Who needs a license: definitions and exemptions 19
A firm does nothing but gather and sell reports on how people stand financially. How does Section 61-27B-4(B)(6) treat it?Section 61-27B-4 NMSA 1978
A firm with its office in another state sends investigators to work cases in New Mexico. Is it a "private investigation company" under Section 61-27B-2(L)?Section 61-27B-2 NMSA 1978
A licensed collection agency looks for a debtor's property as part of its business. Under Section 61-27B-4(B)(8) the agency is:Section 61-27B-4 NMSA 1978
A New Mexico attorney's employee investigates a case under the attorney's direct supervision. Does the employee need a license under the Act?Section 61-27B-4 NMSA 1978
An applicant pleaded nolo contendere and the sentence was deferred. Is that a "conviction" under Section 61-27B-2(E)?Section 61-27B-2 NMSA 1978
An investigator licensed only in another state follows a case into New Mexico. Under 16.48.2.24 NMAC, where must the investigation have begun?16.48.2.24 NMAC
Before a licensed private investigator may offer traffic crash reconstruction in New Mexico, Section 61-27B-4(C) requires:Section 61-27B-4 NMSA 1978
Besides a qualified private investigator, who may offer traffic crash reconstruction in New Mexico under Section 61-27B-4(C)?Section 61-27B-4 NMSA 1978
Show all 82 questions (74 more)
Who needs a license: definitions and exemptions, continued
How long may an out-of-state investigator work one case in New Mexico under the limited exemption of 16.48.2.24 NMAC?16.48.2.24 NMAC
In the Private Investigations Act, who is a "private investigations employee"?Section 61-27B-2 NMSA 1978
May a city pass its own ordinance on people licensed under the Private Investigations Act (Section 61-27B-29)?Section 61-27B-29 NMSA 1978
Under Section 61-27B-2(C), a "branch office" of a private investigation company is one that is:Section 61-27B-2 NMSA 1978
What must a "private investigations manager" hold under Section 61-27B-2(O)?Section 61-27B-2 NMSA 1978
When is a state employee who investigates exempt from the Act (Section 61-27B-4(B)(5))?Section 61-27B-4 NMSA 1978
Which of these people is a "registrant", not a licensee, under Section 61-27B-2?Section 61-27B-2 NMSA 1978
Which subject does Section 61-27B-2(M) NMSA 1978 list among the things a private investigator is licensed to investigate?Section 61-27B-2 NMSA 1978
While working in New Mexico under the limited exemption of 16.48.2.24 NMAC, an out-of-state investigator may not:16.48.2.24 NMAC
Who may offer skip tracing in New Mexico under Section 61-27B-4(D)?Section 61-27B-4 NMSA 1978
Who may work for pay as a bodyguard in New Mexico under Section 61-27B-3(B)?Section 61-27B-3 NMSA 1978
The investigator license, managers and employees 26
A company does not tell the department within thirty days that its manager left. What does Section 61-27B-9(C) put at risk?Section 61-27B-9 NMSA 1978
A first-time license is issued today. Under 16.48.2.27 NMAC it runs for how long?16.48.2.27 NMAC
A manager leaves the investigation company. What happens to the manager's license under Section 61-27B-9(B)?Section 61-27B-9 NMSA 1978
A person provides investigation services to a private investigation company on contract, not as staff. Under Section 61-27B-14(A) that person:Section 61-27B-14 NMSA 1978
A private investigations employee's job ends. What happens to the registration (Section 61-27B-14(D))?Section 61-27B-14 NMSA 1978
After a manager's employment ends, how long does the person who takes over have to notify the department (Section 61-27B-9(B))?Section 61-27B-9 NMSA 1978
After a private investigations employee leaves, what must the company do within thirty days (Section 61-27B-14(E))?Section 61-27B-14 NMSA 1978
An applicant cannot get written certifications from former employers. What does 16.48.2.9(B) NMAC allow?16.48.2.9 NMAC
An initial application sits unfinished. When does it expire under 16.48.2.26 NMAC?16.48.2.26 NMAC
At least how many members of the public sit on the advisory board (Section 61-27B-6(C))?Section 61-27B-6 NMSA 1978
For how long must a reciprocity applicant already have been licensed in another state (16.48.2.25 NMAC)?16.48.2.25 NMAC
How is an applicant's qualifying experience substantiated under Section 61-27B-7(B)?Section 61-27B-7 NMSA 1978
How long is the fingerprint background check for an initial application good for (16.48.2.26(B) NMAC)?16.48.2.26 NMAC
How often is an applicant fingerprinted under Section 61-27B-34(A)(2)?Section 61-27B-34 NMSA 1978
How old must a person be before the department will issue them a private investigator license (Section 61-27B-7(A)(1))?Section 61-27B-7 NMSA 1978
In hours, how much qualifying work does 16.48.2.9 NMAC ask of a private investigator applicant?16.48.2.9 NMAC
