File a written complaint with the NYS Department of State, Division of Licensing Services. Fill out its Preliminary Statement of Complaint, attach copies of your proof, and email it to Complaints@dos.ny.gov or mail it to the Complaint Review Office, PO Box 22001, Albany, NY 12201-2001.
- Who handles it NYS Department of State, Division of Licensing Services
- Fastest way email the completed form, 10MB limit for attachments
- Attach your contract, receipts, invoices, texts and emails
- Possible results reprimand, a fine up to $1,000, suspension, revocation or money back
- Unlicensed PI report it to the same office
We check New York investigator licenses for a living. Every profile in our directory starts with a state license check, and the same state office that issues those licenses is the one that takes complaints. Most people never find it. They search, land on the wrong agency, and give up. This guide is the short path.
Who Handles a Complaint About a PI in New York
New York licenses private investigators under Article 7 of the General Business Law. The Department of State private investigator page links straight to a File Licensing Complaint form. That is your door.
Two of the top Google results for this question on October 12, 2026 point somewhere else. One is the NYC Department of Investigation, which is the inspector general for city government. Another is a police complaint board. Neither one licenses private investigators, so a complaint sent there about a PI goes nowhere useful.
There is also a second office inside the Department of State. The Division of Consumer Protection takes general consumer complaints and tries to help both sides settle. Its own page says it cannot force a company to make an adjustment. For a problem with a licensed investigator, the licensing complaint has more teeth, because that office can act on the license itself.
What the State Will Act On
Under General Business Law section 79, the state can discipline a licensee who breaks Article 7 or its rules, commits fraud, deceit or misrepresentation, lies on a license application, or shows incompetence or untrustworthiness. The complaint page puts it in plain words. If you believe a licensee acted in an untrustworthy or incompetent way, you can file.
Some acts are flat out banned by section 84. Those are the easiest complaints to prove because the paperwork usually shows them.
- A fee based on results. A licensed investigator may not charge a fee that is contingent on the outcome or a percentage of money or property recovered. The law makes one narrow exception for locating absent parents for a county social services district.
- A badge or shield. Licensed investigators and their staff may not carry or display a badge or shield of any kind.
- Ads that look like police. An ad, letterhead or statement that suggests the firm is an official police or investigative agency is unlawful.
- Debt collection. Collecting debts is on the banned list, with a carve out for lawful repossession of collateral.
Breaking section 84 is a misdemeanor with a fine of at least $500, up to a year in jail, or both, per the statute.
And if the person was never licensed at all, that is a crime too. Section 70 requires a license to run or even advertise a private investigation business, and a violation is a class A misdemeanor. The Department of State says in its complaint process memo that anyone who knows of unlicensed work may file.
Match Your Problem to the Right Office
| Your problem | Where it goes | What that office can do |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed PI lied, did sloppy work or broke the PI law | DOS Division of Licensing Services | Reprimand, fine, suspend or revoke the license, order restitution |
| Someone is working as a PI with no license | DOS Division of Licensing Services | Investigate, refer to the Attorney General for civil or criminal action |
| You want a refund and nothing more | DOS Consumer Protection, or small claims court | Mediate a settlement, or a court judgment for money |
| The PI hacked, stalked, threatened or broke in | Local police, plus a licensing complaint | Criminal charges, and action on the license |
| The PI is an NYI member | NYI, plus the state | We can pull the badge and the listing. Only the state can touch the license |
How to File, Step by Step
- Check the license first. Look the person and the business up in the state search and screenshot the result. Our guide on how to check a PI license in New York shows how. If nothing comes up, your complaint may be about unlicensed work.
- Put your problem in writing to the investigator. One short email with dates and what you want fixed. The state memo says many complaints get solved fast once the licensee knows there is a problem. Your email also becomes proof.
- Get the form. Open the Preliminary Statement of Complaint page. The form comes in English and 15 other languages. You have to print and fill it out.
- Gather copies of your proof. The state says you must attach supporting documents. Think contract, retainer agreement, receipts, invoices, the report you got, texts, emails, ads and business cards. Send copies, never originals.
- Write a short timeline. Dates, amounts and what was promised against what happened. Keep feelings out and facts in. A clean timeline is easier for a state investigator to work.
- Send it. Email the form and your files to Complaints@dos.ny.gov, 10MB total. The state says other ways of filing slow down its response. That inbox takes completed forms only, so do not send questions there. You can also mail it to NYS Department of State, Division of Licensing Services, Complaint Review Office, PO Box 22001, Albany, NY 12201-2001.
- Log it and follow up. Write down the date you sent it. The state memo says both sides are free to contact the Department to ask about status.
What Happens After You File
The Department of State lays out the process in its Legal Memorandum LI02, updated February 2020. Here is the path, start to finish.
