MS HB713

Creates the Mississippi Private Investigation Board, an 8-member quasi-judicial body appointed by the Governor (3), Lieutenant Governor (1), Speaker of the House (1), Attorney General (1), Mississippi State Bar Association (1), and Mississippi Private Investigators Association (1), with initial terms of 2-4 years and subsequent 4-year terms

Requires all private investigators to obtain a license by passing a criminal background check and board-administered examination, being at least 21 years old, having no felony convictions or crimes of moral turpitude, and not being declared mentally incompetent

Establishes license validity for 2 years with 8 hours of annual continuing education required, including at least 1 hour on ethics; late renewal fees capped at $200, with civil penalties up to $2,000 for violations and $1,000 for false statements to the board

Grandfathers in persons operating as private investigators before the effective date without meeting initial application requirements upon submitting business name, taxpayer ID, and other board-required information

Exempts attorneys, law firm employees, accountants, consumer reporting agencies, computer forensic specialists, and employees of businesses not primarily engaged in private investigation from licensing requirements