Magnum Investigations works across Western Australia, from the Perth metropolitan area through the South West and out to the Pilbara, the Kimberley and the Goldfields. Our work covers surveillance, factual investigation and evidence gathering for private clients, law firms, insurers and employers.
How private investigators are licensed in Western Australia
Western Australia licenses investigators under the Security and Related Activities (Control) Act 1996, administered by WA Police Force Licensing Services in Cannington. Unusually, the state licenses the business and the individual separately.
- An inquiry agent’s licence under section 29 covers the business, defined in section 27 as a person who supplies the services of investigators.
- An investigator’s licence under section 30 covers the operative. Section 28 defines an investigator as a person who, for remuneration, conducts investigations into the conduct of individuals or bodies corporate or the character of individuals, carries out surveillance work, or investigates missing persons.
Licences run for three years under section 60. Section 62 allows conditions to be imposed, and section 72 gives any person aggrieved by a licensing decision a right of review to the State Administrative Tribunal.
There is one provision in the WA Act worth knowing as a client. Section 61 requires a licensed operator to carry an identity card and produce it on request, including to the person receiving the service. You are entitled to ask, on the spot, and to be shown. We would encourage you to use that right with any investigator you engage in this state.
What surveillance is lawful in Western Australia
The Surveillance Devices Act 1998 governs. Western Australia has no private investigator exemption in its surveillance law, so a licensed WA investigator relies on exactly the same general exceptions as anyone else, principally consent and protection of lawful interests.
- Listening devices, section 5. Installing, using or maintaining a listening device to record or monitor a private conversation you are not a party to is prohibited. Exceptions include consent of all principal parties, and one party consent where the recording is reasonably necessary to protect that party’s lawful interests.
- Optical surveillance, section 6. The prohibition bites on recording or observing a private activity you are not a party to. Section 3 defines private activity as an activity carried on in circumstances reasonably indicating that a party desires it be observed only by themselves. Activity in a public place that is not a private activity falls outside the prohibition, which is the practical basis for lawful surveillance work here.
- Tracking devices, section 7. This is the strictest provision in the WA Act. A person must not attach, install, use or maintain a tracking device to determine the location of a person or object without the express or implied consent of that person, or of the person in possession or control of the object. There is no lawful interests exception and no investigator exception. Covert vehicle tracking by a private investigator in Western Australia is not lawful, and any operator who offers it is offering you contaminated evidence and a problem.
- Publication, section 9. Knowingly publishing or communicating a private conversation or a record of a private activity obtained through a listening or optical device is a separate offence, subject to exceptions including consent, legal proceedings and reasonable protection of lawful interests.
Penalties run to $5,000 or twelve months imprisonment for an individual, and $50,000 for a body corporate. Western Australia has no data surveillance device offence, unlike South Australia.
The new federal privacy tort applies everywhere
On 10 June 2025 a statutory tort of serious invasion of privacy commenced under Schedule 2 of the Privacy Act 1988. It has two limbs, intrusion upon seclusion and misuse of information, and it operates nationally regardless of which state the conduct occurred in. A claimant must show a reasonable expectation of privacy, that the invasion was serious, and that the privacy interest outweighs any countervailing public interest.
There is no carve out for private investigators. Journalists, law enforcement and intelligence agencies are exempted. We are not. That is a good reason to work with an operator who takes the boundaries seriously rather than one who treats them as an obstacle.
The above is general information about how we operate, not legal advice. For advice on your own circumstances, speak with your lawyer.
Investigation services across Western Australia
Every service we run is available throughout the state:
- Surveillance. Covert observation with court ready video, photographic and written evidence.
- Background checks. Identity, history and credential verification for employers, landlords and partners.
- Factual investigations. Impartial statements and interviews for insurers, lawyers and employers.
- Workplace investigations. Misconduct, bullying, theft and false sick leave.
- Child custody investigations. Welfare and conduct evidence for family law proceedings.
- Person tracing. Locating missing family, beneficiaries, debtors and witnesses.
