To register you must call (845) 787-4181 or fill and submit the electronic form below, mail or email your full name, phone number and date of the class you wish to attend. Registered students are guaranteed a seat and will be informed in the unlikely event that a class must be postponed.  Tuition fee is payable in cash, credit card or money orders payable to: Damon Finch Power Sessions

Please read the policy page prior to enrolling in any of our courses: click here

Private Investigator:

Conducts investigations to locate the whereabouts of missing persons, finds the location and/or recovers lost or stolen property; finds the causes and origin of, or responsibility for fires, or libels, or losses, or accidents, or injuries to real or personal property. Private Investigators conduct investigations for fee, hire or reward.

Watch, Guard or Patrol Agency (WGP):
A Watch, Guard or Patrol Agency is a company providing security services to protect individuals or property from harm, theft, or other unlawful activity.

License qualifications:
All applicants must be at least 25 years of age at the time of application and be a principal in the business. PI's & WGP's must pass the license examination. You are not eligible to hold a PI or WGP license if you are a holder of an employment agency license, or are a member of a partnership or an officer or a holder of any stock in a corporation or have any financial interest or participation in the control and management of any employment agency.

Experience Required:
The law requires every partner, officer or principal in a business to be licensed to conduct business, and one such individual in each business must provide proof of qualifying experience and pass the license examination.


Private Investigator applicants must have at least three years of full-time investigative experience as an employee of a licensed private investigator or as an investigator for a government investigative agency or police agency;
OR 3 years of full-time equivalent position and experience acquired in a position where the primary duties were to conduct investigations;
OR 3 years of full-time experience supervising and reviewing the work of at least three people performing investigations;
OR 20 years of service as a police officer, regardless of specific title;
OR 20 years of service as a Fire Marshall.


Watch, Guard or Patrol Agency applicants must have at least two years of full-time security experience as a sheriff, police officer, security guard in a government agency or with a licensed PI or WGP;
OR 2 years of full-time equivalent position and experience acquired in a position where the primary duties were the performance of security guard duties;
OR 2 years experience supervising and reviewing the work of at least three people performing security services

Prepare for the NYS Private Investigator or Watch Guard Patrol Agency Company Exam

$100 Telephone, WEBEX or Classrom Courses Available

 If you do not pass the state exam, you can retake the course at no additional charge.

Exam Topics Include:

  • License Law
  • Penal Law
  • Criminal Procedure Law
  • Investigative Techniques
  • Supervision
  • Restrictions
  • Interpreting Written Material
  • Report Writing