Tennessee rules: getting and keeping the license 17
A Tennessee application is denied for a material misstatement. When may the applicant reapply?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-01-.04(5)
A Tennessee apprenticeship is terminated. May the same applicant seek apprentice status again?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-01-.04(4)
A Tennessee license has expired and the continuing education is still not done thirty-one days later. What does rule 1175-02-.08 say?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-02-.08
For how long can the Tennessee commission grant apprentice status, on request?Tennessee Private Investigation and Polygraph Commission, "Private Investigator" licensing page
How may a military discharge affect a Tennessee private investigator application?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-01-.04(8)
How much compensated investigative experience does a Tennessee investigations company applicant verify under rule 1175-01-.19?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-01-.19(1)
How much continuing professional education must a Tennessee licensed private investigator receive?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-02-.02
How old must an applicant for a Tennessee private investigator license be, according to the commission's licensing page?Tennessee Private Investigation and Polygraph Commission, "Private Investigator" licensing page
May hours beyond the twelve that rule 1175-02 requires be counted toward the following renewal period?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-02-.03(8)
Show all 60 questions (51 more)
Tennessee rules: getting and keeping the license, continued
Rule 1175-01-.11 splits a new Tennessee investigator's $250 into two charges. What are they?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-01-.11(1)
Rule 1175-02-.03 counts investigators' education in credit hours. How many minutes make one?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-02-.03(2)
What does Tennessee rule 1175-01-.12 charge to renew a private investigator license, and as a late renewal penalty?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-01-.12(1)
What must be on file with the Commissioner before a Tennessee candidate schedules the examination?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-01-.04(3)
What must the holder of a retired Tennessee private investigator license do before it returns to active status?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-01-.17(3)
Which misdemeanor conviction does Tennessee rule 1175-01-.04(6) list as one that may disqualify an applicant?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-01-.04(6)
Which of these is part of the commission's description of what a Tennessee private investigator does?Tennessee Private Investigation and Polygraph Commission, "Private Investigator" licensing page
Who pays the examination or re-examination fee for the Tennessee private investigator test?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-01-.04(1)
Tennessee rules: notices, apprentices, exceptions and conduct 19
A client in good standing asks a Tennessee investigator for a written report. What does rule 1175-04-.08 require?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-04-.08
A retailer employs a "mystery shopper" to assess its own customer service. Does that person need a Tennessee private investigator license?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-01-.18(4)
A Tennessee investigations company terminates a private investigator. What must its written notice to the Commissioner include?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-01-.06
A Tennessee investigator advertises under a trade name. What must the advertisement also bear?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-04-.06(5)
A Tennessee investigator is offered an assignment that partly needs experience outside the investigator's field. What does rule 1175-04-.03 allow?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-04-.03(2)
A Tennessee license is suspended. How soon must the license be surrendered to the Commissioner?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-01-.09
A Tennessee licensee learns that another investigator is breaking Title 62, Chapter 26. What does rule 1175-04-.02 say the licensee should do?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-04-.02(2)
An investigator affiliated with a Tennessee company violates the act. When is the company subject to discipline for it?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-04-.06(7)
For the attorney-employee exception, how does Tennessee rule 1175-01-.18 define an "employee" of an attorney or law firm?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-01-.18(1)
Rule 1175-01-.07 gives an accused party a set time to file a written answer once the complaint is sent on. How long?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-01-.07(2)
Rule 1175-01-.15 lists a penalty range beside each paragraph of T.C.A. § 62-26-217(a). What is the range?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-01-.15(1)
Rule 1175-01-.15(2) names five things to consider before a penalty amount is fixed. Which is one of them?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-01-.15(2)
Two investigators affiliated with one Tennessee company have clients on opposite sides of a dispute. Who is responsible for avoiding that conflict of interest?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-04-.05(4)
Under rule 1175-01-.05, what follows a change in a Tennessee licensee's home address or company affiliation?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-01-.05(1)
What does "direct supervision" of a Tennessee apprentice mean in rule 1175-01-.16?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-01-.16(2)
What may a Tennessee investigator not say about the Commissioner or the Department?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-01-.08
When may a Tennessee apprenticeship begin?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-01-.16(1)
Which of these may a Tennessee apprentice not do?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-01-.16(3)
Which of these workers does Tennessee rule 1175-01-.18 say need no private investigator license?Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1175-01-.18(5)
Practical knowledge: federal laws on records, pretexting and recording 24
A judge orders a credit bureau to hand over a person's file. What does 15 U.S.C. 1681b(a)(1) say?15 U.S.C. 1681b(a)(1)
A party to a telephone call records it in order to blackmail the other party. Does the federal exception for a party's own recording apply?18 U.S.C. 2511(2)(d)
