TN Private Investigation Company
Practice Exam Questions and Answers |
2026 Update | 100% Correct.
1. A private investigator in Tennessee must be licensed by which state entity?
A) Tennessee Department of Safety
B) Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
C) Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance
D) Tennessee Secretary of State
Answer: C
Explanation: Under Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) § 62-26-101, private investigators
are licensed by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI),
specifically the Private Investigation and Polygraph Commission. The TBI handles
criminal investigations, not licensing.
2. Which of the following is NOT a qualifying criminal offense that would automatically
disqualify an applicant for a PI license in TN?
A) Felony theft
B) Misdemeanor disorderly conduct
C) Felony stalking
D) Felony perjury
Answer: B
Explanation: TCA § 62-26-304 lists disqualifying felonies (e.g., theft, stalking, perjury).
Misdemeanor disorderly conduct, unless involving moral turpitude, is not an automatic
bar. However, commission discretion applies.
3. A TN PI company hires an unlicensed individual to conduct surveillance. What is the
penalty?
,A) Fine only
B) Revocation of company license
C) Class A misdemeanor
D) No penalty if supervised
Answer: C
Explanation: TCA § 62-26-123 states that employing an unlicensed person to perform PI
work is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 11 months, 29 days in jail and a fine
up to $2,500.
4. Surveillance from a public sidewalk into a home’s first-floor window is:
A) Always illegal without a warrant
B) Permissible if no reasonable expectation of privacy
C) Illegal under Tennessee wiretap law
D) Only allowed if homeowner signs a waiver
Answer: B
Explanation: Courts have held (Katz v. U.S.) that open views from public space are not
private. However, TN law prohibits enhancing devices to see inside private areas without
consent.
5. Tennessee law requires a private investigator to renew their license every:
A) 1 year
B) 2 years
C) 3 years
D) 5 years
Answer: B
Explanation: TDCI rules: PI licenses expire biennially (every two years). Continuing
education (8 hours every 2 years for individuals, 4 hours for qualified managers) is
required.
6. A PI in TN discovers evidence of a felony during an insurance fraud investigation. The
PI must:
A) Immediately arrest the suspect
,B) Report to law enforcement within 48 hours
C) Report to the state’s attorney general
D) No legal duty to report, but may do so
Answer: D
Explanation: Unlike mandated reporters (e.g., teachers, doctors), PIs in TN have no
statutory duty to report crimes discovered during investigations, except for child abuse
(TCA § 37-1-403). However, ethical practice encourages reporting.
7. Which of the following is considered prima facie evidence of operating as an
unlicensed PI in TN?
A) Using binoculars in a park
B) Advertising “surveillance services” on a website
C) Being hired to locate a missing person
D) Accepting payment for investigative reports
Answer: D
Explanation: Accepting payment for investigative work without a license violates TCA §
62-26-102. Advertising alone may be protected speech, but taking money for PI services
triggers the law.
8. A TN PI is conducting a background check. Under federal law, they must comply with:
A) HIPAA
B) FCRA
C) FERPA
D) GLBA
Answer: B
Explanation: The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) applies if the background check is for
employment, credit, or insurance purposes and is provided to a third party. Violations
can result in civil penalties.
9. Which of the following is a legal method for obtaining cell phone location data in TN?
A) Cell tower dumps without a warrant
B) Subpoena issued by a private attorney
, C) Consent of the phone owner
D) Purchase from data brokers
Answer: C
Explanation: Under Carpenter v. U.S. (2018) and TN law, warrantless access to CSLI is
unconstitutional. Consent is an exception. Private attorneys cannot issue subpoenas for
such data; only courts can.
10. A TN PI license applicant must have how many years of full-time investigative
experience (or equivalent)?
A) 1 year
B) 2 years
C) 3 years
D) No experience required if exam passed
Answer: C
Explanation: TCA § 62-26-305 requires three years of full-time investigative experience
(or 6,000 hours) or a bachelor’s in criminal justice plus 2 years. Waiver possible for
former law enforcement.
11. A PI places a GPS tracker on a spouse’s car without consent. In TN, this is:
A) Legal if married
B) Legal if car is jointly owned
C) Illegal under state stalking law
D) Legal with probable cause
Answer: C
Explanation: TCA § 39-13-309 (vehicle tracking device law) makes it a Class A
misdemeanor to install a tracking device without consent, regardless of marriage.
Exceptions: law enforcement with warrant or vehicle owner’s express permission.
12. Which of the following is NOT a prohibited act under the TN Private Investigation
Act?
