Rhode Island § 5-5-3 - Private Detective Act

§ 5-5-3. License qualifications.

In order to be eligible for a license, an applicant must:

(1) Be a citizen of the United States or a resident alien;

(2) Not have been convicted in any jurisdiction of a felony;

(3) Not have had any previous private investigator license or registration revoked or application for that license or registration denied by the appropriate authority of any local licensing authority;

(4) Not have been declared by any court of competent jurisdiction incompetent by reason of mental defect or disease unless the court has subsequently determined that his or her competency has been restored;

(5) Not suffer from habitual drunkenness or from narcotics addiction or dependence;

(6) Be of good moral character; and

(7) Have experience that has been gained through:

(i) At least five (5) years’ experience as an investigator or as a police officer with a state, county, or municipal police department or with an investigative agency of the United States of America or of any state, county, or municipality; or

(ii) A degree in criminal justice from an accredited college or university; or

(iii) Employment by a private detective as an investigator for at least five (5) years; or

(iv) Substantively equivalent training or experience.