License law: who needs a license and how it is issued 17
A New York investigator opens a second office in another city. What does GBL § 70 require?General Business Law § 70
A New York license certificate expires. How soon must it be surrendered to the Department of State under GBL § 75?General Business Law § 75
A New York licensee moves to a new home address. How soon must the Department of State be notified in writing under GBL § 74?General Business Law § 74
A New York resident applies for a private investigator license. Who must approve the application under GBL § 72?General Business Law § 72
A person convicted of a felony applies for a New York license. Which of these removes the bar under GBL § 74(2)?General Business Law § 74
Can a New York private investigator simply give up the license in the middle of its term, under GBL § 78-a?General Business Law § 78-a
Does work as a watchman, guard or private patrolman count toward the experience New York asks of a private investigator?General Business Law § 72
GBL § 70(3) lets which business furnish information for a fee without a New York private investigator license?General Business Law § 70
Show all 65 questions (57 more)
License law: who needs a license and how it is issued, continued
GBL § 74 sets what non-refundable license fee for one person applying as a New York private investigator?General Business Law § 74
How long must a New York private investigator applicant have been regularly employed doing investigations, under GBL § 72?General Business Law § 72
May the holder of a New York employment agency license also be licensed as a private investigator, under GBL § 74?General Business Law § 74
Under General Business Law § 70, may a New York watch, guard or patrol agency perform the services of a private investigator?General Business Law § 70
What is the written examination under GBL § 72 meant to test?General Business Law § 72
What is the youngest age at which New York will issue a private investigator license under GBL § 74?General Business Law § 74
What surety bond must a New York private investigator file under GBL § 74?General Business Law § 74
Which of these is private investigator work as GBL § 71 defines it?General Business Law § 71
Which service record meets the experience rule for a New York private investigator license without any investigative post, under GBL § 72?General Business Law § 72
Restrictions and supervision: employees, unlawful acts and the rules 17
A former employee of a New York agency tells a reporter what he learned on a case. Under GBL § 82 this is:General Business Law § 82
A New York investigator's advertised office is only a telephone answering service. What does GBL § 84 require?General Business Law § 84
A New York licensee hires an investigator. How soon must one set of the employee's fingerprints go to the Department of State under GBL § 81?General Business Law § 81
Before starting work for a client, what must a New York private investigator deliver under 19 NYCRR § 173.1?19 NYCRR § 173.1
For how long must a New York licensee keep an employee's statement and fingerprints under GBL § 81(4)?General Business Law § 81
For how long must a New York licensee keep records of all transactions of the business under 19 NYCRR § 170.8?19 NYCRR § 170.8
GBL § 79 lets the Department of State fine a New York investigator in lieu of suspension. The cap is:General Business Law § 79
How does 19 NYCRR § 170.13 describe the supervision a New York licensee owes employees who investigate?19 NYCRR § 170.13
How is a New York Department of State decision to revoke an investigator license reviewed, under GBL § 79?General Business Law § 79
How many years of past business or occupation must a New York "employee's statement" set out under GBL § 81?General Business Law § 81
How much written notice of the charges must a New York licensee get before a hearing under GBL § 79?General Business Law § 79
May a New York private investigator collect debts for clients, under GBL § 84?General Business Law § 84
What does GBL § 80 say about lending a New York pocket card to an associate?General Business Law § 80
What does GBL § 84 say about a shield or badge for a New York private investigator?General Business Law § 84
What must every media advertisement by a New York private investigator state, under 19 NYCRR § 170.11?19 NYCRR § 170.11
When is an attorney's investigator exempt from New York's license law under GBL § 83?General Business Law § 83
Who answers for the conduct of a New York investigator's employees in the business, under GBL § 81?General Business Law § 81
Penal Law: trespass, eavesdropping, impersonation and force 11