Section 61-27B-6(E) keeps certain people out of the advisory board's public seats. Who is kept out?Section 61-27B-6 NMSA 1978
Under Section 61-27B-7(A)(4), what span of actual investigative work must an applicant show, and how recent must it be?Section 61-27B-7 NMSA 1978
What job does Section 61-27B-6(B) give the advisory board by name?Section 61-27B-6 NMSA 1978
When may a newly named private investigations manager begin the duties (Section 61-27B-9(B)(3))?Section 61-27B-9 NMSA 1978
When may a reciprocity applicant start investigating in New Mexico (16.48.2.25(A) NMAC)?16.48.2.25 NMAC
Which conviction bars a private investigator license under Section 61-27B-7(A)(3)?Section 61-27B-7 NMSA 1978
Which examination does 16.48.2.9 NMAC require of a private investigator applicant?16.48.2.9 NMAC
Which schooling does Section 61-27B-14(C) require for registration as a private investigations employee?Section 61-27B-14 NMSA 1978
Who carries the burden of proving a private investigator applicant's experience (Section 61-27B-7(B))?Section 61-27B-7 NMSA 1978
Who may see the arrest record information the department receives on an applicant (Section 61-27B-34(B))?Section 61-27B-34 NMSA 1978
Running a private investigation company 20
A company changes its management without following the department's procedures. How does Section 61-27B-28(B) treat the company?Section 61-27B-28 NMSA 1978
A corporation that holds a private investigation company license replaces two directors. Under Section 61-27B-23(I) it must:Section 61-27B-23 NMSA 1978
A licensee closes the business before the license expires. What does 16.48.2.22 NMAC require?16.48.2.22 NMAC
A licensee moves and gets a new mailing address. What does Section 61-27B-22(E) require?Section 61-27B-22 NMSA 1978
A private investigation company hires a bookkeeper who does no investigative work. Under Section 61-27B-23(J) the bookkeeper:Section 61-27B-23 NMSA 1978
A private investigation company lets its liability insurance lapse. What does Section 61-27B-8(B) tell the department to do?Section 61-27B-8 NMSA 1978
A private investigation company located outside New Mexico must maintain what in the state (Section 61-27B-8(A)(4))?Section 61-27B-8 NMSA 1978
A registrant changes employers. How soon must the registrant tell the department in writing (Section 61-27B-23(H))?Section 61-27B-23 NMSA 1978
How much general liability insurance must a private investigation company carry under 16.48.2.8 NMAC?16.48.2.8 NMAC
May a licensee or registrant work for two private investigation companies at once (Section 61-27B-23(G))?Section 61-27B-23 NMSA 1978
The owner of a private investigation company is not a licensed private investigator. What does Section 61-27B-23(A) require?Section 61-27B-23 NMSA 1978
Section 61-27B-22(A) tells a licensee to keep the license on display at all times. In what place?Section 61-27B-22 NMSA 1978
Under 16.48.2.8(A)(4) NMAC, a general liability certificate of insurance runs for the term of the license and how much longer?16.48.2.8 NMAC
What must a private investigation company keep in New Mexico under Section 61-27B-8(A)(3)?Section 61-27B-8 NMSA 1978
When may a private investigation company do business under a fictitious name (Section 61-27B-23(C))?Section 61-27B-23 NMSA 1978
Which employee records must a private investigation company keep under Section 61-27B-23(F)?Section 61-27B-23 NMSA 1978
Which word may not appear in the business name of a licensee under 16.48.3.11(B) NMAC?16.48.3.11 NMAC
Who is liable for the conduct of a private investigation company's manager (Section 61-27B-23(D))?Section 61-27B-23 NMSA 1978
Who must manage the daily operations of a private investigation company (Section 61-27B-8(A)(2))?Section 61-27B-8 NMSA 1978
Within how many days must a change of ownership or management be filed with the department (16.48.1.13(B) NMAC)?16.48.1.13 NMAC
Prohibited acts, discipline, renewal and penalties 17
A client paid as agreed and the licensee willfully refuses to hand over the report. Under Section 61-27B-26(G) that is:Section 61-27B-26 NMSA 1978
A licensee issues a worthless payroll check. After how long unredeemed is it a ground for discipline (Section 61-27B-26(J))?Section 61-27B-26 NMSA 1978
A licensee misses the renewal date. What does 16.48.7.9 NMAC allow?16.48.7.9 NMAC
A person in the business fraudulently claims to be a licensee. What crime is that under Section 61-27B-32(A)?Section 61-27B-32 NMSA 1978
A written report is ready for the client. By whose hand may it go out under Section 61-27B-25(C)?Section 61-27B-25 NMSA 1978
An individual fraudulently claims to be employed by a licensee. What crime is that under Section 61-27B-32(B)?Section 61-27B-32 NMSA 1978
