16-HOUR IN-OFFICE TRAINING CURRICULUM

Upon successful completion of this course, the investigator will be able to:

• Understand and apply current SLED licensing requirements and eligibility standards
• Conduct surveillance operations within legal and ethical boundaries
• Properly deploy GPS tracking devices in compliance with South Carolina law
• Execute drone surveillance operations under FAA and state regulations
• Draft court-admissible reports, affidavits, and legal documentation
• Understand expectation of privacy law and proper camera placement
• Serve process in compliance with South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure
• Operate within the defined legal authority of a private investigator
• Manage contracts, mileage, billing, and reciprocity requirements
• Understand the relationship between CWP and PI licensure

• 16 hours of CE required per renewal cycle
• Must be completed through a SLED - Approved Provider
• Certificate of Completion Required for Renewal
• In-office instruction qualifies for full credit hours

• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Must be a U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted alien
• Must pass a SLED-administered background investigation
• Must not have been convicted of a felony or crime of moral turpitude
• Must submit fingerprints for state and federal background check
• Must provide proof of business entity (if operating an agency)
• Must pay applicable licensing fees per SLED schedule
• Agency owner must hold individual PI license
• Employee PIs must be sponsored by a licensed agency

• Submit completed SLED PI application form
• Include notarized personal history statement
• Provide three (3) character references (non-family)
• Submit passport-quality photograph
• Complete fingerprint card for SLED submission
• Pay required fees: individual and/or agency license

• Conviction of any felony offense
• Conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude
• Current or past revocation of any PI license in any state
• Dishonest, fraudulent, or criminal conduct in prior employment
• Unlawful use of, or addiction to, alcohol or controlled substances
• History of mental illness resulting in institutionalization (unless cleared)
• Adjudication as mentally incompetent
• Dishonorable discharge from U.S. Armed Forces
• Outstanding warrants or pending felony charges
• False statements on SLED application (immediate grounds for denial)

• License must be renewed annually with SLED
• 16 hours of SLED-approved CE required per renewal cycle
• Failure to renew on time results in license lapse
• Lapsed license requires new application process
• CE certificates must be submitted with renewal

• Client identification — full legal name, address, contact information
• Clear description of services to be performed
• Fee structure — hourly rate, retainer, flat fees
• Expenses covered — mileage, equipment, court costs
• Start and anticipated completion date
• Scope limitations — what is NOT included
• Data and evidence handling provisions
• Termination clause — by either party
• Confidentiality and non-disclosure provisions
• Limitation of liability clause

• Define retainer amount and replenishment terms
• Specify how unused retainer is handled at termination
• Itemize billing cycle (weekly, bi-weekly, upon milestones)
• Include written authorization to commence work

• Understand work-product privilege and chain of reportingAttorney may direct evidence delivery and confidentialityNever disclose findings to parties other than directing attorney without written consentKeep detailed billing records for potential court submissionClear All
• Understand work-product privilege and chain of reporting
• Attorney may direct evidence delivery and confidentiality
• Never disclose findings to parties other than directing attorney without written consent
• Keep detailed billing records for potential court submission

• Always execute a written contract — never verbal agreements
• Retain signed copies for minimum 5 years
• Document all client communications in writing
• Obtain written authorization for any sub-contractors
• Amend contracts in writing for any scope changes

• Conduct covert surveillance in public places
• Photograph or video record subjects in public spaces where no expectation of privacy exists
• Interview witnesses with voluntary consent
• Access public records — court filings, property records, voter registration, business filings
• Skip tracing using legally available databases
• Serve civil process documents
• Conduct background investigations using public and licensed commercial data
• Investigate insurance fraud, domestic matters, missing persons
• Work undercover in situations that do not require impersonating a law enforcement officer
• Provide testimony and evidence in court proceedings
• Install GPS on a vehicle owned by or with consent of the owner

• Impersonate a law enforcement officer — FELONY under SC law
• Conduct electronic eavesdropping or wiretapping without consent — federal crime
• Trespass on private property to conduct surveillance
• Hack, access, or intercept electronic communications
• Place GPS tracker on vehicle without owner's consent or legal authority
• Access sealed court records without judicial authorization
• Make arrests — a PI has NO arrest powers beyond citizen's arrest
• Carry a weapon in violation of SC law or in prohibited locations
• Harass, threaten, or intimidate subjects or witnesses
• Engage in entrapment
• Obtain financial, medical, or telephone records through misrepresentation (pretexting)
• Operate as a PI without a valid SLED license