A private person in New York, acting on his own account, arrests someone who in fact committed an offense. What force does Penal Law § 35.30(4) allow to make the arrest?Penal Law § 35.30
An investigator hides a recorder in a room and leaves, to capture a talk between two people who know nothing of it. In Penal Law § 250.00 this is:Penal Law § 250.00
An investigator knowingly enters a dwelling unlawfully to look for papers. Which New York offense is this under Penal Law § 140.15?Penal Law § 140.15
How does New York Penal Law § 140.05 grade simple trespass?Penal Law § 140.05
How does New York Penal Law § 250.05 grade eavesdropping?Penal Law § 250.05
In New York Penal Law § 10.00, what is a "misdemeanor"?Penal Law § 10.00
In New York Penal Law § 250.00, "wiretapping" is overhearing or recording a telephone call:Penal Law § 250.00
Open, unused land in New York has no fence. Under Penal Law § 140.00(5), when is a person on it there without license and privilege?Penal Law § 140.00
To get a tenant list, an investigator tells a building manager he is a city inspector, and the manager hands it over. Under Penal Law § 190.25 this is:Penal Law § 190.25
Under New York Penal Law § 120.45, "following" a person includes:Penal Law § 120.45
What turns pretending to be a police officer into criminal impersonation in the first degree under New York Penal Law § 190.26?Penal Law § 190.26
Criminal Procedure Law: arrest by any person, warrants and evidence 7
After a private person makes an arrest in New York, what does CPL § 140.40 require?Criminal Procedure Law § 140.40
Under New York CPL § 60.45, a defendant's statement obtained by threatened use of physical force is:Criminal Procedure Law § 60.45
What does New York CPL § 60.22 require before a defendant can be convicted on an accomplice's testimony?Criminal Procedure Law § 60.22
What must a private person tell someone he is arresting in New York, under CPL § 140.35?Criminal Procedure Law § 140.35
When may a private person arrest someone for a misdemeanor in New York under Criminal Procedure Law § 140.30?Criminal Procedure Law § 140.30
Where in New York may a private person make an arrest for a felony under CPL § 140.30?Criminal Procedure Law § 140.30
Who may apply to a New York court for a search warrant under CPL § 690.05?Criminal Procedure Law § 690.05
Investigative techniques and report writing: interviews and statements 8
A witness is unsure of a detail. What does the federal eyewitness evidence guide tell the interviewer to do?NIJ, Eyewitness Evidence: A Guide for Law Enforcement, Section III.C
After writing up an interview, what does the federal eyewitness evidence guide tell the investigator to ask the witness?NIJ, Eyewitness Evidence: A Guide for Law Enforcement, Section III.D
On first meeting a witness, what does the federal eyewitness evidence guide say about what the investigator already knows of the suspect?NIJ, Eyewitness Evidence: A Guide for Law Enforcement, Section III.B
One detail in a witness statement proves accurate. What does the federal eyewitness evidence guide say about the other details?NIJ, Eyewitness Evidence: A Guide for Law Enforcement, Section III.E
Three people saw the same event. Before interviewing them, the federal eyewitness evidence guide says to:NIJ, Eyewitness Evidence: A Guide for Law Enforcement, Section III.A
When a written summary is used to record an interview, whose words does the federal eyewitness evidence guide call for?NIJ, Eyewitness Evidence: A Guide for Law Enforcement, Section III.D
When must a New York investigator give the client a written report of the services performed, under 19 NYCRR § 173.2?19 NYCRR § 173.2
Which kind of question does the federal eyewitness evidence guide tell an interviewer to avoid?NIJ, Eyewitness Evidence: A Guide for Law Enforcement, Section III.C
Interpreting written material: apply the quoted text 5
19 NYCRR § 173.1(a): for hourly work the statement fixes "a limit ... as to the number of such periodic units," and "the licensee shall not perform any services beyond such limit unless the client shall consent thereto in writing." The statement allows 20 hours; the case needs 25. The investigator needs:19 NYCRR § 173.1
CPL § 140.30(2): an arrest by any person, "if for a felony, may be made anywhere in the state. If the arrest is for an offense other than a felony, it may be made only in the county in which such offense was committed." An investigator sees a misdemeanor in Albany County; the person drives into Rensselaer County. There the investigator:Criminal Procedure Law § 140.30
GBL § 77: a holder who moves an office "shall, within the 24 hours immediately following such removal, give written notice of such removal to the Department of State ... and send such license certificate to such department." An investigator moves offices on Monday at noon. What is due by Tuesday at noon?General Business Law § 77