A) Impersonating a police officer
B) Using a fictitious business name without registration
Practice Exam Questions and Answers |
2026 Update | 100% Correct.
1. A private investigator in Tennessee must be licensed by which state entity?
A) Tennessee Department of Safety
B) Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
C) Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance
D) Tennessee Secretary of State
Answer: C
Explanation: Under Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) § 62-26-101, private investigators
are licensed by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI),
specifically the Private Investigation and Polygraph Commission. The TBI handles
criminal investigations, not licensing.
2. Which of the following is NOT a qualifying criminal offense that would automatically
disqualify an applicant for a PI license in TN?
A) Felony theft
B) Misdemeanor disorderly conduct
C) Felony stalking
D) Felony perjury
Answer: B
Explanation: TCA § 62-26-304 lists disqualifying felonies (e.g., theft, stalking, perjury).
Misdemeanor disorderly conduct, unless involving moral turpitude, is not an automatic
bar. However, commission discretion applies.
3. A TN PI company hires an unlicensed individual to conduct surveillance. What is the
penalty?
,A) Fine only
B) Revocation of company license
C) Class A misdemeanor
D) No penalty if supervised
Answer: C
Explanation: TCA § 62-26-123 states that employing an unlicensed person to perform PI
work is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 11 months, 29 days in jail and a fine
up to $2,500.
4. Surveillance from a public sidewalk into a home’s first-floor window is:
A) Always illegal without a warrant
B) Permissible if no reasonable expectation of privacy
C) Illegal under Tennessee wiretap law
D) Only allowed if homeowner signs a waiver
Answer: B
Explanation: Courts have held (Katz v. U.S.) that open views from public space are not
private. However, TN law prohibits enhancing devices to see inside private areas without
consent.
5. Tennessee law requires a private investigator to renew their license every:
A) 1 year
B) 2 years
C) 3 years
D) 5 years
Answer: B
Explanation: TDCI rules: PI licenses expire biennially (every two years). Continuing
education (8 hours every 2 years for individuals, 4 hours for qualified managers) is
required.
6. A PI in TN discovers evidence of a felony during an insurance fraud investigation. The
PI must:
A) Immediately arrest the suspect
,B) Report to law enforcement within 48 hours
C) Report to the state’s attorney general
D) No legal duty to report, but may do so
Answer: D
Explanation: Unlike mandated reporters (e.g., teachers, doctors), PIs in TN have no
statutory duty to report crimes discovered during investigations, except for child abuse
(TCA § 37-1-403). However, ethical practice encourages reporting.
7. Which of the following is considered prima facie evidence of operating as an
unlicensed PI in TN?
A) Using binoculars in a park
B) Advertising “surveillance services” on a website
C) Being hired to locate a missing person
D) Accepting payment for investigative reports
Answer: D
Explanation: Accepting payment for investigative work without a license violates TCA §
62-26-102. Advertising alone may be protected speech, but taking money for PI services
triggers the law.
8. A TN PI is conducting a background check. Under federal law, they must comply with:
A) HIPAA
B) FCRA
C) FERPA
D) GLBA
Answer: B
Explanation: The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) applies if the background check is for
employment, credit, or insurance purposes and is provided to a third party. Violations
can result in civil penalties.
9. Which of the following is a legal method for obtaining cell phone location data in TN?
A) Cell tower dumps without a warrant
B) Subpoena issued by a private attorney
, C) Consent of the phone owner
D) Purchase from data brokers
Answer: C
Explanation: Under Carpenter v. U.S. (2018) and TN law, warrantless access to CSLI is
unconstitutional. Consent is an exception. Private attorneys cannot issue subpoenas for
such data; only courts can.
10. A TN PI license applicant must have how many years of full-time investigative
experience (or equivalent)?
A) 1 year
B) 2 years
C) 3 years
D) No experience required if exam passed
Answer: C
Explanation: TCA § 62-26-305 requires three years of full-time investigative experience
(or 6,000 hours) or a bachelor’s in criminal justice plus 2 years. Waiver possible for
former law enforcement.
11. A PI places a GPS tracker on a spouse’s car without consent. In TN, this is:
A) Legal if married
B) Legal if car is jointly owned
C) Illegal under state stalking law
D) Legal with probable cause
Answer: C
Explanation: TCA § 39-13-309 (vehicle tracking device law) makes it a Class A
misdemeanor to install a tracking device without consent, regardless of marriage.
Exceptions: law enforcement with warrant or vehicle owner’s express permission.
12. Which of the following is NOT a prohibited act under the TN Private Investigation
Act?
A) Impersonating a police officer
B) Using a fictitious business name without registration
