Ohio Licensing Law and PISGS Rules
The two-tier structure
Ohio regulates the industry under R.C. Chapter 4749, administered by the Ohio Department of Public Safety through the Private Investigator Security Guard Services (PISGS) section. The Director of Public Safety adopts implementing rules in Ohio Administrative Code Title 4501:5, and those rules - not folklore from other states - are the source for training, identification-card, and recordkeeping questions.
Ohio separates the business license from the employee registration. A company license is issued by class: Class A covers private investigation, Class B covers security-guard services, and Class C covers both. The license belongs to the business entity and its qualifying owner, not to the employees. Every individual who performs investigative work for the licensee must hold a current PISGS registration, which requires an application, fingerprints, and a BCI/FBI background check, and which can be denied for disqualifying offenses. A registered employee must carry the registration card while working and produce it on request.
Traps: (1) assuming a Class A license lets you post uniformed guards - it does not; (2) assuming a registered employee is registered forever - renewal and continuing-education rules apply; (3) assuming a licensed owner may personally work cases without satisfying individual requirements; (4) confusing PISGS with a court or local police - PISGS is the regulator, not an agency that backs you up in the field.
Rule of thumb: no card, no case work. A newly hired investigator may read the manual and file receipts, but cannot run surveillance, interviews, or background checks until the registration number and identification card are in hand.