Texas requires that all persons and businesses conducting investigations for the public be licensed. The governing body in Texas that oversees Texas Private Investigators is the Texas Department of Public Safety. Below is an excerpt of some of the Texas laws requlating private investigators:

Texas Private Investigator

LICENSING AND DUTIES OF INVESTIGATIONS COMPANIES AND SECURITY SERVICES CONTRACTORS

Sec. 1702.101. INVESTIGATIONS COMPANY LICENSE REQUIRED.

Unless the person holds a license as an investigations company, a person may not: (1) act as an investigations company;

(2) offer to perform the services of an investigations company; or (3) engage in business activity for which a license is required under this chapter.

Sec. 1702.104. INVESTIGATIONS COMPANY. A person acts as an investigations company for the purposes of this chapter if the person:

(1) engages in the business of obtaining or furnishing, or accepts employment to obtain or furnish, information related to:

• crime or wrongs done or threatened against a state or the United States;
• (B) the identity, habits, business, occupation, knowledge, efficiency, loyalty, movement, location, affiliations, associations, transactions, acts, reputation, or character of a person;
• (C) the location, disposition, or recovery of lost or stolen property; or
• (D) the cause or responsibility for a fire, libel, loss, accident, damage, or injury to a person or to property;
• (2) engages in the business of securing, or accepts employment to secure, evidence for use before a court, board, officer, or investigating committee;
• (3) engages in the business of securing, or accepts employment to secure, the electronic tracking of the location of an individual or motor vehicle other than for criminal justice purposes by or on behalf of a governmental entity; or
• (4) engages in the business of protecting, or accepts employment to protect, an individual from bodily harm through the use of a personal protection officer.

Sec. 1702.130. USE OF CERTAIN TITLES, UNIFORMS, INSIGNIA, OR IDENTIFICATIONS PROHIBITED.

(a) A license holder, or an officer, director, partner, manager, or employee of a license holder, may not:

• (1) use a title, an insignia, or an identification card, wear a uniform, or make a statement with the intent to give an impression that the person is connected with the federal government, a state government, or a political subdivision of a state government; or
• (2) use a title, an insignia, or an identification card or wear a uniform containing the designation "police."
• (b) Subsection (a) does not prohibit a commissioned security officer employed by a political subdivision of this state from using a title, insignia, or identification card, wearing a uniform, or making a statement indicating the employment of that individual by the political subdivision.

Sec. 1702.131. ADVERTISING.

An advertisement by a license holder soliciting or advertising business must contain the license holder's company name and address as stated in commission records.

Sec. 1702.132. REPORTS TO EMPLOYER OR CLIENT

(a) A written report submitted to a license holder's employer or client may only be submitted by the license holder or manager or a person authorized by a license holder or manager. The person submitting the report shall exercise diligence in determining whether the information in the report is correct.

(b) A license holder or an officer, director, partner, manager, or employee of a license holder may not knowingly make a false report to the employer or client for whom information is obtained.

Sec. 1702.133. CONFIDENTIALITY; INFORMATION RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

(a) A license holder or an officer, director, partner, or manager of a license holder may not disclose to another information obtained by the person for an employer or client except:

• (1) at the direction of the employer or client; or
• (2) as required by state law or court order.
• (b) A license holder or an officer, director, partner, or manager of a license holder shall disclose to a law enforcement officer or a district attorney, or that individual's representative, information the person obtains that relates to a criminal offense.