Private Investigator License Course in Ontario

The Ontario Private Investigator course is roughly 50 hours, completed entirely online at your own pace. Once you finish, your Training Completion Number arrives within 24 hours, and that number is what the Ministry needs to process your license application.

Eight topics, built around the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005 (PSISA). They are:

• Introduction to the Private Investigation Industry
• Private Security & Investigative Services Act, 2005 (PSISA)
• Provincial & Federal Statutes
• Criminal & Civil Law
• Investigative Techniques
• Principles of Ethical Reasoning / Decision Making
• Key Principles of Communication & Interaction
• Investigation Specializations

The best private investigator course in Ontario is one built around the PSISA syllabus and delivered by a Ministry-approved partner, which is what Coast2Coast's private investigator license training offers. It runs entirely online, over roughly 50 hours, and produces the Training Completion Number your license application needs.

A PI license course in Ontario is the same Private Investigator training described on this page — PI is simply short for Private Investigator. Some students search for it as a “PI license course Ontario” or a “private investigator license Ontario course,” but it is the one 50-hour, Ministry-approved training covered above.

Not exactly — the course produces a Training Completion Number rather than a certification, and that number is what you submit with your Ontario license application. People searching for “private investigator certification in Ontario” are usually looking for this same training; the Ministry issues the license itself once your application is approved.

The Ministry requires your Training Completion Number before it will process a Private Investigator license application, and Coast2Coast does not publish a separate Private Investigator exam format. If you're looking into private investigator exam prep Ontario, confirm the current testing process directly with the Ministry of the Solicitor General, since it can differ from the Security Guard license test.

You must be 18 years or older, hold a clean criminal record, and be eligible to work in Canada. Beyond that, you complete the Ministry-approved 50-hour course and carry your license at all times once it is issued, showing it to a member of the public when asked.

No — a Private Investigator is not an officer of the law. A PI cannot impersonate a police officer, carry a badge, wear a police-style uniform, or say anything implying they are a federal agent or police officer, and they cannot legally arrest anybody. A PI gathers evidence on civil and private matters and hands it to law enforcement when a case requires it.

An Ontario Private Investigator license expires two birthdays after the day it was issued, then renews every two years. Renew at least 30 days before expiry, using the same documents required for a new license.

No — unlike the Security Guard license, Ontario does not require First Aid & CPR certification for a Private Investigator license. If you also want a Security Guard license, that pathway does require a First Aid & CPR course alongside the security training.

Yes — the two licenses are separate but complementary, and students who complete Private Investigator training often go on to take Security Guard License training as well. Both fall under the same Private Security and Investigative Services Act, and Coast2Coast can help you register for either or both.