Alberta Investigator’s Course
The approved course you need before you can apply for a private investigator licence in Alberta. Online, at your own pace: log your 60 hours, then write the provincial exam.
The course at a glance
Developed by security training experts with industry and legal experts to meet or exceed government standards, and approved for anyone who wants to work as a private investigator in Alberta.
- Course
- Alberta Professional Investigator Training (AIT)
- Format
- Online, at your own pace
- Hours
- 60, logged as you study
- Modules
- Nine, from law and ethics to surveillance and report writing
- When you finish
- Your training certificate and instructions to book the provincial exam
- Provincial exam
- 80% to pass. The $60 fee is paid to the exam provider
- Licence
- Alberta investigator licence, $160 for 2 years
- Next session
- Ask us when it starts and how to register
What the 60 hours cover
Nine modules and 79 topics. Open a module to see every topic.
Module 1: Introduction to the investigation industry6 topics
- Introduction to investigators and investigations
- Roles, responsibilities and limitations of an investigator
- Investigator job description
- Principles and processes in investigations
- Investigator licensing in Alberta
- Professional development and professional designations
Module 2: Professionalism and ethics7 topics
- Defining ethics and professionalism
- Core principles of professionalism and ethics
- Codes of conduct, with examples
- The complaints process
- Provincial and federal privacy legislation
- Prejudice, discrimination, stereotyping and harassment
- Violence in relationships
Module 3: Health and safety5 topics
- Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Act, Regulation and Code
- Identifying potential hazards
- Controlling hazards
- Response measures
- Incident reporting
Addenda
- Key OHS Act sections, by number
- Key OHS Regulation components
- Key OHS Code components
- Example mitigation (control) measures
Module 4: Law and the Canadian legal system9 topics
- The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
- The Charter and the investigator
- Alberta Human Rights Act
- Criminal Code of Canada
- Powers of arrest
- Powers of search
- Criminal Code offences
- Surveillance and audio recording
- Evidence acts
Addenda
- Further information on the Criminal Code
- Guidance on covert video surveillance in the private sector
Module 5: Use of force6 topics
- Introduction to use of force
- Criminal Code section 25: use of force
- Section 26: excessive force
- Section 27: prevention of a crime
- Section 34: prevention of an unprovoked assault
- The use of force continuum model
Module 6: Investigations12 topics
- Purposes of an investigation
- Planning an investigation and managing risk
- Cognitive failures in investigations
- Managing investigative risk
- Investigative techniques: an introduction
- Interviewing
- Surveillance
- Collecting physical evidence
- Collecting information from open and closed sources
- Undercover work
- Confidential sources
- Investigation file management and preservation
Module 7: Communications and report writing10 topics
- Verbal and non-verbal communication
- Challenges to communication
- Seven steps for effective communication
- Communicating with uncooperative people
- Field notes
- Report writing
- Privacy legislation and reports
- Common errors in writing reports
- Structure of reports
- Providing testimony
Module 8: Specialized investigations12 topics
- Introduction to specialized investigations
- In-house investigations
- Regulatory investigations
- Barrister and solicitor investigations
- Locating people
- Corporate and due diligence investigations
- Insurance investigations
- Occupational health and safety investigations
- Private client investigations
- Retail sector investigations
- The use of experts
- Specialized professional development
Module 9: The business of investigations12 topics
- The business side of investigations
- The investigations business
- Licensing for individuals
- Licensing for companies
- Contracts and agreements
- Personnel and systems
- Equipment and data
- Insurance
- Databases and anonymity
- Clients
- Compliance and risk mitigation systems
- Ongoing professional development
Addenda
- Sample template for a client service agreement
By the end you’ll be able to
- Describe the roles of professional investigators, the knowledge and skills they need, and the types of investigations they usually conduct.
- Explain the licensing rules, regulations and processes for investigators in Alberta.
- Identify the limits the law places on investigative work, notably the Security Services and Investigators Act, the Criminal Code of Canada, federal and provincial privacy legislation, occupational health and safety legislation and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
- Explain the basic principles of professionalism and ethical conduct, including client confidentiality and the privacy of information within an investigation.
- Explain prejudice, discrimination, stereotyping and harassment.
- Describe the signs and dynamics of abuse in relationships.
- Describe the Ministry’s code of conduct and complaints process.
- Identify potential hazards in a workplace and the industry-accepted control measures that reduce them.
- Describe typical responses to unsafe workplaces, conditions and work practices.
- Discuss and give examples of a citizen’s power of arrest under the Criminal Code.
- Identify the differences between civil law and criminal law.
- Explain the legal, tactical and situational considerations in a decision to use force.
- Explain the use of force continuum and how it applies to professional investigators.
- Assess a client’s needs, plan an investigation and explain how an investigation is managed, including risk management.
- Describe investigative techniques, including research, surveillance, evidence collection and maintenance, file management and cognitive interviewing.
- Identify the legal requirements and client or agency rules that apply to electronic surveillance of premises and people.
- Use the key parts of effective verbal communication, including in challenging, aggressive or threatening situations.
- Describe the types of reports, and write a detailed investigative report and accurate field notes.
- Use appropriate techniques when giving testimony.
- Identify the basics of planning and running a professional investigation business.
What investigators do
Private and in-house investigators need a licence to work in Alberta. The work covers a wide range of cases.
You might investigate
- Accidents and personal injury
- Damaged or stolen property
- The backgrounds and whereabouts of people
- Organizations
While investigating, you
- Collect information
- Interview people
- Conduct surveillance
- Obtain statements
- Research reports and records
How it works, from course to licence
Investigator licences are issued under the Security Services and Investigators Act. The course is the first step; here’s the rest of the way.
With us
Take the AIT course
Work through all nine modules online, at your own pace, and log your 60 hours.
Exam provider
Pass the provincial exam
Once your hours are logged, we send your training certificate and instructions to book the provincial exam. Score 80% or higher. The $60 exam fee is paid to the exam provider.
Local police
Get your police checks
A criminal record check, a vulnerable sector search and a local police database search. All three are required, and they expire after 90 days.
Alberta Security Programs
Apply for your licence
Send the Application or Renewal for Individual Licence with your photo ID, training certificate, police checks, a passport-size colour photo and the $160 fee, at a registry agent or by mail. The licence is valid for 2 years.
You
Start work
Once approved you get a temporary 60-day licence, and your licence card is mailed to you.
Who can hold an investigator licence
These are the requirements Alberta Security Programs lists for an investigator licence.
- At least 18 years old
- Eligible to work in Canada
- Fluent in English (Canadian Language Benchmark 5)
- No criminal record and no outstanding criminal charges
- Not the subject of a criminal investigation
Ask about the next AIT session
Send a message and we’ll let you know when the next session starts and how to register, or call with questions about the course, the exam or your licence.