Private Eyes and Gumshoes

By Alan Kilpatrick

What did it take at the turn of the century to become a sleuth for hire in Saskatchewan?  Before hitting the streets to gumshoe, a private detective license had to be obtained.  An Act Respecting Private Detectives came into force in January 1913.  It explained that,

No person shall engage or advertise the business of a private detective or indicate upon any letter, document or paper that he is engaged in the business of a private detective without having first obtained a license from the attorney general. 

Private detective applicants were evaluated on the basis of their character and competency.  An application fee of $100 had to be paid before the license was issued.

The attorney general upon such application and upon such further inquiry and investigation he may deem proper of the character and competency of the applicant…and upon receiving from the applicant the fee of $100 may issue and deliver to such applicant a license …to conduct such business…

An Act Respecting Private Detectives was repealed in 1976.

Do you need help with historical legislation research?  The Law Society of Saskatchewan Library carries a complete set of the Statutes of Saskatchewan from the 1870s to the present.