- You file the complaintThe state checks it is a licensing matter and alleges wrongdoing
- The licensee is asked to respondSkipped for unlicensed work, so the target is not tipped off
- A state investigator digs inIf there is no response or no quick fix, statements and records are gathered
- The case is sortedDismissed, settled, ticketed with a fine, sent to the Litigation Unit, or sent to the Attorney General
- Consent order or hearingReprimand, suspension, revocation, a fine, restitution to you, or a mix
- Appeal to the Secretary of StateEither side, within 30 days of receiving the decision
- Court reviewAn Article 78 petition in State Supreme Court
A few details matter if your case goes the distance. The state has to give the licensee written notice of the charges at least 15 days before a hearing, and you get notice too. The hearing is run by an administrative law judge, and the formal rules of evidence do not apply. A written decision is filed, and the law says a copy goes to you within two days of filing. All of that is in section 79.
Small problems may end as a ticket violation, which the memo describes as a rule break settled by paying a fine. Serious ones, or ones where a consumer lost money, go to the Litigation Unit.
No timeline is published. Plan for weeks at the least, and longer if a hearing is needed.
Can You Get Your Money Back?
Sometimes. A licensing complaint is mainly about the license, but there are four real routes to money.
- Restitution through the state. The LI02 memo says both a consent order and a hearing decision can include restitution to the consumer.
- The investigator's bond. Every licensed PI has to file a $10,000 surety bond before the license is issued. Under section 74, any person injured by a violation of the PI law, or by a willful and wrongful act of the licensee or an employee, may sue on that bond in their own name.
- Small claims court. In New York City, small claims cases can be up to $10,000, not counting interest and costs, per NYC Civil Court Act section 1801. Courts outside the city have their own limits, so check with your local court.
- Consumer Protection mediation. The Division of Consumer Protection will try to broker a settlement. Its helpline is (800) 697-1220, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It will not take a complaint that is already in a lawsuit.
For a large loss, or if the work was for a court case, talk to a New York lawyer before you file anything. They may want to control the timing.
When It Is a Crime, Call the Police Too
A license complaint is not a police report. If an investigator broke into an account, planted a device, threatened you, or followed you in a way that made you fear for your safety, report it to your local police as well. Our guide on what a New York PI can legally do shows where the legal line sits. Then file the licensing complaint so the state can act on the license.
Mistakes That Sink a Good Complaint
- No paperwork. The state requires copies of supporting documents. A complaint with only a story is hard to act on.
- The wrong office. City inspectors, police boards and review sites cannot touch a PI license.
- Mixing in a lawsuit. Consumer Protection will not take a dispute that is already in court. Ask your lawyer how a licensing complaint fits.
- Waiting too long. Texts get deleted and memories fade. File while the dates are fresh.
- Emailing questions to the complaint inbox. It only takes completed forms. Use the Department's contact form for questions.
Complaints About an NYI Member
If the investigator is a New York Investigators member, tell us as well. Anyone can file, including clients, attorneys and other investigators. Every complaint gets a case number and a reply within 5 business days. The member gets a chance to respond. Rulings range from dismissal to a warning, suspension or revocation, and revoked members leave the directory the same week. The full rules are on our standards and ethics page.
We can take away a badge and a listing. Only the state can take away a license. So file with both.
Common Questions
Where do I report a private investigator in New York?
Report a private investigator to the NYS Department of State, Division of Licensing Services. Email the completed Preliminary Statement of Complaint and your proof to Complaints@dos.ny.gov, or mail it to PO Box 22001, Albany, NY 12201-2001.
Can a private investigator lose their license in New York?
Yes. The Department of State can revoke or suspend a PI license, or issue a reprimand or a fine of up to $1,000, for fraud, misrepresentation, incompetence, untrustworthiness or breaking the PI law.
Will the investigator see my complaint?
Usually yes. The state mails a copy to the licensee and asks for a response. For unlicensed work, the state generally does not share the complaint so it can investigate.
Is it illegal to work as a private investigator without a license in New York?
Yes. Running or advertising a private investigation business without a license is a class A misdemeanor under General Business Law section 70. You can report it to the Department of State.
Can a private investigator charge a percentage of what they recover?
No. New York law bars a licensed investigator from charging a fee that depends on the result or is a percentage of money or property recovered, with a narrow exception for locating absent parents for social services.
Sources
- NYS Department of State, Preliminary Statement of Complaint
- NYS Department of State, Legal Memorandum LI02, Licensing Complaint Resolution Process
- NYS Department of State, Private Investigator
- NYS Department of State, File a Consumer Complaint
- NY General Business Law section 70, section 74, section 79 and section 84
- NYC Civil Court Act section 1801
- NYC Department of Investigation, Online Complaint
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Sources were checked on October 12, 2026. Laws and forms change, so confirm current rules with the NYS Department of State or a New York lawyer.