Pennsylvania All-Party

Licensing & Regulation

Pennsylvania licenses PIs through the courts of common pleas of each county under the Private Detective Act of 1953 (22 P.S. §11 et seq.). This is an unusual county-by-county licensing scheme. Applicants must be 25+, U.S. citizens or legal residents, demonstrate three years of investigative experience (or service as a law-enforcement officer of equivalent rank), submit fingerprints, and post a $10,000 surety bond.

Physical Surveillance

Public surveillance is permitted. Pennsylvania has strong privacy torts. GPS tracking on a non-owned vehicle is constrained by 18 Pa.C.S. §2709.1 (stalking).

Audio & Video Recording Consent

Pennsylvania is an all-party-consent state under the Pennsylvania Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act, 18 Pa.C.S. §5703. Every party to a wire, electronic, or oral communication must consent. The statute has been the subject of significant case law (including Commonwealth v. Smith); the Pennsylvania Superior Court has interpreted "oral communication" to require a reasonable expectation of privacy, providing a narrow public-space carve-out. Penalties are felonies.

Domestic, Marital & Infidelity Investigations

Pennsylvania allows both fault-based and no-fault divorce. Adultery is a ground. PIs do significant matrimonial work but must observe the all-party-consent rule when audio is involved.

Cybersecurity, Hacking & Digital Investigations

18 Pa.C.S. §7611 et seq. (Computer Trespass) parallels the CFAA. OSINT is permitted; pretexting is barred.

Missing Persons, Skip Tracing & Harassment

PA State Police coordinate missing-persons cases. DPPA fully applies. 18 Pa.C.S. §2709.1 (stalking) is broad.