Compare private investigation companies in Chicago and request free quotes.
Typically from $55 USD per investigator/hour. See prices →
282 companies · Page 1 of 6
Found what you're looking for?
Get free private investigation quotes in Chicago.
ACCORD DETECTIVE AGENCY INC
AGB INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES INC
ALLPOINTS SECURITY AND DETECTIVE INC
BLIND JUSTICE INVESTIGATION AND SECURITY SERVICES, INC.
BLUE IRON INVESTIGATIONS AND SECURITY PLLC
CAPITAL SECURITY & INVESTIGATIONS INC
Private investigation in Chicago covers surveillance, background and due-diligence research, and fraud or misconduct inquiries handled by a state-licensed investigator.
In Chicago, demand for private investigation is driven by the Midwest's largest security market and talent pool and downtown corporate towers and financial institutions. The sectors that most rely on this service include corporate and financial services, hospitality and conventions, rail and logistics, with specific needs in areas such as the downtown Loop, the Magnificent Mile and hotel district, McCormick Place and the convention core. The city's main security concerns — corporate high-rise lobby and access control and industrial and rail-yard cargo theft — make working with a licensed, professional provider a priority investment for businesses and homeowners.
HireSecurityNow.com connects you with licensed private investigation companies in Chicago. Compare options, review profiles and request free quotes to find the provider that best fits your needs and budget.
Estimated range per investigator/hour in Chicago:
$55 — $170 USD
That puts Chicago about 10% above the US national range ($50 — $150) — local wage floors, cost of living and competition for licensed officers all push rates up.
Licensed investigator, billed by the hour plus expenses (mileage, database access, equipment) and usually an upfront retainer. Surveillance and multi-investigator work bill higher than records-based research. Discuss the rate, retainer and likely total in writing before engaging.
Reference estimates. See private investigation prices in every city →
Before you hire
A buyer's guide to hiring a private investigator in the US: what PIs can and cannot legally do, state-by-state licensing, real hourly rates and retainers, how to vet a firm, and when to hire through a lawyer instead.
Read the private investigation buyer's guidePrivate security in Illinois is licensed at the state level by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). A legitimate company operating in Chicago holds a Private Security Contractor Agency license, which means it has cleared Illinois IDFPR's ownership, background-check and insurance requirements. Ask for that license number in writing and verify it yourself — a certificate on the wall tells you nothing about current standing, since a license can be suspended or revoked.
Hiring an unlicensed company is a risk you carry. In Illinois, operating without a license is class a misdemeanor for a first violation; class 4 felony for a second or subsequent violation (225 ILCS 447/45-50 (Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, Fingerprint Vendor, and Locksmith Act of 2004)). Practicing as, or operating an agency as, a private security contractor without the required IDFPR license is a Class A misdemeanor on first offense and a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent violation; IDFPR may also assess a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per offense, payable within 60 days after the order becomes effective.
Chicago is policed by a consolidated metro agency, so it doesn't appear as a separate city in the FBI's national table. We use the city's own reported incident data instead, mapped to 77 community-area — which is the more useful view anyway, since risk inside a city varies far more than it does between cities.
Scope your coverage to the block you actually occupy, not the city average. The breakdown below ranks Chicago community-area from safest to most affected.
See the Chicago neighborhood crime breakdown282 providers below list private investigation in Chicago. Ranking is based on verifiable signals, but the last checks are yours — and they are the ones that decide whether a contract holds up.
Get quotes from verified companies. Free and with no obligation.
Request free quotes