Business Operations, Insurance, and Registration Obligations
Running it like a licensed business
The license is a business license, and the obligations are operational, not merely investigative. The licensee must hold the correct class for the services offered, must not advertise or solicit work it is not licensed to perform, and must avoid business names, badges, uniforms, or insignia that imply law-enforcement authority. Ohio restricts names suggesting police authority - a firm called "Metro Police Investigations" invites a licensing problem.
Insurance is a condition of licensure. Licensees must maintain liability coverage in the amounts required by statute and rule and must be able to prove it; a lapse can put the license at risk. Confirm the current figures in R.C. 4749 rather than relying on memory or on another state's numbers.
Registration obligations continue after the license issues: register each new employee before investigative work begins, keep registration and training records, display required identification, notify PISGS of changes in ownership, address, or qualifying officer, and renew on time. Client, case, and fee records must be maintained and are subject to inspection.
Traps: subcontracting case work to an unlicensed friend; splitting fees with unlicensed persons; assuming an out-of-state license covers Ohio work; and letting the corporate registration lapse while a license renewal is pending.
Worked example: a licensee wins a large surveillance contract and hires four people quickly. Until each new hire's registration is issued, they cannot be assigned investigative tasks - but they can be trained, scheduled, and used for clerical support. Build PISGS processing time into the contract timeline, or you will breach it.