Requires private detectives to register their foreign employers with State Police.

A4235

ASSEMBLY, No. 4235

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman� CODY D. MILLER

District 4 (Atlantic, Camden and Gloucester)

Assemblywoman� CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

Assemblyman� BALVIR SINGH

District 7 (Burlington)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman Wainstein

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires private detectives to register their foreign
employers with State Police.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning licensed private detectives, amending
P.L.1939, c.369, and supplementing Title 53 of the Revised Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� Section 5 of P.L.1939,
c.369 (C.45:19-12) is amended to read as follows:

���� 5.��� The superintendent, when
satisfied from the examination of any application and such further inquiry and
investigations as he shall deem proper as to the good character, competency
,

and integrity of the applicant and the persons named in the application, shall
issue and deliver to the applicant a license to conduct such business.�
[
Such
]

��
A
licensee shall notify the State Police when employed by a foreign government or
foreign national.� This notification is in addition to any requirement under
federal law regarding an individual operating at the direction of a foreign
government.� Upon issuance of a license, or a license renewal, the
superintendent shall notify the licensee that the licensee is required to
notify
the State Police when employed by a
foreign government or foreign national.�

����
The
licensee shall be
permitted to own, conduct
,
and maintain one or more bureaus, agencies,
subagencies, offices
,
or branch offices for the conduct of such business
at the locations stated in said application, upon the payment by the applicant
to the superintendent of a license fee for each location so licensed which in
the case of an individual shall be $250
[
.00
]
,� and in the
case of a firm, association
,
or corporation shall be $300
[
.00
]
.� Any license
or renewal thereof shall be further conditioned upon the applicant� executing
and delivering to the superintendent a bond with a surety company� authorized
to be surety in the State of New Jersey, as surety, and approved as� to form,
manner of execution
,
and sufficiency by the superintendent of the State
Police, running to the State of New Jersey and which shall be for the benefit�
of any person injured by willful, malicious
,
or wrongful act of the
applicant (with a sufficient surety bond), which in the case of an individual
shall be� $3,000
[
.00
]
, and in the
case of a firm, association
,
or corporation $5,000
[
.00
]
, which said
bond shall be conditioned for the faithful and honest conduct of such business
by the applicant.� The license so granted by the superintendent shall be valid
for a period of
[
2
]

two

years, and upon renewal thereof said applicant shall pay to the superintendent
in the case of an individual a license fee of� $200
[
.00
]
and in the case of a firm,
association
,
or corporation $250
[
.00
]
for each
location for which such a license is renewed.� The license shall be revocable
by the superintendent after hearing for cause.� In case of revocation or
surrender of any license, no refund shall be made of any license fee paid under
the provisions hereof.� The license shall be in a form to be prescribed by the
superintendent and shall set forth the full name of the applicant, the location
of the principal office or place of business, and the location of each bureau,
agency, subagency, office
,
or branch office for which the license is
issued, date on which it is issued, the date on which it will expire, and the
name or� names of the persons named in the application, and their respective
addresses.�� In the event of any change in the membership of the firm or in the
officers or� directors of any association or corporation or any change in the
address of any� office or location of such business the superintendent shall be
notified in writing of such change within
[
5
]

five

days thereafter, and failure to give such notification shall be sufficient
cause for revocation of such license.

���� No license shall be issued to
a person under the age of 25 years, nor to any person, firm, association
,

or corporation unless such person or at least one member of the firm and one
officer or director of the association or corporation has had at least
[
5
]

five

years' experience as an investigator or as a police officer with an organized
police department of the State or a county or municipality thereof, or with an
investigative agency of the United States of America or any State, county
,

or municipality thereof.

���� The superintendent and all
members of the State Police shall hold as confidential all information obtained
as a result of any investigation of any applicant or officer, assistant, or
employee of any holder of any license issued under the provisions of this act,
and the same shall not be divulged except by an order
[
so to do by
]
of a court of
record of this State.

(cf: P.L.1971, c.342, s.2)

����� 2.�� (New Section)
a.

The Superintendent of State Police shall maintain a registry
of private
detectives
licensed in this
State
pursuant to section 5 of P.L.1939, c.369
(C.45:19-12)
who
are
employed by
foreign nationals
or
foreign
governments.� The registry shall be
available

to only the Attorney General and members of the State Police.

�����
b.� The
registry shall include:

���� (1)� the name of the private
investigator;

���� (2)� the business name
associated with the private investigator;

���� (3)� the address at which the
business is registered;

���� (4)� the name and business
name of the
employer
; and

���� (5)� the address of the
employer
.

���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect on the first day of the sixth month next following enactment, except
that the Superintendent of State Police may take any anticipatory
administrative action in advance as shall be necessary for the implementation
of this act.

STATEMENT

����� This bill
requires private detectives to
register their foreign employers with the State Police.

����� Current federal law (18
U.S.C. s.951) requires any individual acting at the direction of a foreign
government to notify the United States Attorney General.� This bill also
requires a licensed private detective to notify the State Police when employed
by a foreign government or foreign national.� This notification is in addition
to any requirements under federal law.

����� Further, under the bill, upon
issuance of a license or a license renewal, the Superintendent of State Police
is required to notify the licensee that the licensee is required to notify the
State Police when employed by a foreign government or foreign national.�

���� Finally, the bill requires the
State Police to maintain a registry of private detectives licensed in this
State who are employed by foreign nationals or foreign governments. The
registry is available only to the Attorney General and members of the State.