Apart from criminal matters and what the law requires, when may a licensee divulge information acquired on a case (Section 61-27B-25(A))?Section 61-27B-25 NMSA 1978
How many continuing education hours does one completed college credit earn under 16.48.6.8(I) NMAC?16.48.6.8 NMAC
May a licensee whose license has expired keep working while the renewal is pending (Section 61-27B-21(B))?Section 61-27B-21 NMSA 1978
May a private investigator use a badge in the official activities of the job (Section 61-27B-25(D))?Section 61-27B-25 NMSA 1978
On a case, a licensee learns of a crime. Section 61-27B-25(A) lets the licensee take that to whom, even if the client has not said so?Section 61-27B-25 NMSA 1978
Over one three-year renewal, 16.48.6.8(B) NMAC asks a private investigator for how many hours of continuing education credit?16.48.6.8 NMAC
Section 61-27B-26(I) makes one kind of dealing with court orders a ground for discipline. Which?Section 61-27B-26 NMSA 1978
To reinstate an inactive license, how much continuing education does 16.48.7.14 NMAC ask for?16.48.7.14 NMAC
Under which law's procedures does the department deny, suspend or revoke a license (Section 61-27B-26)?Section 61-27B-26 NMSA 1978
What duty does Section 61-27B-25(C) place on the person who submits a report to a client?Section 61-27B-25 NMSA 1978
Which role may a licensee not take in court under Section 61-27B-25(G)?Section 61-27B-25 NMSA 1978
How this list was compiled: The Private Investigations Act, Sections 61-27B-1 to 61-27B-36 NMSA 1978, read in Chapter 61 on the New Mexico Compilation Commission's site (https://nmonesource.com/nmos/nmsa/en/item/4397/index.do); and Title 16, Chapter 48 NMAC, Parts 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7, the rules of the Regulation and Licensing Department (https://www.srca.nm.gov/nmac-home/nmac-titles/title-16-occupational-and-professional-licensing/). Each was read on October 16, 2026. 16.48.2.9 NMAC requires a private investigator applicant to pass a jurisprudence examination administered by the department; the department's Private Investigator Application Manual (https://www.rld.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Private-Investigator-Application-Manual.pdf) shows it is taken online inside the application. Each question names its section and links to it. Licence: Own work. Every question, wrong choice and explanation was written for this site from the text of the Act and the rules. Nothing is taken from the department's jurisprudence examination, from a training course or from any other practice test.
How it works
New Mexico private investigator applicants pass a jurisprudence examination inside the online application. This unofficial New Mexico private investigator license practice test asks 82 of our own questions. Not affiliated with the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department.
Read the full guide
What the examination covers
The department publishes no outline, question count or pass mark for its jurisprudence examination. The four topics here follow the Act and the rules: who needs a license, licensing, company duties, and conduct.
What is left out
Firearms (Section 61-27B-31 and 16.48.4 NMAC), fee amounts, polygraph examiners, private patrol operators and security guards.
Thirty days is the Act's clock for reporting a new job, a departing manager, a departing employee or a change of ownership.
No badge: a private investigator, manager or private investigations employee may not use one on the job (Section 61-27B-25(D)).
Paid bodyguard work needs a private investigator or private patrol operator license (Section 61-27B-3(B)).
Questions and answers
Is there an exam for a New Mexico private investigator license?
Yes. Section 61-27B-7 requires an examination, and 16.48.2.9 NMAC makes it a jurisprudence examination administered by the department. The department's application manual shows it inside the online application, where it may be attempted more than once.
What are the requirements for a New Mexico private investigator license?
Be at least 21, pass the jurisprudence examination, have no disqualifying conviction, and show three years of investigative work, not less than 6,000 hours, within the five years before applying (Section 61-27B-7; 16.48.2.9 NMAC).
How long is a New Mexico private investigator license good for?
Three years. 16.48.2.27 NMAC sets a three-year initial term and 16.48.7.8 NMAC renews licenses for three-year terms. Renewal takes six hours of continuing education (16.48.6.8 NMAC).
Can an out-of-state private investigator work in New Mexico?
Only on a case begun in the investigator's home state, for no more than 30 days per case, and without soliciting business or setting up in New Mexico (16.48.2.24 NMAC).