Private Investigator Exam Guide 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A PI is hired to locate a missing adult. What is the first recommended step?
- Immediately access DMV records
- Interview known associates and family members (Correct answer)
- Place a tracking device on the subject's vehicle
- Contact the subject's employer directly
Correct answer: Interview known associates and family members
Interviewing people who know the subject is a legal, ethical, and often highly productive first step in a missing person investigation.
Question 2: Which federal law restricts a PI's ability to obtain financial account information through pretext calls to banks?
- The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
- The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) (Correct answer)
- The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
- The Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA)
Correct answer: The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA)
The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act prohibits obtaining financial information from institutions through false pretenses, known as pretexting.
Question 3: What does 'skip tracing' refer to in private investigation?
- Removing fingerprints from evidence
- Locating a person who has left their known address without notice (Correct answer)
- Following a subject across state lines
- Accessing encrypted digital communications
Correct answer: Locating a person who has left their known address without notice
Skip tracing is the process of locating a person who has 'skipped' town, often using public records, databases, and interviews.
Question 4: Under the Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), PI access to DMV records is:
- Completely unrestricted for licensed investigators
- Permitted only for specific permissible purposes such as legal proceedings or fraud investigation (Correct answer)
- Available only to law enforcement
- Prohibited in all circumstances
Correct answer: Permitted only for specific permissible purposes such as legal proceedings or fraud investigation
The DPPA restricts access to DMV records to specific permissible purposes, and PIs may access them only under qualifying circumstances.
Question 5: When a PI discovers evidence of an ongoing violent crime during an unrelated case, what should they do?
- Continue the original investigation without interference
- Report it to the appropriate law enforcement agency (Correct answer)
- Gather more evidence before acting
- Inform only the client who hired them
Correct answer: Report it to the appropriate law enforcement agency
Discovering evidence of a violent crime creates a duty to report to law enforcement to prevent harm, superseding client confidentiality.
Question 6: Which type of database provides the most comprehensive public records for skip tracing?
- Dark web marketplaces
- Licensed professional data aggregators like TLO or IRB Search (Correct answer)
- Social media platforms exclusively
- The National Criminal Database only
Correct answer: Licensed professional data aggregators like TLO or IRB Search
Licensed data aggregators compile vast amounts of public records including addresses, phone numbers, and associates, making them key tools for skip tracing.
Question 7: A PI license is generally issued by which government authority?
- The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- The state government through its licensing board or regulatory agency (Correct answer)
- The American Association of Private Investigators
- County courts on a case-by-case basis
Correct answer: The state government through its licensing board or regulatory agency
PI licensing is regulated at the state level, with each state establishing its own requirements and licensing authority.
Private Investigator Exam Guide 3
A PI is hired to locate a missing adult.
What is the first recommended step?