District of Columbia One-Party

Licensing & Regulation

The District of Columbia licenses PIs through the Metropolitan Police Department, Security Officers Management Branch, under DC Code §47-2839 and Title 17 of the DC Municipal Regulations. Applicants must be 21+, U.S. citizens or legal residents, demonstrate three years of investigative experience, submit fingerprints, and post a $5,000 surety bond.

Physical Surveillance

Public surveillance is permitted. DC's stalking statute (DC Code §22-3133) constrains intrusive conduct. Federal property within DC adds an additional layer of jurisdictional complexity — surveillance on or near federal buildings can trigger additional restrictions.

Audio & Video Recording Consent

DC is a one-party-consent jurisdiction under DC Code §23-542. The recording party must be a participant.

Domestic, Marital & Infidelity Investigations

DC allows no-fault divorce. Marital misconduct rarely affects property division. PIs document patterns. Accessing a spouse's accounts may violate DC Code §22-3241 (unauthorized use of computer).

Cybersecurity, Hacking & Digital Investigations

DC Code §22-3241 et seq. parallels the CFAA. OSINT is permitted; pretexting is barred. The federal CFAA, given DC's status, applies with particular force.

Missing Persons, Skip Tracing & Harassment

Metropolitan Police Department coordinates missing-persons cases. DPPA fully applies. DC's stalking statute is broad. The proximity of federal law-enforcement agencies (FBI, USPP, Capitol Police) creates frequent multi-agency coordination scenarios.