Is it legal to hire a private investigator to conduct surveillance in Florida?

Yes. Florida licenses private investigators under Chapter 493, and documenting a person's movements and conduct is part of the legal definition of private investigation. The investigator must observe from places they may lawfully be, and may not trespass, record private conversations or place a tracking device without required consent.

Will the person know they are being watched?

They should not. Surveillance is planned so the subject is not alerted, and detection would defeat the purpose. A careful investigator who believes the subject has noticed them breaks off rather than pushing the follow.

Can you record audio or track a car with GPS?

No. Florida requires the prior consent of all parties to intercept a private conversation (s. 934.03, F.S.), and prohibits placing a tracking device on another person's property without consent (s. 934.425, F.S.), with no general exception for private investigators. Vehicles are followed in person, and private conversations are not recorded.

How many investigators does a surveillance case need?

It depends on the subject and setting. One investigator can often cover a fixed location. A subject who drives through heavy traffic, uses several vehicles or moves between crowded places may need two or more, each with a vehicle.

How long does surveillance take, and what does it cost?

Both depend on field hours, the number of investigators and vehicles, days of coverage, travel, and whether you need court-ready documentation. A known time window usually means fewer hours. Scope is agreed before fieldwork begins.

Can surveillance evidence be used in court?

Lawfully obtained surveillance is treated like other evidence under the Florida Evidence Code: it must be relevant and authenticated (ss. 90.401 and 90.901, F.S.). The investigator who recorded it can testify to when and how it was captured. Illegally intercepted communications are excluded (s. 934.06, F.S.).

How do I verify your license?

Our Florida agency license is A1800135. Confirm it, or check any Florida agency, on the FDACS agency search at licensing.fdacs.gov/access/agency.aspx.

Surveillance Investigator in Miami

Surveillance at a glance

What it is: discreet observation of a person's movements and activities, documented with time-stamped photos, video and notes.
Where it happens: only from places our investigators may lawfully be, such as streets, parking areas and businesses open to the public.
Common uses: infidelity, custody, injury and workers' compensation claims, employee misconduct.
What you receive: a chronological written report, the original footage and photos, and testimony if the matter goes to court.
What drives scope: hours, number of investigators and vehicles, number of days, travel and the evidence you need.
Credentials: Florida agency license A1800135, veteran-led, bilingual, office in Coral Gables.

Surveillance is the backbone of most private investigations, and the most misunderstood. It is not a car chase or gadgetry. It is patient, planned observation of a person in public, recorded carefully enough that someone who was not there, such as a judge, a claims adjuster or an HR director, can rely on it.

What is a surveillance investigation?

Florida law defines private investigation to include gathering information about a person's "habits, conduct, movements, whereabouts, affiliations, associations" and "securing evidence" for use in trials (s. 493.6101, F.S.). Surveillance is how most of that information is gathered in the field. It generally takes one of two forms, and many cases use both:

Static surveillance. Observation from a fixed position, such as a parked vehicle with a view of a residence, a workplace entrance or a business parking lot. It suits questions like "who comes and goes, and when?"
Mobile surveillance. Following a subject on foot or by vehicle as they move through the day, in unmarked cars, at a distance that avoids detection. It suits questions like "where does this person really go after work?"

Need existing camera footage from a store or building located and preserved after an incident instead? See surveillance video retrieval.

Who hires a surveillance investigator?

Surveillance is worth commissioning when the facts are unclear but the stakes are high. Most clients fall into four groups:

Individuals and families. Someone who suspects a partner is unfaithful, or a parent concerned about a child's safety during the other parent's time-sharing, who needs facts before making a decision.
Attorneys. Family-law, personal-injury and civil litigators who need a subject's conduct documented by a witness who can later testify.
Insurers and claims professionals. Carriers and defense counsel checking whether a claimant's activity matches a reported injury or disability.
Employers. Businesses dealing with suspected workers' compensation abuse, time theft, internal theft or a possible breach of a non-compete agreement.

How does a surveillance case work, step by step?

Confidential consultation. You explain what you need to learn. We ask about the subject's routine, addresses and the hours that matter, and tell you honestly whether surveillance is the right tool or records research would answer faster.
Pre-surveillance research. We confirm addresses, identify vehicles and study the area first, so field hours are not wasted. Miami's traffic, gated communities, high-rise garages and tourist districts all shape where an investigator can lawfully observe.
A written plan. The plan sets the dates, the time windows, how many investigators and vehicles are assigned, and exactly what has to be documented for your purpose.
Fieldwork. Investigators observe and record from positions where the subject is not alerted, and we update you so you can extend, adjust or stop.
Report and testimony. You receive the written report and the media. If the matter goes to a hearing or trial, the investigator who made the observations can testify.

What can surveillance document, and what can't it?

Lawful surveillance captures behavior that is openly visible. In practice it can show:

Where a person went, in what order, and how long they stayed.
Who they met, and the vehicles they and their companions used.
Physical activity: lifting, carrying, climbing stairs, playing a sport, working a second job.
Patterns that only appear over several days, such as a recurring overnight stay or a weekly meeting.
Whether a child was present, who was supervising, and conditions visible from public areas during a parent's time-sharing.

It cannot lawfully capture what happens inside a private home, hotel room or vehicle, private conversations, or anything on a person's phone or accounts. That evidence would be illegal to gather and unusable.