• Pre-operational planning — mapping routes, exit points, cover stories
• Vehicle selection and positioning for minimal detection
• Use of cover — commercial areas, parking structures, natural concealment
• Documentation protocol — time-stamped logs, photo/video
• Legal considerations — never on private property without consent

• One-car vs. multi-car surveillance teams
• Following techniques — maintaining appropriate distance
• Urban vs. rural surveillance differences
• Losing a subject — protocol for re-acquiring
• Documentation while mobile — dictation, dash cameras

Recognizing when a subject has detected surveillance

Techniques subjects use to identify tails

Aborting surveillance to preserve case integrity

Reporting burn to client — managing expectations

• Maintain contemporaneous activity log — time, location, description
• Record license plates, vehicle descriptions, associate information
• Note environmental conditions affecting observations
• Log every contact, every stop, every interaction observed

United States v. Jones (2012) — Supreme Court ruling on GPS and Fourth Amendment

South Carolina state law provisions on electronic tracking

Owner consent — tracking your own vehicle or vehicle you own is lawful

Employer-employee tracking — requirements and limitations

Spousal tracking — legal nuances under SC domestic law

Never attach to a vehicle without owner's consent or court order

Placement locations — magnetic mount areas, undercarriage, wheel wells

Protecting device from environmental exposure

Power options — battery vs. hardwired

Ensuring device is not visible or detectable

Recovery planning — retrieval without detection

Exporting GPS data with timestamps and coordinates

Correlating GPS data with surveillance observations

Chain of custody for GPS device and data

Presenting GPS evidence in court — admissibility standards

• IRS standard mileage rate for current year (reference for billing)
• Odometer logs — starting and ending mileage per assignment
• GPS tracking for mileage verification
• Separation of personal vs. business miles
• Mileage from agency office to scene and return

• Receipts for all case-related expenditures
• Equipment rental or purchase allocated to case
• Lodging and meals when authorized by contract
• Court fees, filing fees, and process service costs

• Itemized invoices — never lump billing
• Time entries in tenths of an hour (6-minute increments)
• Billing for travel time — per contract terms
• Retainer draw-down statements

• Part 107 certification required for commercial drone operation
• Drone must be registered with FAA if over 0.55 lbs
• Maximum altitude: 400 feet AGL (above ground level)
• Visual line-of-sight must be maintained at all times
• Operations prohibited near airports, military installations, stadiums
• No flight over moving vehicles or people (without waiver)
• Daylight operations only unless waiver obtained
• Pre-flight checklist and weather assessment required

• SC Code § 55-1-30 — state restrictions on drone use
• Prohibition on drone surveillance of critical infrastructure
• Drone images may not be used for voyeurism or privacy invasion
• No drone surveillance over private property without consent at low altitudes
• Drone evidence must meet admissibility standards in SC courts

• Pre-mission planning — airspace check, NOTAM review
• Covert deployment strategies for PI surveillance
• Evidence capture — video, still photography, metadata preservation
• Post-flight data management and chain of custody
• Limitation: drones are NOT covert — treat as visible surveillance

• Camera selection — resolution, zoom, low-light capability
• Video — minimum 1080p recommended for court submissions
• Audio recording — know SC wiretapping law (one-party consent state)
• Dash cameras, body cameras, and covert cameras — legal considerations

• Timestamp and date must be accurate on all devices — verify before deployment
• Wide establishing shot followed by close-up documentation
• Never edit, crop, filter, or alter evidentiary photos or videos
• Capture environmental context — weather, lighting, landmarks
• Multiple angles when possible — corroborate observations

• Log every piece of evidence at time of capture
• Transfer to secure storage immediately after operation
• Never share raw evidence files — maintain originals
• Evidence log must record: date, time, location, device used, investigator
• Backup copies stored separately from originals
• Document any access to evidence by third parties

• Metadata authentication — file properties, GPS data embedded in images
• Investigator must be prepared to testify to method of capture
• Foundation testimony for photographs and video
• Handling subpoenas for evidence

• Katz v. United States — constitutional foundation for privacy expectation
• Two-part test: subjective expectation + objectively reasonable expectation
• Public places: no reasonable expectation of privacy
• Private residences: highest expectation of privacy — NO covert cameras
• Curtilage of home: treated same as interior for privacy purposes

• Public streets, sidewalks, parking lots — no privacy expectation
• Commercial areas open to the public
• Subject's place of employment — exterior and public-access interior
• Client's own property — with client's consent and for lawful purpose
• Common areas of apartment complexes — with proper authorization

