2023 Tennessee Code › Title 62 - PROFESSIONS, BUSINESSES AND TRADES (§§ 62-1-101 — 62-76-203) › Chapter 26 - PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS (§§ 62-26-201 — 62-26-305) › Part 2 - PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS LICENSING AND REGULATORY ACT (§§ 62-26-201 — 62-26-229) › Section 62-26-208 - Commissioner - Investigation of applications - Issuance of license - Notification of denial - Identification card

(a)
(1)
Upon receipt of an application for a license, accompanied by a nonrefundable, nonproratable application fee as set by the commissioner in accordance with subdivision (a)(2), the commissioner shall:
(A)
Conduct an investigation to determine whether the statements made in the application are true;
(B)
Request that the Tennessee bureau of investigation compare the fingerprints submitted with the application to fingerprints filed with the Tennessee bureau of investigation. On subsequent applications, the Tennessee bureau of investigation shall, at the request of the commissioner, review its criminal history files, based upon the name, date of birth, sex and race and social security number of an applicant whose fingerprints have previously been submitted to the bureau, for any new information since the date of the fingerprint comparison and shall furnish any information thereby derived to the commissioner; and
(C)
Submit the fingerprints to the federal bureau of investigation for a search of its files to determine whether the individual fingerprinted has any recorded convictions.
(2)
The nonrefundable, nonproratable application fees shall be set by the commissioner according to the following schedule:
Private investigator license $ ______________
Company license
Number of private investigators
Employed by company
Sole practitioner private investigator $ ______________
Two to five (2-5) employees $ ______________
Over five (5) employees $ ______________
(b)
The commissioner shall issue a license, in a form that the commissioner prescribes, to qualified applicants upon receipt of a nonrefundable, nonproratable fee as set by the commissioner in accordance with the following schedule:
Private investigator license $ ______________
Company license
Number of private investigators
Employed by company
Sole practitioner private investigator $ ______________
Two to five (2-5) employees $ ______________
Over five (5) employees $ ______________
(c)
If an application for a license is denied, the commissioner shall notify the applicant in writing and shall set forth the grounds for denial. If the grounds are subject to correction by the applicant, the notice of denial shall so state and specify a reasonable period of time within which the applicant must make the required correction.
(d)
The commissioner shall issue with every private investigator license an identification card that shall contain at least the following information:
(1)
Name;
(2)
Photograph;
(3)
Physical characteristics;
(4)
Private investigator license number; and
(5)
Expiration date of license.
(e)
The identification card shall be issued in a wallet-sized card and shall be permanently laminated.
(f)
The identification card shall be carried on the person of the licensee when engaged in the activities of the licensee.
(g)
An application shall be accompanied by a notarized statement sworn to by the applicant as to the identity and number of private investigators employed by or affiliated with the investigations company. Making a false statement shall be punishable by a civil penalty not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) and assessment of the maximum application fee.
Acts 1990, ch. 780, § 9; 1991, ch. 457, §§ 8-11; 1993, ch. 511, §§ 8-10.