GBL § 78: "The application shall be filed six weeks before the expiration date of the license unless the application is accompanied by a non-refundable late filing fee of $100. In no event will renewal be granted more than six months after the date of expiration." A license expired on March 1. On August 15 the holder applies with the $100 fee. The renewal:General Business Law § 78
GBL § 84 makes it unlawful to work under an agreement by which pay is "partially or wholly contingent or based upon a percentage of the amount of money or property recovered or dependent in any way upon the result achieved." Which fee is lawful for a stolen-property case?General Business Law § 84
How this list was compiled: General Business Law Article 7 and Title 19 NYCRR Parts 170, 172 and 173, in the Department of State's booklet "Private Investigators, Bail Enforcement Agents, Watch, Guard or Patrol Agencies and Security Guards Licensing Law" (March 2026; https://dos.ny.gov/pi-bail-enforcement-watch-guard-or-patrol-security-guard-law-0); Penal Law sections 10.00, 35.30, 120.45, 140.00 to 140.15, 190.25, 190.26, 210.15, 250.00 and 250.05 and Criminal Procedure Law sections 60.20, 60.22, 60.45, 140.30 to 140.40 and 690.05 on the New York State Senate's laws site (https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN and /CPL); and, for interviewing, "Eyewitness Evidence: A Guide for Law Enforcement" (National Institute of Justice, 1999; https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/178240.pdf). All read on October 16, 2026. The topics follow the Department of State's "Private Investigator Written Examination Information and Schedule" for July to December 2026. Licence: Own work. Every question, wrong choice and explanation was written for this site from the public texts named under "source". Nothing comes from the New York examination, a training course or a prep publisher.
How it works
This unofficial NYS private investigator study guide works by questions: 65 of our own on the topics the Department of State lists for its written examination. Not affiliated with the New York Department of State.
Read the full guide
NYS private investigator license study guide: the topics
The Department's examination information lists license law; penal and criminal procedure law; investigative techniques; supervision; restrictions; interpreting written material; and report writing. It gives no share for any of them, so the split here is our own.
Where the questions come from
License law, supervision and restrictions come from General Business Law Article 7 and 19 NYCRR Parts 170 to 173, in the Department's March 2026 booklet. Penal Law and Criminal Procedure Law sections are cited one by one. Interview questions cite a National Institute of Justice guide.
What is left out
Surveillance and other field methods, the security guard article and the bail enforcement rules.
No license before age 25, and three years of investigative experience or its equivalent (General Business Law §§ 72 and 74).
No badge or shield in investigator work, and no fee that depends on the result (General Business Law § 84).
A signed written statement of services and charges goes to the client before work starts (19 NYCRR § 173.1).
Questions and answers
Is there a New York State private investigator exam study guide?
The Department of State publishes the license law booklet and a list of exam topics, not a study guide. Its examination information names the topics, the fee and the test centers; the booklet holds Article 7 and the rules.
How long is the NYS private investigator exam?
2½ hours, counted from the end of the instructions, according to the Department's examination information. The exam is multiple choice. The Department does not publish the number of questions.
What is the passing score for the NYS private investigator exam?
The Department does not publish one. Its examination information says all results are reported as passed or failed, with no numerical score, and are sent by mail. Results are valid for two years.
How much does the NYS private investigator exam cost?
$15, paid at the test center by check, money order, MasterCard or Visa; cash is not accepted. The application fee for an individual license is $400 (General Business Law § 74).
Do you need an appointment for the NYS private investigator exam?
No. The Department's schedule for July to December 2026 is walk-in: you register at the test center on the day, seats are first come, first served, and you bring current government photo identification and two #2 pencils.