The NASCPI was formed to make available the identification and access to nationally accredited private investigators through a web-site maintained by the NASCPI.
The NASCPI is not an association that private investigators can affiliate themselves with or claim “expertise” or “certification” by simply paying membership dues. Nationally accredited private investigators have completed a stringent qualifying application process requiring a minimum of an associate’s degree and at least ten to seventeen uninterrupted years of qualifying law enforcement experience or, at least four (4) continuous years of qualifying private investigations experience in the most recent five (5) years, unblemished employment histories and personal characters, continuing education requirements surpassing those of any state or regulatory authority in the nation, and unprecedented physical abilities. Secondly, nationally accredited private investigators have met and maintain compliance with nineteen (19) chapters of standards including over two-hundred (200) mandatory standards developed and administered by the NASCPI.
Through the NASCPI web-site, limited information concerning accredited private investigators is accessible to the general public. Unrestricted access to the web-site by Professional (insurance providers including self insured businesses), Legal (attorney’s), Corporate (business owners), and Honorary affiliates offers them comprehensive information about accredited private investigators including their resumes, summary of annual performance evaluations, complaint and commendation histories and an information exchange room. To this end, the NASCPI established and administers an accreditation process through which private investigators can demonstrate voluntarily that they meet professionally recognized criteria for excellence in management and service delivery. The standards set forth by the NASCPI require appropriate management and operational policy development by those seeking accreditation
The development and adherence to NASCPI standards encourages responsibility above the minimum standards of criminal, civil, licensing or regulatory authority responsibility. The NASCPI created high administrative and operational standards so policy development can be aimed at the highest level. They serve as the basis for NASCPI administrative action for non-compliance even though they are not intended for civil, criminal, licensing or regulatory authority proceedings.
These policies and standards are not intended to establish a standard of conduct applicable in external civil or criminal proceedings. They are written to serve as guidelines for private investigators while contemplating administrative and operational decisions. They are not intended to serve as a measure of liability after the fact with respect to claims or litigation.
These policies and standards are not intended to create entitlements for anyone including applicants, accredited or non-accredited affiliates, members of the community, commissioners, employees, associates or advisors of the NASCPI except as expressly stated in writing by the NASCPI.
The NASCPI reserves the authority to modify, revoke, suspend, interpret, terminate, or change any or all of the policies, procedures or standards whether specified in writing, by words or implied, pursuant to its authority, in whole or in part at any time, with or without notice. The publication, issuance, or distribution of information whatsoever, does not constitute a contract or imply any legal civil or criminal rights between anyone including applicants, accredited or non-accredited affiliates, members of the community, commissioners, employees, associates or advisors of the NASCPI except as expressly stated in writing by the NASCPI.
The NASCPI is not part of, or obligated to, any governmental entity. Fees paid to the NASCPI defray operating costs. The NASCPI authority is derived solely from its by-laws.
The NASCPI is comprised of the Director and ten commissioners representing five (5) insurance professionals, two (2) legal representatives, two (2) private investigator representatives and one (1) representative from the corporate sector. The council meets annually or as often thereafter as necessary upon determination of the Director.
Persons who serve on the National Accreditation and Standards Council for Private Investigators are appointed to two year (staggered) terms by the Director. During their service, commissioners have specific responsibilities for maintaining and, as necessary, further development of standards and may empanel committees to assist them. The following are standing commissioner responsibilities but do not preclude the creation of additional responsibilities, committees, or appointments as determined necessary by the Director;
1 Training and education (two commissioners including one legal commissioner)
2 Administration standards (one commissioner)
3 Advertising and Contracts standards (one commissioner)
4 Confidential informants & information resource standards (one commissioner)
5 Conduct and health & fitness standards (one commissioner)
6 Standards compliance & investigations (two commissioners including one legal commissioner)
7. NASCPI promotion & web-site design (one commissioner)
8. At large (one commissioner available to the Director and commissioners)
Affiliation in the NASCPI includes one of five levels;
1. Accredited;
2. Professional;
3. Legal;
4. Corporate; or
5. Honorary.
The accredited level is an affiliation requiring application and request for accreditation by private investigators for which fees are assessed. Only private investigators are eligible for accreditation. Being accredited enables them to be listed on the NASCPI web-site as an accredited private investigator, their current status with the NASCPI and access by professional, legal, corporate and honorary affiliates and the general public.
The professional, legal, and corporate levels are reserved exclusively for representatives of insurance providers (including self insured businesses), licensed attorneys, and business owners. Their affiliation requires only the completion of a Professional, Legal & Corporate Affiliate Application available in the forms section of the NASCPI website for administrative purposes with all associated expenses absorbed by the NASCPI. Their affiliation allows unrestricted access to the NASCPI web-site including identification of accredited private investigators, their profiles, resumes, history of complaints & commendations, annual evaluations summary, written certification of accreditation and copies of specific documents authorized by the NASCPI or at the discretion of the Director, information exchange room for real-time communication, information postings with other professional legal and corporate affiliates and private telecommunication with the NASCPI.
The honorary level is reserved solely for the Director to appoint individuals or representatives of businesses whose abilities contribute to the advancement of the NASCPI. Such appointments shall be permanent unless removed by the Director. An “honorary” affiliate shall not be required to complete an application and will have access to those areas of the NASCPI web-site determined appropriate by the Director on an individual basis.
For accreditation purposes, the NASCPI makes a clear distinction between private investigators, private investigative agencies and those who assign or sub-contract private investigations.
A private investigator is defined by the NASCPI and is also a person who is self-employed, a sole proprietor or performs contract or sub-contract work for an individual or business. They are personally responsible for complying with applicable state and federal tax laws, and licensing or regulatory authorities and any other regulations as may be applicable.
A private investigative agency is a business which performs private investigative services using employed (as legally defined by State & Federal law) private investigators whether or not they meet the definition of a private investigator by the NASCPI. A private investigative agency is responsible for paying / withholding all appropriate State and Federal employee taxes and being compliant with all other applicable State, Federal and governmental authority regulating labor and business law. Private investigators employed by a private investigative agency may be individually accredited, but, the NASCPI does not accredit private investigative agencies.
A private investigator who personally or by their authority assigns or sub-contracts private investigations to private investigators but does not meet the above definition of a private investigative agency, shall, nonetheless meet all NASCPI standards to be awarded accredited status. They shall, in addition, require any sub-contracted private investigator to be individually accredited in order to maintain accreditation themselves.
