private investigators investigate whatever their client wants to be investigated.
How is a police investigator different from a private investigator?
There is a lot of overlap.
They do a lot of the same type of investigations, and how investigations are conducted is also very similar.
The differences come in scope and authority.
Police have the authority and backing of the state, which private investigators do not have.
Police have access to information and databases that private investigators wouldn’t likely have.
They are limited to public information, just as a private citizen would be.
Another difference is the scope.
The police are reactive.
They investigate crimes when they happen.
Private investigators work to find information their clients need and are less reactive.
Security guards also have no training or education requirements in South Dakota.
Agencies often offer both security and investigative services.
There is a lot of overlap in what they do.
Security guards investigate things, and investigators may help with security issues.
Security guards also have no police authority, and so are more like private investigators than they are like police.
What is the downside of having very few requirements for being a private investigator in South Dakota?
The positive side of a few regulations means that it is easy to get started in the business.
The result, however, is that there is no certification process, no way of having a paper that says you are qualified.
This could make people reluctant to trust you, and even more resistant to handing over their cash for your services.
You don’t have any proof that you know how to do the job, and that burden of proof is on you.
Since there is no certification process, how can you establish credibility in South Dakota?
One way to establish yourself is to work for a larger agency.
You can get some good experience there with the backing and support of the company.
This could help you get a good reputation and a regular set of clients.
Another way is to take some college-level classes.
If you can show you have a background in criminal justice education, for instance, that could give you some credibility.
There are also online courses for private investigators that you could take, and a certificate from there would help.
While education and experience are not required, they are the things that help you establish yourself as a competent private investigator.
What are some things that would be unique to South Dakota as far as private investigators are concerned?
South Dakota is a very rural state, and you would need to understand rural culture, or farm culture, to do well.
This would also make surveillance more difficult.
Limited public records could also be an issue.
Private investigators would have to have permission to do any work on reservations.
The cold weather and snow could create travel issues, and the distance between towns could become an issue.
There are very few gun regulations, meaning people you investigate could easily be armed.
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