Can Private Investigators Have Tattoos?

March 31, 2021 - Reading time: 5 minutes

Can private investigators have tattoos? This is question that I was recently asked and the answer might surprise you.

Yes, private investigators absolutely can have tattoos. In order for our detectives to work discreetly in any environment, we work with a range of different agents, from all different backgrounds and walks of life… that includes people with tattoos. In some cases tattoos may even prove beneficial to a case, if they help an agent to better blend into their surroundings and cause the subject, or any onlookers, to view them with less suspicion.

As a leading detective agency based in the UK, we believe that in order for us to achieve the best possible results, that our agents should properly represent the British population. With a growing number of people in the UK sporting ink, tattoos are becoming more and more common, and many of the agents working for us are tattooed.

Tattoos in the private detective industry

The stance that a detective agency takes towards tattoos will likely vary depending on the role of the agent or employee, as well as the management's personal preference.

For example, some firms might prefer that their front-of-house office staff do not sport visible tattoos; however, even firms with such policies are likely to take a different stance when it comes to agents that are tasked with digging up dirt on subjects and performing investigations in the field.

We believe that it would be unwise for a detective agency to avoid all tattooed people, and cause them to miss working alongside many different skilled and talented individuals. 

Tattoo advice for budding PIs

If you are a young person reading this blog post, or someone that is considering a career in private investigation down the line; We would recommend to avoid tattooing yourself in visible areas such as the hands, neck, or face. Avoiding tattoos in these areas can help to provide you with a choice: "Do I want to show my tattoos or not?" and "Would showing or hiding my tattoos be the best choice for this case?".

Having the versatility to choose between showing or hiding your tattoos would be the best option in most cases, and tattoos on the face or neck in particular tend to be more memorable than those on other body parts, which might prove to be a hinderance whilst completing surveillance assignments (if you have a large tattoo on your neck, for example, it will likely be easier for the subject of the investigation to identify and remember you).

Our firm does not have an issue hiring tattooed people, and with many of our agents coming from former military or law enforcement backgrounds, tattoos are to be expected. 

However, this is not to say that all detective agencies are as tolerant. Visible tattoos might still be seen negatively by some employers, and career minded people should seriously consider their choice before deciding to get a tattoo - especially those which cannot be hidden by normal business attire. 

Starting a career in private investigation can be difficult, with most firms looking for candidates with experience in the field. For those that are keen on pursuing a career in private investigation, our advice would be to concentrate on earning qualifications and experience in the investigative field.

If you are aspiring for a career in private investigation, then the best course of action would be to focus on achieving as many relevant qualifications as possible. A CV which is filled with an impressive list of qualifications and certificates that are related to the investigation industry, is much more likely to impress a potential employer than tattoos are. 

Please click through to our blog post for more information on the subject of careers in private investigation.

Are attitudes shifting towards tattoos?

The current generation are more tattooed than ever, and we feel that old attitudes on this subject are gradually shifting to become more tolerant of tattoos. While there will always be some people that dislike tattoos, or describe them as appearing unprofessional in a business setting, these people are becoming more of a minority as time goes on.

Whilst attitudes might be slowly shifting, there will probably always be some employers that view tattoos with a negative light, and we would urge young people to err on the side of caution when it comes to body art. 

Whilst conducting our profession as private investigators, we feel it’s important to keep an open mind and be inclusive of as many people from different walks of life as possible. We work with agents from all different races, religions, ethnic backgrounds, genders, ages, social statues, and so on.

This allows us to select the best and most appropriate agent for each case, which helps us to camouflage ourselves into our surroundings and gather evidence without arousing suspicion. We endeavour to use the most appropriate agent for each task wherever possible, and tattooed people can fit in better in a growing number of different settings.