What a Florida PI can and can't legally do during surveillance

Private investigators and agencies are licensed under Chapter 493, Florida Statutes, through the FDACS Division of Licensing. The license grants no police powers and no exemption from privacy law.

Lawful surveillance practice

Observing, photographing and filming a subject in public places, and from any location where the investigator is lawfully present.
Following a subject on public roads, at a distance and in a manner that serves the case's legitimate purpose.
Pairing fieldwork with public records and public posts (social media investigations).

Lines we do not cross

No audio of private conversations. Intercepting an oral or wire communication is lawful only when "all of the parties to the communication have given prior consent" (s. 934.03, F.S.). It protects conversations held with a justified expectation of privacy (s. 934.02, F.S.). A violation is a third-degree felony, and nothing intercepted illegally, or derived from it, may be received in evidence (s. 934.06, F.S.). That is why surveillance video is normally captured without sound.
No tracking devices without consent. Florida prohibits placing a tracking device or app on another person's property, or using one to follow them, without that person's consent (s. 934.425, F.S.). A PI is exempt only where the client would be, and a spouse's consent is presumed revoked once a divorce petition is filed. A violation is also grounds for license discipline (s. 493.6118(1)(y), F.S.). Vehicle surveillance means following in person, not planting a GPS unit.
No trespassing. Entering or remaining in a structure or conveyance without authorization is trespass (s. 810.08, F.S.), as is entering or remaining on other property after notice against entering is given in person or by posting, fencing or cultivation (s. 810.09, F.S.). Gated communities are observed from outside, or not at all.
No harassment. Florida's stalking law targets a course of conduct that causes substantial emotional distress and "serves no legitimate purpose" (s. 784.048, F.S.). Our work is tied to a defined, lawful objective and is never used to intimidate.
No pretexting or impersonation. We do not obtain phone records through false statements (s. 817.484, F.S.), and we never pose as police; impersonating an officer is a crime (s. 843.08, F.S.) and grounds for license discipline (s. 493.6118(1)(i), F.S.).

For a fuller walk through these rules, see our guide to Florida Statute 493 and what a PI may do.

How is surveillance evidence used in court?

Surveillance helps a case only if it is admitted. Under Florida's Evidence Code, lawfully gathered surveillance is treated like any other evidence:

Relevance. Evidence "tending to prove or disprove a material fact" is relevant, and relevant evidence is admissible except as provided by law (s. 90.401 and s. 90.402, F.S.). It can still be excluded if unfair prejudice substantially outweighs its value (s. 90.403, F.S.), so we record neutrally.
Authentication. Footage must be shown to be what it claims to be before it is admitted (s. 90.901, F.S.). The investigator who filmed it can explain when, where and how it was captured, supported by the running log and the unedited original files.
Fact-witness testimony. Most surveillance testimony describes what the investigator personally perceived (s. 90.701, F.S.). A party's own statements that an investigator lawfully overhears in a public setting can come in as admissions (s. 90.803(18), F.S.).

Miami-Dade civil, family and criminal matters are heard in the 11th Judicial Circuit, with appeals to the Third District Court of Appeal. For how surveillance is used once a divorce is filed, read surveillance evidence in a divorce.

Not legal advice. This is a plain-language summary of Florida statutes. Admissibility is decided by the court on your facts, so ask your attorney how surveillance fits your matter.

What is in the surveillance report?

Original, time-stamped video and photographs, preserved unedited alongside any clips prepared for review.
A chronological activity log: each observation with its time, address, vehicle, the people present and what was seen, including stretches where nothing happened.
Secure handling and storage of the media, so the chain from camera to courtroom can be explained.
Testimony by the observing investigator at deposition, hearing or trial when needed.

We record what happened, not what a client hopes to hear, and we never guarantee a result.

What affects the timeline and cost of surveillance?

We scope each case individually and do not publish a price list. These are the factors that decide how much time a case needs:

Hours in the field. The largest factor. A known window, such as a standing Saturday appointment, takes far fewer hours than an unpredictable subject.
How many investigators. One investigator can often cover a static location. A mobile subject in heavy traffic, one who switches between cars or walks into crowded venues, or one who is alert to being followed may need two or more investigators working in coordination to keep observation lawful and unnoticed.
Vehicles. The number of vehicles the subject uses, and whether each investigator needs a separate vehicle to hand off the follow, changes both staffing and cost.
Multi-day coverage. Many questions are answered only by a pattern: the same stop three Thursdays in a row, or a claimant's activity across a full work week. Coverage is usually planned in blocks of days and reviewed with you between blocks.
Travel, timing and deliverables. Following a subject outside Miami-Dade, night or weekend work, and court-ready documentation with testimony all add scope.

You agree to the scope before any fieldwork begins. For a closer look at how these factors combine, read our guide to how surveillance investigations work and what they cost.

Why attorneys and families work with us

FDACS agency license A1800135
★ 4.9 from 88 Google reviews
Veteran-led team
Investigators who work in English and Spanish

Attorneys from firms such as Morgan & Morgan, Cornish Hernandez Gonzalez, Asilia Law, Goldberg & Rosen and Scheer Legal have recorded video testimonials about working with us. See what attorneys say.

Confidentiality is a legal duty: unauthorized release of client information is grounds for license discipline (s. 493.6118(1)(e), F.S.). Be wary of any investigator who promises a result, or offers to hide a tracker or record calls.