Updated September 14, 2026
The short answer
A licensed private investigator in Ontario can perform lawful investigative work such as gathering information, conducting interviews, researching records and sources, carrying out surveillance where appropriate, documenting observations and reporting findings. The investigator's authority remains that of a private person; licensing does not create police powers.
Ontario licensing and identification
Ontario's Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005 requires the appropriate licence to act as, or hold oneself out as, a private investigator. Section 34 requires a person holding themselves out as a private investigator to carry the licence, identify themselves as a private investigator on request, and produce the licence on request.
The same section prohibits a private investigator from possessing another identification or symbol of authority while acting as, or holding themselves out as, a private investigator. Ontario's official private investigator study guide uses a metal badge as an example of a prohibited symbol of authority.
Common investigative methods
- Interviews and witness inquiries
- Public-record and lawful database research
- Corporate and workplace fact development
- Surveillance and observation
- Timeline and event reconstruction
- Asset and transaction research
- Documentation and investigative reporting
What a private investigator does not become
A private investigator is not a police officer and does not gain general powers of search, detention, entry or access to private information simply because they hold a licence. The method used must remain lawful and appropriate to the assignment.
Why scope matters
Before work begins, a professional investigation should define the question being investigated, the lawful sources and methods available, the expected deliverables and the people who need access to the findings. A narrow, defensible scope generally produces more useful results than open-ended information gathering.
Official Ontario references
For licensing and statutory requirements, consult the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005 and Ontario's Private Investigator Study Guide.