Miami Private InvestigationsFlorida investigations at a glance
- Our office: one location, 4000 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Suite 470, Coral Gables, FL 33146. Every other city on this page is a service area, not a branch.
- License: FDACS Class A agency license A1800135, issued by the state under Chapter 493 and valid in every county.
- Courts: Florida has 20 judicial circuits and six district courts of appeal; the circuit that hears your case decides which clerk and courthouse we work with.
- Work: surveillance, background and asset research, fraud and claim investigations, locating people, and litigation support for attorneys.
- People: veteran-led, bilingual in English and Spanish, rated 4.9★ across 88 Google reviews.
- One number for every county: (305) 686-7826.
Hiring a private investigator is usually a decision made under pressure: a relationship in doubt, a lawsuit, a hire you're unsure about, a person you need to find. You deserve a professional who is properly licensed in Florida, careful about the law and completely confidential. That is how we work in every one of Florida's 67 counties.
Miami Private Investigations is a licensed Florida agency (FDACS #A1800135), veteran-led and bilingual. Attorneys, insurance carriers, businesses and private clients bring us matters that need facts they can stand behind, and our job is to gather those facts lawfully and document them so they can be used.
What does a Florida private investigator do?
Florida law defines private investigation as obtaining information on matters such as a person's "identity, habits, conduct, movements, whereabouts, affiliations, associations, transactions, reputation, or character," the credibility of witnesses, the whereabouts of missing persons, and "securing evidence" for trials and arbitration (s. 493.6101). In practice that means gathering facts and documenting them so you, or your attorney, can act on solid ground.
Good investigators don't guess. They produce well-documented evidence: dated surveillance video, verified records and clear written reports. Our investigators combine surveillance craft, open-source research, records work and courtroom-minded reporting, whether the reader is a judge, an insurance adjuster or you at your kitchen table.
Where we work in Florida
Our only office is in Coral Gables. Every other place listed here is a service area that we work from that office, with investigators travelling for fieldwork and records research done wherever the files are. We keep no branch, no local phone line and no staff in any other city. That is also a licensing point: a Class A license covers one agency location, and each branch office would need its own Class AA license (s. 493.6201).
Miami-Dade County (11th Judicial Circuit)
The county seat and home of the new Osvaldo N. Soto Justice Center at 20 N.W. 1st Avenue.
Where our Suite 470 office sits; Gables matters are run from the same city.
A largely Spanish-speaking city where interviews are often best done in Spanish.
Trade and logistics companies a mile from Miami International Airport.
An unincorporated community with no city hall, so county agencies and records apply.
Hotels, nightlife and visitors who may only be in town for days.
High-rise condominiums on the Broward line, often with records in two counties.
South Miami-Dade, between Everglades and Biscayne national parks.
Elsewhere in Florida
Monroe County's 16th Circuit, with courthouses in Key West, Marathon and Plantation Key.
Its own 15th Circuit and clerk, with appeals to the 4th DCA in West Palm Beach.
One metro split across the 13th, 6th and 12th circuits and five county clerks.
The 20th Circuit's five counties, from Collier and Lee to Hendry and Glades.
Records research done remotely, and planned trips north when fieldwork is needed.
Cases outside those areas are handled the same way. Every one of Florida's 67 counties is covered:
Why do South Florida cases need their own planning?
Most of our work starts in the three southeast counties, and they bring problems a statewide plan has to account for:
- Subjects cross county lines. A person can move between Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach in a single day. Each county has its own circuit and clerk (the 11th, 17th and 15th), so a surveillance log or a records search has to follow the person, not the map.
- Many cases are bilingual. Witnesses, subjects and documents are often in Spanish. We interview in the language the witness is most precise in and keep original wording in the report where it matters.
- Gated communities and high-rises limit access. An investigator may not enter a structure, or stay on posted or fenced property, without permission (s. 810.08, s. 810.09). Plans are built around what can lawfully be seen from public places.
- The Keys spread people out. Monroe County matters often involve hospitality, boats or short-term rentals, and the owner, tenant and witness may be in different places. We travel down for fieldwork as each case requires.
Which investigation services do we offer statewide?
Each service below has its own page covering how the work is done, what the law allows and what goes into the report:
Static and mobile observation from lawful vantage points, logged with times and places.
Criminal and civil court history, employment, education and professional licensing checks.
Real estate, vehicles and business interests for divorce, collections and judgments.
Internal theft, vendor schemes and false claims, documented for counsel.
Vetting partners, executives and acquisitions before a business decision.
Finding debtors, witnesses and parties who have moved or are avoiding service.
Locating relatives, heirs and lost contacts alongside any police report.
Witness location, statements and testimony-ready files for law firms.
Scene documentation, witness interviews and prior-incident research.
Activity checks on auto, disability and workers' compensation claims.
Observations tied to the parenting factors a Florida judge weighs.
Discreet documentation aimed at alimony and dissipation questions.
We also handle criminal defense investigations (witness location and alibi verification for defense teams), workers' compensation cases and open-source intelligence research. Two guides go deeper on the rules: our Florida Statute 493 guide and how to hire a licensed private investigator in Florida. Not sure which fits? See all investigation services, or call and describe what you're facing.
