By Lone Star Detectives | Fort Worth, TX | Serving All of Texas
Hiring a private investigator can be one of the smartest moves you make—whether you’re navigating a custody battle, facing a legal dispute, or trying to locate a missing person. But it’s essential to understand that licensed private investigators in Texas operate within strict legal and ethical boundaries.
At Lone Star Detectives, we believe in setting clear expectations. This guide outlines what a licensed Texas private investigator can and cannot do, so clients make informed decisions, avoid legal risk, and get the results they need the right way.
âś… What Private Investigators Can Legally Do in Texas
Licensed private investigators in Texas—like those at Lone Star Detectives—are authorized to perform a wide range of services, so long as they stay within state and federal law. Here’s what we’re legally allowed to do:
🔹 Conduct Surveillance
We can discreetly monitor a subject’s activities in public places or from legal vantage points, documenting movements, interactions, and patterns of behavior with photo or video evidence.
🔹 Locate Individuals (with a Valid Legal Purpose)
PIs can conduct skip tracing or people-finding services—such as finding missing persons, locating witnesses, or tracking down debtors—if there is a legal reason to do so and no protective orders are in place.
🔹 Perform Background Checks
We can uncover criminal records, civil lawsuits, employment history, property ownership, and more through lawfully obtained public and proprietary databases.
🔹 Interview Witnesses
Licensed PIs can approach and interview individuals to collect statements or verify facts—provided it is done respectfully and without impersonating law enforcement or legal professionals.
🔹 Provide Litigation Support
We assist attorneys by identifying inconsistencies, gathering evidence, analyzing timelines, verifying alibis, and preparing reports or exhibits for trial.
đźš« What Private Investigators Cannot Legally Do in Texas
Even with a license, there are firm legal limits to what a private investigator can do. Violating these rules can lead to criminal charges—for the investigator and the client.
Here’s what we cannot and will not do at Lone Star Detectives:
❌ Wiretap Phones or Record Conversations Without Consent
Under Texas Penal Code §16.02, it is illegal to intercept or record a conversation unless at least one party consents. We cannot tap phones or use listening devices in private spaces.
❌ Trespass or Invade Private Property
Private investigators cannot enter a home, fenced yard, business, or private land without permission. All surveillance must be conducted from public areas or lawful vantage points.
❌ Hack Phones, Emails, or Social Media Accounts
It is illegal to access someone’s private accounts, phones, or emails without consent—including using spyware or phishing techniques.
❌ Track Vehicles with GPS Without Consent
In Texas, it is a criminal offense to place a GPS tracker on someone’s vehicle without legal authority or ownership rights.
❌ Impersonate Law Enforcement
PIs cannot represent themselves as police officers, federal agents, or government employees, and cannot carry badges or uniforms that could imply such authority.
❌ Violate Protective or Restraining Orders
If a subject has an active protective order—whether against the client or the person being investigated—we cannot initiate surveillance, interviews, or tracking of any kind. Doing so could result in stalking charges.
❌ Accept Cases Without Proper Licensing
PIs must be licensed by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to legally accept, assign, or be paid for investigative work. Clients should always verify an investigator’s license before engaging their services.
🛡️ Lone Star Detectives: Legal. Ethical. Professional.
At Lone Star Detectives, we operate with the highest level of legal compliance and ethical conduct. Based in Fort Worth and serving the entire State of Texas, our team is licensed, insured, and committed to doing the job right.
We’re here to help you:
- Obtain accurate and admissible evidence
- Navigate sensitive investigations without crossing legal lines
- Protect your interests while minimizing legal exposure
đź“ž Know Your Rights. Understand the Limits. Get the Truth Legally.
Whether you’re working with an attorney, facing a legal dispute, or trying to protect your family, you need facts backed by lawfully obtained evidence.
📍 Lone Star Detectives is ready to help—with clarity, discretion, and professionalism.
đź“ž Call us today at 682-204-3041 for a free, confidential consultation.