- Fraud and theft investigations. Identifying offenders and quantifying losses.
- Insurance investigations. Claim validation and surveillance for insurers and self insurers.
- Counter surveillance. Bug sweeps and detection of cameras, listening devices and trackers.
- Business investigations. Internal fraud, due diligence, intellectual property theft and compliance.
- Addiction investigations. Discreet confirmation of alcohol or gambling concerns.
- Phone number searches. Tracing unknown, withheld and harassing callers.
Where we work in Western Australia
Perth carries most of the work. The metropolitan region covers thirty local government areas, and for operational purposes we think of it as the central corridor through Perth, Vincent, Subiaco and South Perth, the western suburbs through Nedlands, Claremont and Cottesloe, the coastal north through Stirling, Joondalup and Wanneroo, the eastern hills through Bayswater, Swan, Kalamunda and Mundaring, the south east through Canning, Gosnells and Armadale, and the south west through Melville, Fremantle, Cockburn, Kwinana and Rockingham. Mandurah sits in the Peel region rather than the metropolitan region but is part of the same working area.
Beyond Perth, Western Australia divides into nine development regions and we work across all of them: the South West through Bunbury and Busselton, the Great Southern around Albany, the Wheatbelt through Northam and Narrogin, the Mid West around Geraldton, the Goldfields and Esperance region through Kalgoorlie, the Pilbara through Karratha and Port Hedland, the Kimberley through Broome, Derby and Kununurra, and the Gascoyne through Carnarvon.
Western Australia is the largest jurisdiction in the country and we will not pretend distance is trivial. Perth to Broome is over 2,200 kilometres. Remote work needs planning, carries genuine travel cost, and sometimes the honest answer is that a job in the far north is not economic for the result it is likely to produce. We will say so before you commit.
Where the evidence ends up
- Magistrates Court of Western Australia. Summary criminal matters and civil claims to $75,000, with minor cases to $10,000. Metropolitan registries at Perth, Armadale, Fremantle, Joondalup, Midland, Rockingham and Mandurah, plus a wide regional courthouse network.
- District Court of Western Australia. Indictable crime including serious assault, fraud and drug offences, civil claims to $750,000, and unlimited jurisdiction for personal injury damages.
- Supreme Court of Western Australia. The General Division and the Court of Appeal.
- State Administrative Tribunal. Review of administrative decisions under more than 150 Acts, including security and inquiry agent licensing and discipline.
- WorkCover WA. The Conciliation and Arbitration Services, now operating under the Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 2023, which commenced on 1 July 2024 and replaced the 1981 Act. This is the principal destination for insurer commissioned surveillance in this state.
- Family Court of Western Australia. Western Australia is the only state with its own family court. Every other state uses the federal court. Married parties are dealt with under federal jurisdiction and de facto couples under the Family Court Act 1997, all through the one state constituted court.
Frequently asked questions
Do private investigators need a licence in WA?
Yes, and there are two. The business needs an inquiry agent’s licence and the individual operative needs an investigator’s licence, both under the Security and Related Activities (Control) Act 1996.
Can I ask a WA investigator to prove they are licensed?
You can, and the Act backs you. Section 61 requires a licensed operator to carry an identity card and produce it on request to a person receiving the service.
Can a private investigator use a GPS tracker in WA?
Not without consent. Section 7 of the Surveillance Devices Act 1998 has no lawful interests exception and no exception for investigators. Anyone offering covert tracking in this state is offering you a problem.
Why is family law different in Western Australia?
Because WA constituted its own Family Court rather than joining the federal court. It handles both married and de facto matters, which is unique among the states.
Do you cover regional and remote WA?
Yes, across all nine regions. Distances are substantial and we are candid about cost and lead time before you commit.
Speak to an investigator about a Western Australian matter
Every enquiry starts with a confidential conversation about what you actually need. Call 1300 792 283 or get in touch for a free consultation and a written quote before any work begins.
See also our Perth page and our national coverage.