“We are only investigative superheroes; we’re not demigods.” ~VP

As private investigators, we wish we had superhero powers; sadly, we don’t.  We rely on some tools, certain databases, instinct and know-how to find information about someone.

They certainly do not involve magic, but here are 10 places private investigators go to find information about someone (in no particular order).

1Investigative Database

Investigators have access to professional-grade investigative databases that compile public records, credit header information, telephone information, social network information and other information about people and businesses. There are a number of high-quality databases – available only to licensed private investigators – including Accurint and TLO that compile information from wide variety of sources.

2Court Records

Current and historical court records provide an array of information about a person’s or even a business’ past. While criminal records might be the holy grail of relevant information, don’t overlook the value of civil lawsuits. Disputes with employees, litigiousness and sexual harassment allegations can tell a lot about a person’s character.

3Public Records

In addition to court records, a vast amount of public information is widely available in the U.S., including records relating to property transactions, corporation records and various government records. The problem is that the information is fractured and not quick and easy to search and review. That is why investigators use services such as LexisNexis and Westlaw, which gather millions of public records into searchable databases.

4Social Networks

Whether you like them or not, social networks are gaining popularity every day. There are more than 1.6 billion active users daily on Facebook and 126 million active users on Twitter. In addition to the most popular social networks, there are hundreds of other niche social networks. Although users of social networks are becoming increasingly cautious about the information they post, social networks continue to be a treasure trove of information.

5News Archives

Despite what people think, most historical news coverage is not available on the Internet without paying a hefty fee. Millions of current and historical news items are available through services like LexisNexis, Factiva and Proquest, each of which has a vast array of news publications not widely available on the Internet or through Google.

6Government Repositories

Military records, state government records, lobbyists’ records, Securities and Exchange Commission records and federal government contract information are just a sampling of the types of records available through various state and federal government agencies. And if the information is not immediately available online, there is a good chance you can request it under the federal Freedom of Information Act or similar state legislation.

7Garbage

Did you know that, in most states, your garbage is no longer considered your personal property once you bring it out to the curb for disposal? Consider what you don’t shred when you throw out your garbage: medical records, credit card bills, telephone bills, etc.  (If you don’t have a shredder, maybe you should buy one.)

8Human Intelligence

What we like to describe as human intelligence comes in various forms, including surveillance; contacting sources; or interviews with a person’s neighbors, colleagues or former friends. You might be surprised by what people will say.

9The Internet

With more than 1,300,000 domains and bajillions of pages, the Internet is filled with information about people, businesses and topics of interest. The difficult part is harnessing the information and weeding through the bajillions of pages of information to find credible and reliable information.

10Motor Vehicle

The state motor vehicle department not only provides details about a person’s traffic infractions, a person’s date of birth, and details such as a person’s height and weight, but in many states it’s the only place to determine if a person has ever been charged with a DWI (driving while intoxicated) offense (some states consider driving while intoxicated a criminal offense). Additionally, in some states, such as New York, you can discover if a person’s license has been suspended for failure to pay child support.

We are frequently asked if it is legal to record a phone call or conversation. The answer is not as simple as you may think.

There are various state and federal statutes that apply to the legality of recording a conversation. The information below is by no means comprehensive. If you are contemplating recording a phone call or conversation, you should seek advice from a legal professional.

The Basics: “One-Party Consent” vs. “Two-Party Consent”

The District of Columbia and 39 states are one-party consent, and 11 states are two-party consent (see table below). A one-party consent state permits individuals to record conversations to which they are a party without informing the other parties that they are doing so. In other words, one-party states allow recording of phone calls with the consent of only one of the parties to the conversation.

Based on the name, you would think that a two-party state would require consent of two parties; however, under most circumstances, all of the parties must provide consent.

Where One-Party Notification Is Required

Where Two-Party Notification is Required 

In-Person Conversation vs. Phone Call Recording

This information generally applies to recording a conversation in person. If you are in a one-party state and need to record a conversation in person with another person, you must follow the applicable laws of the state that you are in. Likewise with a two-party state.

(If you are looking for a digital voice recorder [affiliate link], Amazon has number of high quality voice recorders starting at around $25.)

However, what if you are recording a phone conversation taking place between two different states that have two different consent requirements? For example, if you are making a phone call from New York (a one-party state) to California (a two-party state), what do you do?

The general rule of thumb is that you should abide by the law of the state with the most strict statute, which in this case would be California.

(If you want to record a conversation through your computer, Pamela for Skype [affiliate link] is a great tool that we have been using for years with great success.)

Other Things to Know

Generally, it is almost always illegal to record a phone call or conversation to which you are not a party. Every state except Vermont has criminal penalties for unlawful recording.

Final Thought

Whether it is legal to record a phone call or conversation is more complicated than you may think.

We hope this information will serve as a general guide, and is not intended to substitute for expert legal counsel. It is always best to talk with an attorney if you have questions about the legal implications of recording calls in your state. 

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