Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Private Investigation Agency Websites and Complying with Regulatory Requirements

Most state's statutes require private investigative agencies to include its agency license number in any advertisement, in any print medium or directory, and must include its agency license number in any written bid or offer to provide services.

A quick perusal of the Yellow Pages confirms that compliance with this provision seems to be, with rare exception, universal. Agency owners and managers all seem to be aware of this requirement. However, agencies are now advertising in another medium, and it may not be clear to everyone that the requirement cited above applies to this medium as well.

Licensed agencies both large and small are now publishing web pages to market their services in an increasingly technology savvy marketplace.

Agency web sites allow owners and managers to disseminate information about their services in innovative and creative ways that far exceed the limitations of the printed page.
What is being overlooked, however, is that just like a classified ad or a telephone book listing an agency web site constitutes a form of advertisement. ALL advertising must include agency license numbers, regardless of the content or format of the advertisement, or the MEDIUM in which it is published.

Just a reminder: if your agency has a web page and you have not included your agency number on that site, a quick telephone call to your webmaster would be a good idea.

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