How does working with a Florida private investigator work?
Hiring an investigator shouldn't feel like a leap of faith. The process is built to protect you from the first call:
- A confidential consultation. You tell us what's happening; we ask the right questions and tell you honestly whether an investigation makes sense, and when it doesn't.
- A written scope and estimate. Before any work begins you get the question we're answering, the methods and the time budget in writing, so you decide with the plan in front of you.
- The investigation. Licensed investigators do the surveillance, records research, open-source work and interviews, logging everything as it happens, with updates suited to your case.
- A usable report. A written narrative with time-stamped video, photographs and verified records, organized so you or your attorney can act on it. If the evidence is offered at a hearing, the investigator who gathered it can testify to how it was captured.
What can a Florida PI legally do, and what can't they do?
Florida requires private investigators and agencies to be licensed under Chapter 493 of the Florida Statutes, administered by the FDACS Division of Licensing. Unlicensed practice is a first-degree misdemeanor the first time and a third-degree felony after that (s. 493.6120). A license permits lawful fact-gathering; it grants no police powers. Here is where the lines sit:
- Can: observe and film what is visible from public places, research court and recorded documents, run background and asset checks, locate people, and interview willing witnesses.
- Cannot record private conversations unless every party consents. Interception is a third-degree felony (s. 934.03), and the contents and anything derived from them are barred from evidence (s. 934.06).
- Cannot place a tracker on another person's car or property without consent. The tracking statute gives private investigators no general exception, and filing for divorce is presumed to revoke a spouse's earlier consent (s. 934.425).
- Cannot lie to get financial records. Federal law bars obtaining a bank customer's information by false statements (15 U.S.C. § 6821).
- Cannot pose as police, whether by badge, uniform or credentials (s. 493.6118(1)(i)).
- Driver and vehicle records are released only for purposes the Driver's Privacy Protection Act permits, and a licensed agency gets no wider access than that purpose (18 U.S.C. § 2721).
How is evidence documented so a Florida court can use it?
Anyone can take a photo. Producing evidence a court will consider is a different skill. Evidence must be relevant (s. 90.401) and must be authenticated before it is admitted (s. 90.901), which usually means the investigator who recorded it explains how, when and where. So our files keep continuous timestamps, a clear record of what was observed and from where, and the name of the observing investigator. What a judge admits is the court's decision, but gathering it lawfully and documenting it this way is what gives it a chance. That discipline is why attorneys and insurance carriers use us for litigation support, and why private clients trust us with personal matters.
How do you choose a Florida private investigator?
The wrong choice can quietly cost you your case. Before you hire anyone in Florida, confirm five things:
- A verifiable FDACS license. Ask for the agency and investigator license numbers and check them on the FDACS lookup. Evidence gathered by an unlicensed operator invites challenge.
- Insurance. Florida requires licensed agencies to keep commercial general liability coverage, and letting it lapse is a disciplinary ground (s. 493.6118(1)(h)). Ask to see it.
- Relevant skills. Surveillance, testimony and fraud work are different disciplines. Ask who will actually handle your case.
- A written scope. Reputable firms define the work in writing before starting. Anyone who won't is a risk to your budget and your case.
- Genuine discretion. Confidentiality is the job, not a courtesy. Your investigator should never reveal that you retained them.
Who do we work with?
- ⚖️ Law firms & attorneys
- 🏢 Insurance carriers
- 💼 Businesses & HR
- 🏠 Private individuals & families
Much of our work comes from lawyers who need evidence that survives cross-examination, including personal injury, criminal defense, civil and family law practices. You can read what attorneys say about working with us, and our clients rate us 4.9 out of 5 stars across 88 Google reviews. From a personal matter handled quietly to a case headed for trial, every client gets the same confidentiality and documentation.
What affects the cost and timeline of a Florida investigation?
No honest investigator can quote a case before understanding it, so we scope each one and put it in writing before work begins. The factors that drive both time and cost are:
- Field time and how many investigators and vehicles the subject's movements require.
- Travel and lodging when the case is outside Miami-Dade, such as Tampa Bay, Jacksonville or the Keys.
- How many counties' records have to be pulled, since each clerk keeps its own dockets and official records.
- Whether you know when to look. A known time window usually needs fewer field days.
- Reporting needs, from a short summary to a testimony-ready file.
Records-only work is usually faster than surveillance. For more, read our guide on what a private investigator costs.
Why choose Miami Private Investigations?
- Licensed and accountable: Florida agency license #A1800135.
- Veteran-led, with a disciplined approach to planning and documentation.
- Lawful methods: nothing that would put you, your case or your evidence at risk.
- Total confidentiality: your case and your identity stay private.
- One office, statewide reach: a single team in Coral Gables, working all 67 counties in English or Spanish.
How do you get started?
Call (305) 686-7826, email admin@miamiprivateinvestigations.com or request a confidential consultation. We'll listen, tell you honestly whether an investigation makes sense, and give you a written scope before you commit to anything.