Guide · 5 min read
What a private detective can and can’t do in Tennessee
Television detectives break into offices and pull phone records. Real ones don't, and the ones who do put their clients at risk. Here is where the lines are.
- Written byOur Nashville detectives
- UpdatedOctober 25, 2026
- Reading time5 minutes
- Related serviceSurveillance
- Detectives can watch and record from public places, research public records, and interview people who agree to talk.
- They cannot trespass, wiretap, hack, place trackers without consent, or obtain phone and bank records without legal process.
- Evidence gathered illegally can be thrown out and can expose the client too.
What a detective can do
- Conduct surveillance from public places and record what is visible in public
- Research public records: courts, property, businesses, licenses
- Use commercial databases available to licensed investigators
- Find and interview witnesses who agree to talk
- Serve legal papers
- Testify in court about what they personally observed
What a detective cannot do
- Trespass onto private property or enter a home without permission
- Record conversations they are not part of, or tap phones
- Hack email, social media or phone accounts
- Place a GPS tracker on a car without the owner’s consent
- Obtain phone records, bank records or tax returns without a subpoena
- Impersonate police or pretend to be someone else to obtain protected records
- Make arrests or carry out law enforcement functions
Why these lines protect you
Evidence gathered illegally can be excluded in court, can damage your credibility with the judge, and can expose you, the client, to criminal or civil liability. A detective who offers to cross these lines is a liability, not an asset. See recording law and GPS tracker law.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws change and every situation is different; talk to a Tennessee attorney about your case. Last reviewed October 25, 2026.
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How we can help
Licensed Tennessee private detectives, lawful methods, and reports written for the people who will read them.
Can a private investigator get phone records?
No, not without a subpoena or the account holder’s consent. Anyone offering to is breaking the law.
Can a private investigator follow someone?
Yes, in public places, as long as the surveillance doesn’t become harassment or trespass.
Talk it through with a detective.
Confidential, no-pressure. We’ll tell you honestly whether a detective is worth it for your situation.