A person willfully fails to comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act as to a consumer. Without proof of actual loss, what damages may the consumer recover?15 U.S.C. 1681n(a)
An investigator lies to a motor vehicle office about the reason for a records request. What does 18 U.S.C. 2722 say?18 U.S.C. 2722(b)
An investigator pays someone else to get a bank customer's records, knowing that person will lie to the bank. Has the investigator violated 15 U.S.C. 6821?15 U.S.C. 6821(b)
An investigator poses as a landlord to pull a stranger's credit file. Which federal statute makes that a crime?15 U.S.C. 1681q
An investigator takes a letter from a subject's mailbox before the subject has received it, to learn the subject's business. Which federal offense is that?18 U.S.C. 1702
An investigator telephones a bank, pretends to be an account holder, and asks for the balance. Which federal provision does that violate?15 U.S.C. 6821(a)
An investigator tells a witness "I am a federal agent" and, in that pretended character, obtains documents. What is the federal penalty?18 U.S.C. 912
For how many years may a bankruptcy stay on a credit file under 15 U.S.C. 1681c?15 U.S.C. 1681c(a)
For what may a licensed private investigative agency obtain personal information from motor vehicle records under 18 U.S.C. 2721(b)(8)?18 U.S.C. 2721(b)(8)
In a civil action under the Driver's Privacy Protection Act, what is the least a court may award as actual damages?18 U.S.C. 2724(b)
What does 18 U.S.C. 2512 prohibit as to eavesdropping equipment?18 U.S.C. 2512(1)
What does the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act forbid a state department of motor vehicles to do, outside the permitted uses?18 U.S.C. 2721(a)
What is the criminal penalty for knowingly and intentionally violating the federal ban on pretexting for financial records?15 U.S.C. 6823(a)
What is the penalty for obstruction of correspondence under 18 U.S.C. 1702?18 U.S.C. 1702
Where may a person sue someone who knowingly obtained the person's motor vehicle record information for a purpose the federal act does not permit?18 U.S.C. 2724(a)
Which act does 18 U.S.C. 912 punish?18 U.S.C. 912
Which bodies does subsection (c) of the federal pretexting statute exempt while they perform official duties?15 U.S.C. 6821(c)
Which errand does subsection (g) of the federal pretexting statute leave open to a State-licensed private investigator?15 U.S.C. 6821(g)
Which information is outside the Driver's Privacy Protection Act's definition of "personal information"?18 U.S.C. 2725(3)
Which item is "highly restricted personal information" under 18 U.S.C. 2725?18 U.S.C. 2725(4)
Which spoken words are an "oral communication" protected by the federal wiretap chapter?18 U.S.C. 2510(2)
Which use of motor vehicle record information does 18 U.S.C. 2721(b)(4) permit?18 U.S.C. 2721(b)(4)
How this list was compiled: Rules of the Tennessee Private Investigation and Polygraph Commission, Chapters 1175-01, 1175-02 and 1175-04, in the Tennessee Secretary of State's official compilation (https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/rules/1175/1175.htm), and the commission's "Private Investigator" licensing page (https://www.tn.gov/commerce/regboards/pi/license/how-to-get-license/private-investigator-.html), each read on October 12, 2026; and federal statutes in the United States Code, 2023 edition, on govinfo.gov (U.S. Government Publishing Office). The two topics and their shares follow the content outline in the Candidate Information Bulletin for the Tennessee private investigator examination (https://test-takers.psiexams.com/api/content/bulletin/3636), which the commission's page points to. Each question names its rule or section and links to it. Licence: Own work. Every question, wrong choice and explanation was written for this site from the text of the rules and statutes. Nothing comes from the Tennessee private investigator examination, the examination service, a training class or a prep publisher.
How it works
This unofficial TN private investigator practice test follows the two parts of the Tennessee examination outline: 36 of our own questions on the commission's rules and 24 on federal law an investigation must stay within. Not affiliated with the Tennessee Private Investigation and Polygraph Commission.
Read the full guide
Tennessee private investigator study guide: the outline
The candidate bulletin splits the examination between Tennessee rules and laws and practical knowledge. The bank keeps its proportions.
Where the questions come from
Rule questions cite Chapters 1175-01, 1175-02 and 1175-04 and the commission's licensing page. Practical questions cite the United States Code on motor vehicle records, financial pretexting, credit reports, wiretaps, mail and false personation.
What is left out
The sections of Tenn. Code Ann. Title 62, Chapter 26, Part 2 are not asked one by one. Nothing comes from the commercial handbook the bulletin lists for practical knowledge, so investigative technique is not asked.
An apprentice works only in the direct physical presence of a licensed investigator (rule 1175-01-.16).
Twelve hours of continuing education every two years, with no carryover (rules 1175-02-.02 and 1175-02-.03).
Promotional material must carry the true name on your license (rule 1175-04-.06).
Questions and answers
How many questions are on the TN private investigator exam?
100, with 2 hours to finish and 70% to pass, according to the candidate bulletin: 60 questions on Tennessee rules and laws and 40 on practical knowledge. Exam mode here is half that length: 50 questions in 60 minutes.
Is the Tennessee private investigator exam open book?
No. The candidate bulletin says the examination is closed book and lists reference materials that are not allowed in the examination center. You may use a calculator that is silent, does not print and cannot be programmed.
How old do you have to be to be a private investigator in Tennessee?
Twenty-one or older, and a United States citizen or a resident alien, with a completed background check, according to the commission's licensing page. Passing the examination is also required.
How much does a Tennessee private investigator license cost?
The commission's page gives the initial application fee as $250. Rule 1175-01-.11 lists a $150 application fee and a $100 license fee. The candidate bulletin gives the examination fee as $140, paid separately.
Can you work as a private investigator apprentice in Tennessee?
Yes, on request, for up to 6 months, sponsored by a licensed investigative company and directly supervised by a licensed investigator. Once an apprenticeship ends you may not seek another (rule 1175-01-.04).