Private Detective Information
UPDATE
4/3/20:
The Private Detective Unit will now be accepting SORA Security Officer Initial Applications. Be advised that due to the New Jersey State of Emergency regarding COVID-19, the temporary certification, effective April 3, 2020, will be valid for 60 days. This 60-day temporary certification will only exist while the State of New Jersey is in the current State of Emergency. If you received a 30-day temporary certification, between Feb 19, 2020 and March 20, 2020 it will be extended 30 days for a total of 60 days.
Temporary SORA certificate holders who have not completed the training requirement and the fingerprinting process will expire at the conclusion of the temporary certification dates, unless extended by the Superintendent of the State Police. Temporary certificate holders who are expired are not authorized to work until they are properly certified.
4/3/20:
The Private Detective Unit will now be accepting SORA Security Officer Initial Applications. Be advised that due to the New Jersey State of Emergency regarding COVID-19, the temporary certification, effective April 3, 2020, will be valid for 60 days. This 60-day temporary certification will only exist while the State of New Jersey is in the current State of Emergency. If you received a 30-day temporary certification, between Feb 19, 2020 and March 20, 2020 it will be extended 30 days for a total of 60 days.
Temporary SORA certificate holders who have not completed the training requirement and the fingerprinting process will expire at the conclusion of the temporary certification dates, unless extended by the Superintendent of the State Police. Temporary certificate holders who are expired are not authorized to work until they are properly certified.
Be advised that due to the New Jersey State of Emergency regarding COVID-19, no SORA, Private Detective or Bounty Hunter initial, renewal, or Agency Owner applications will be accepted or processed during this time.
All existing security agency agency licenses and certified SORA officers will receive an automatic 60 day extension from their listed expiration date. Temporary SORA certificate holders who have not completed the training requirement and fingerprinting process will expire on their assigned dates and will not be extended. Temporary certificate holders who are expired are not authorized to work until they are properly certified.
All existing security agency agency licenses and certified SORA officers will receive an automatic 60 day extension from their listed expiration date. Temporary SORA certificate holders who have not completed the training requirement and fingerprinting process will expire on their assigned dates and will not be extended. Temporary certificate holders who are expired are not authorized to work until they are properly certified.
New Jersey State Police
Private Detective Unit
P.O. Box 7068
West Trenton, New Jersey 08628-0068
Phone: 609-341-3426 or 609-633-9352
email at: pdu@gw.njsp.org
Please Note: The forms on this web page are the most current PDU related forms. If upon doing a
web search on a specific form the link brings you to a blank web page, that means that the form is outdated & has been removed.
- Private Detective Information Help Page
- "The Private Detective Act of 1939"
- "The Private Detective Act of 1939 Amended Statutes" (PDF - 146kb)
- Private Detective Rules and Regulations
- Private Detective Bond $5000 (PDF - 36kb)
- Private Detective Bond $3000 (PDF - 49kb)
Business Registration
Private Detective Agencies can file online at:
https://www.state.nj.us/njbusiness/registration/
Employee's Statement
- Private Detective Agency Statement (PDF - 34kb)
- Employee Registration / Termination Instructions (PDF - 11kb)
Application Section
- Application - For New Jersey Private Detective License (SP-171 Fillable PDF - 155kb)
- Instructions (PDF - 29kb)
- Renewal Application For New Jersey Private Detective License (SP-415 PDF - 527kb)
- Instructions (PDF - 76kb)
Fingerprint Section
As a matter of information, the New Jersey State Police Private Detective Unit, on behalf of the Superintendent of the State Police, is the regulating authority for the private security industry in this state.
