HB197 Summary: Alabama Private Investigation Regulatory Act

• Creates the Alabama Private Investigation Board to regulate and license private investigators, with 6 voting members appointed by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, Attorney General, Alabama State Bar Association, and Alabama Private Investigators Association.

• Requires private investigator applicants to be at least 21 years old, U.S. citizens, pass a criminal background check and fingerprinting, pass a board-administered examination, and have no felony convictions or crimes of moral turpitude.

• Establishes a two-year license validity period with mandatory 8 hours of annual continuing professional education; licenses must be displayed at workplace and identification cards carried by licensees.

• Authorizes the board to suspend, revoke, or refuse licenses for violations of the act, fraud, misrepresentation, felony convictions, or Class A misdemeanors; civil penalties up to $2,000 per violation apply.

• Makes unlicensed practice of private investigation a Class A misdemeanor; creates the Alabama Private Investigation Board Fund from application fees and penalties; board automatically terminates October 1, 2016, and every four years thereafter unless legislatively renewed.