• Inside any private residence without consent
• In bathrooms, changing rooms, bedrooms — FELONY under SC law
• Any location where person has reasonable expectation of privacy
• Areas requiring trespass to access
• Inside a vehicle occupied by persons who have not consented

• SC Code § 16-17-470 — Video Voyeurism is a felony
• Penalties: up to 5 years imprisonment and/or fines
• PI license revocation for any conviction related to privacy violations
• Defense: written authorization from property owner is critical documentation

• Factual — report only what you personally observed
• Objective — no opinion, speculation, or editorial commentary
• Chronological — events in the order they occurred
• Complete — every observation, every stop, every contact documented
• Clear — plain language; avoid jargon and abbreviations

• Header: case number, client name, date, investigator name/license number
• Subject information: name, DOB, address, vehicle, physical description
• Assignment: what was requested
• Activity log: time-stamped narrative of all observations
• Findings summary: factual summary of what was established
• Attachments: evidence list referencing photos, video, GPS data
• Certification: investigator signature and license number

• Affidavit must be sworn before a notary public or authorized officer
• First-person sworn statement: 'I, [Name], being duly sworn, state...'
• Include only facts within personal knowledge
• Each material fact in a separate numbered paragraph
• No hearsay unless identifying it clearly as such
• Attach supporting exhibits and reference them in body
• Signature block with notary acknowledgment

• Review your report thoroughly before testimony
• Speak from personal observation — never guess
• Answer only what was asked — do not volunteer information
• Refer to your report for specific dates, times, and details
• Maintain professional demeanor regardless of cross-examination

• Rule 4 — Who may serve process in South Carolina
• Private investigators may serve civil process in SC
• Service must be effectuated in compliance with SCRCP Rule 4(d)
• Personal service — deliver directly to named individual
• Substituted service — at dwelling with person of suitable age and discretion
• Service on corporations — registered agent or officer

• Summons and complaint — commencement of civil action
• Subpoenas — witness or document production
• Writs — court orders requiring action or compliance
• Protective orders — family court service requirements
• Eviction notices — proper service requirements under SC landlord-tenant law

• Return of service (affidavit of service) — required for all process
• Must include;  Date, Time, Location, Person Served, Method of Service
• Investigator's Name, License Number, and Signature
• Notarization required for court filing
• Photographs of service recommended for contested matters (Body Cam)

• Evasive subjects — document all attempts
• Refused service — leave documents at feet, state service complete
• Skip tracing for location of subject to be served
• Service by publication — court authorization required

• SC Code § 23-31-210 et seq. — SC Concealed Weapons Permit Act
• CWP is a SEPARATE credential from PI license
• Holding a PI license does NOT automatically authorize concealed carry
• PI must obtain CWP independently through SLED

• Complete required firearms safety course (minimum 8 hours)
• Pass SLED background check (separate from PI background)
• No disqualifying criminal history
• Cannot carry if subject to restraining order or domestic violence conviction
• Must be 21 years of age

• PI may carry concealed with valid CWP in most settings
• Cannot carry in: schools, government buildings, courthouses, police stations
• Cannot carry in any posted 'No Weapons' location
• If armed, PI must immediately identify weapon to law enforcement if contacted
• Never display weapon as a tool of intimidation — criminal charge

• Understand use of force law — SC Castle Doctrine and self-defense
• PI has NO special use-of-force authority beyond that of ordinary citizen
• Discharge of weapon during PI operation has serious legal implications
• Maintain weapons qualification and continuing firearms training

South Carolina does NOT have broad automatic PI license reciprocity

Each state has its own licensing requirements and recognition policies

Operating in another state requires compliance with THAT state's laws

Always verify current status with the receiving state's licensing authority

Some states accept SC license for limited operations — verify before entry

North Carolina — requires separate NC license; no automatic reciprocity

Georgia — requires GA licensure for extended in-state operations

Florida — separate Florida license required

When following a subject across state lines — know entry state's law

If surveillance crosses state lines, document entry point and time

Contact receiving state's licensing board before extended out-of-state work

Consider sub-contracting to licensed PI in receiving state

Interstate service of process — check state and federal court requirements

• 50 multiple-choice questions covering all 13 modules
• Time limit: 60 minutes
• Open-note exam — personal notes only, no electronic devices
• Graded immediately by instructor; results provided before dismissal

• 75% or higher (38/50): PASS — Certificate issued
• Below 75%: Remediation required — instructor review session, retake available
• Second retake failure: Repeat full module before credit awarded

• Must attend all 16 hours to receive full CE credit
• No more than 30 minutes total absence permitted
• Late arrivals and early departures tracked — affect CE hours awarded