OH Private Investigator flashcards
OH Private Investigator · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- PISGS
- The Ohio Department of Public Safety unit that licenses and regulates private investigators, private investigator companies, security guard providers, and firearm-bearer endorsements.
- ORC Chapter 4749
- Ohio's private investigator licensing statute; it defines regulated activity, sets license and company requirements, and authorizes PISGS rules and enforcement.
- Private investigator company license
- A PISGS license held by a business entity that provides private investigation services; separate from the individual investigator license and subject to bond and insurance rules.
- Unlicensed investigation
- Providing private investigation services for hire without a current PISGS license or required registration; it is prohibited and grounds for denial, suspension, or revocation.
- Investigative consumer report
- A consumer report containing information on character, reputation, personal characteristics, or mode of living, often used for employment, insurance, or tenancy decisions and regulated by the FCRA.
- Case plan
- A written investigative roadmap listing the client's lawful objective, known and unknown facts, sources, tasks, deadlines, and decision points; updated as the case develops.
- Corroboration
- Confirming a material fact through at least one independent source beyond the original source, with source reliability and access method documented.
- Skip tracing
- Locating a person through public records, database searches, canvassing, and lawful open-source research; uses must comply with FCRA, DPPA, and privacy law.
- Chain of custody
- A documented, unbroken record of who collected, handled, stored, and transferred an item, including dates, times, seal numbers, and signatures.
- Write blocker
- A hardware or software tool that prevents a computer from writing to a storage device during forensic imaging, preserving the original evidence.
- Cryptographic hash
- A fixed-length digital fingerprint calculated from a file or device image; a matching hash before and after handling supports integrity.
- Tamper-evident seal
- A container closure that shows visible damage if opened; the collector writes initials, date, and time across the seal and records the seal number.
- One-party consent
- Ohio's rule under ORC 2933.52 that a person may record an oral communication if the person is a party to it or one party has consented.
- Curtilage
- The immediate area around a home used for domestic purposes, such as a yard or porch; it carries a reasonable expectation of privacy and limits surveillance.
- Leapfrog surveillance
- A mobile technique in which multiple investigators alternate positions behind a subject, vary distance and lanes, and hand off to avoid detection.
- Surveillance log
- A contemporaneous record of date, time, location, subject action, camera direction, and investigator identity, used to authenticate observations and media.
- Criminal trespass
- Under ORC 2911.21, knowingly entering or remaining on another person's land or premises without privilege to do so.
- Voyeurism
- Under ORC 2907.08, secretly observing or recording another person in a state of nudity in a private place without consent.
- Impersonating a peace officer
- Under ORC 2921.51, using police titles, badges, uniforms, or statements of authority to falsely appear to be a law-enforcement officer.
- Intrusion upon seclusion
- A privacy tort involving intentional intrusion, physical or electronic, into a place or conversation where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy.
- Fact versus opinion
- A report separates observable, verifiable events from inferences or beliefs; opinions are labeled and supported, and legal conclusions are avoided.
- Contemporaneous notes
- Notes made at or near the time of an observation or interview; they support accuracy and may be discoverable as original evidence.
- Report authentication
- Testimony or evidence showing that a report or recording is what it purports to be and has not been altered since creation.
- Exhibit numbering
- A system that assigns each photograph, recording, or document a unique exhibit number cross-referenced in the report and evidence log.
- Firearm-bearer endorsement
- A PISGS authorization added to a private investigator license after approved training, examination, range qualification, and background review; required for armed work.
- Deadly force
- Force intended to cause death or serious bodily harm; under Ohio self-defense law it is justified only against imminent death or serious bodily harm, not to protect property.
- Private citizen arrest
- Under ORC 2935.04, a private person may arrest when a felony has been committed or reasonably believed committed and the person has reasonable cause to believe the arrestee is guilty.
- Requalification
- The periodic firearms training and range test required to keep a PISGS firearm-bearer endorsement active; failure to complete it bars armed work.
- Surety bond
- A bond required by ORC 4749.03 for a licensed private investigator company; it protects persons harmed by certain licensee misconduct and must remain in force.
- Liability insurance
- Coverage a PISGS-licensed private investigator company must maintain under ORC 4749.03; lapse can lead to suspension of the company license.
- Qualifying party
- The owner or individual who meets PISGS experience, examination, and character requirements and is responsible for the licensed company's regulated activity.
- Employee registration
- The PISGS process for recording regulated employees of a licensed company; companies must file hires, terminations, and status changes as rules require.