Private Investigation, Private Security, & Bail Enforcement

The business of making, for hire or reward, an investigation for the purpose of obtaining information on any of the following matters:

• Crime of wrongs done or threatened.
• The habits, conduct, movements, whereabouts, associations, transactions, reputations, or character of a person.
• The credibility of witnesses or other persons.
• The location or recovery of lost or stolen property.
• The cause, origin, or responsibility for fires, accidents, or injuries to property.
• The truth or falsity of a statement of representation.
• Detection of deception.
• The business of securing evidence to be used before authorized investigating committees, boards of award or arbitration, or in the trial of civil or criminal cases.

All private investigators are required to complete a minimum of 12 acceptable continuing education hours during each 2-year license period. An employee who has worked for a licensed private investigative agency for less than 90 days at the time of the agency license expiration shall be exempt from the continuing education requirement for that license period, provided the individual has not previously been licensed as a private investigator.

For additional continuing education requirements and acceptable courses, please refer to Iowa Administrative Rule 661-121.22.

A business of furnishing, for hire or reward, guards, watch personnel, armored car personnel, patrol personnel, or other persons to protect persons or property, to prevent the unlawful taking of goods and merchandise, or to prevent the misappropriation or concealment of goods, merchandise, money, securities, or other valuable documents or papers, and includes an individual who for hire patrols, watches, or guards a residential, industrial, or business property or district. Private security business does not include a business for debt collection. 

A holder of a license or identification card while performing duties as a private security guard shall not wear any badges, uniforms, insignias, patches, and hats prior to the written approval of the commissioner. 

No badge, insignia, patch, or hat will be approved which contains the word or words "police," "officer," "policeman," or "enforcement," or the Great Seal of the State of Iowa. The words "security" and "officer" may be used when they appear as the single term "security officer."

The commissioner will not approve any items if in the commissioner's opinion it would cause the person to confuse the operation of the licensed business with that of law enforcement.

Employees who are engaged exclusively in the unregulated activities of a licensed agency are considered exempt licensing. Such exempt activities include clerical work, dispatching, building maintenance, vehicle maintenance, payroll and other financial processing, selling and taking tickets, parking cars and other activities that do not provide direct security services and that are generally conducted away from a contracted job site.

The business of taking or attempting to take into custody the principal on a bail bond issued or a deposit filed in relation to a criminal proceeding to assure the presence of the defendant at trial but does not include such actions that are untaken by a peace officer or a law enforcement officer in the course of the officer’s official duties.

A person engaged in the bail enforcement business, including licensees and persons engaged in the bail enforcement business whose principal place of business is in a state other than Iowa.

In order to retrieve any individual who skips bail in the state of Iowa, the individual must have an agency license or employee state-issued ID card as a bail enforcement agent. 

The main difference between bail bond businesses and bail enforcement agents is the authority to apprehend fugitives.

Bail enforcement agents have the legal right to pursue and capture individuals that have skipped bail, ensuring they return to court as promised. They must follow all state laws.

Bail bond businesses are regulated by the Iowa Department of Insurance. They provide financial means for defendants who cannot afford the bail amount set by the court.

A bail bond business engaging in enforcement and apprehension activities must also possess a bail enforcement license.

Individuals must be hired by a licensed private investigation, private security, or bail enforcement agency before applying for an employee state-issued ID card.

All applicants must create an account on the Licensing Portal to access the applications.

Once logged in to the licensing portal, go to the Applications tab from the left navigation, then select “Apply Now” for the “Affiliate with the EMPLOYER (Agency) you are to be associated with - PD2 Iowa Program ID Card Application."

The agency will review the application, upload applicant’s photo, and approve or deny the application. All photos must meet the following requirements:

• Be no more than 1 year old.
• Capture the applicant’s head and shoulders, square to the camera.
• Have a plain background.
• No face mask or any item covering the individual’s face.

Temporary ID cards are issued immediately after payment and are valid for 14 days from date of issuance.

Fingerprints must be submitted in one of the following ways.

Physical Fingerprint Cards: 2 fingerprint cards are required for each application. Fingerprints can be taken anywhere but must be on the official FD-258 form. Fingerprint cards may be requested from the Iowa Department of Public Safety. Fingerprint cards must be mailed or hand delivered in a sealed envelope to the address at the bottom of this page. If fingerprint cards are being hand delivered, the envelope must be labeled “Program Services Bureau.” 

DPS approved fingerprint vendor: Scheduling instructions and vendor locations nationwide will be provided after payment.

Provisional permanent ID cards are issued once fingerprints are received by the Iowa Department of Public Safety. The provisional permanent ID card will automatically convert to the permanent ID card pending fingerprint criminal history results.