Onestar Investigations is a surveillance focus based Texas Detective Agency. Our field work is based on surveillance related cases only. Our expertise in this area is based on 10,000K plus cases over the last 28 years, making us a “go-to” Private Investigator by individuals and law firms alike throughout the State of Texas
You have a lot of options when considering a Private Investigator in Texas. You’re getting ready to go through a point in time you would prefer to avoid, correct? Truth is, it may get worse before it gets better, but keep your eye on the prize. It will get better. Might not be today but making smart moves now will speed up the process. I’m Sam, and I’m not here to tell you a bunch of marketing nonsense about how we’re the most trusted Private Investigator in the entire state, we’re the largest, number one Detective Agency the world has ever seen, or whatever everyone places on their websites these days. I’m here to provide you with facts about Private Investigators and laws in Texas because it’s imperative you know them. You’re traveling down a road you’ve never been before, right?
Unfaithfulness or a child custody battle is a tough thing to deal with. Having a solid strategy is key to a successful ending. If you’ve already started down the legal path, then you’ve already got a taste of how our courts work. It’s very challenging and very expensive. Callers mention all the time they’ve been dealing with the courts for last 18+ months and feel as if they’ve gotten nowhere other than being mentally exhausted and watching all their money disappear. Attorney fees to fight in court can be overwhelming for you and your family. Our fees can be less than a ¼ of such. If you’ve done the research, you already know Texas is a no-fault state. However, is the legal documentation of cheating just about the law and court? Absolutely not. Information is a powerful tool, and a tool that should be used as such.
What if you legally obtained damaging information about your spouse, or child’s parent they would not want in the open? Would they not be more susceptible to settling? In most cases that can be answered with a strong “yes”. Provided it’s obtained correctly and does not give opposing counsel a way to have it deemed inadmissible or sealed. During break-ups each party is prone to tell friends and family something along the lines of: “he or she is crazy, and I just had to get away”. But what if you had legally documented information that contradicts that statement from a Texas Licensed Private Investigator able to testify on your behalf? Would that person want to be known as a liar? What if the person they were messing around with was married? Perhaps a work colleague? Getting caught up in a scandal like this can follow them for years. And when children are involved, they can generally become privy to the information as well. 90% of our cases never see the inside of a courtroom because they settle beforehand. We are “Texas Licensed”, and available to work cases all over the state. Would you like to learn more about a different strategy? We always have a free, and friendly consultation. Contact me to learn about “The Sam Difference.”
It all starts with our exclusive “FREE” consultation where the primary goal is to get a thorough understanding of your current situation. During the consultation, we will ask questions such as Do you know who your spouse may be involved with? What is their profession? What type of schedule do they keep? Is the other person married? Are there children involved? This process will be instrumental in creating teamwork to decipher the best strategy and most efficient approach to resolving your case in a timely manner. Once you agree our services will be beneficial, we shall proceed forward gathering all pertinent information to commence the case. This information will include; work schedules, vehicle information, physical appearances/attributes and any further data we together may deem necessary to successfully meet your goals.
Coming home late from work on a consistent basis
Unexplained or new reasons why he/she is abruptly leaving the residence or work
New clothes and sudden change in how he/she values appearance
Cellular phone and personal electronics are often hidden, heavily used and guarded.
Deletion of historical events, messages, voicemails
Lack of intimacy and emotional disconnection
Negative attitude & changes towards you, family and friends
Overall disinterest in daily household activities and responsibilities
This is best answered by stating “anything you desire to know”. Meaning if you need assistance with a pending child custody hearing, a divorce, or you simply want to satisfy a suspicion about a boyfriend/girlfriend, work colleague, or relative, our purpose is to uncover the truth to place you in a position where you’re armed with facts opposed to many times “just that feeling”.
Onestar Investigations is a Texas Licensed Private Investigator & will provide complete documentation as to all activities with photographic and/or video evidence obtained throughout your investigation. In addition, we’ll work with any legal representation you have, and testify in court hearings should the need arise. We join your team to empower you with factual data to make the correct long-term decisions.
Just like many things in life the more information you have the better off you are. Rather the purpose being to satisfy a suspicion or a court related matter our job will remain the same “obtain efficient factual information”. If you’re hiring us for a divorce or child custody case, many of our cases never see the inside of a courtroom. The reason being we obtain enough information to place your in position of power to negotiate a settlement to you liking. This saves you time, money, and of course a lot of continual aggravation.
1575 Sawdust Road The Woodlands
3040 Post Oak Blvd Houston
25722 Kingsland Blvd Katy
500 Throckmorton Street Fort Worth
515 Congress Ave Austin
281-907-8225
#private investigator
Our private investigator services revolve around domestic & surveillance related cases. Our licensed investigators will monitor one’s activities to determine their habits for our clients’ specific needs. Such services include where someone may be going, what they’re doing, and who they’re doing it with.
100% yes provided they are licensed. We’re in an age that is experiencing a huge influx of non-licensed investigators advertising services all over the internet. The licensing boards are doing the best they can to stop this, however it gets complicated when the unlicensed investigator is not based in the state they’re advertising in. Many of these agencies are acting as subcontractors whereas they take your case, then find a local investigator (generally the cheapest one they can) to provide the work and make a profit by doing nothing directly related to the actual task. Some are not even in this country. Now we’re even dealing with people who have zero background with this work buying leads from companies like Bark® which for a small fee can purchase contact information for people seeking the services of an investigator. It’s rather ridiculous, but it’s happening. Be sure to confirm any investigator you pay a fee to is licensed by that state in which the work is being done, as when it come court time, their information will be worthless, and there’s going to be very little you can do about it. Our Texas Agency License number is A10522101, feel free to confirm with the Texas Licensing Board.
Yes, absolutely. By hiring a “licensed investigator” you’re not violating any state laws. Any documentation or information collected during our investigation is legal and admissible in a court of law. How let’s work together to keep you out of court!
No it is not, we are licensed by the State of Texas to provide services. Where you could get caught up in a stalking issue is by monitoring someone yourself (even your spouse), or having a friend/ family member do it. Should that person catch you, then you’re opening yourself up to a possible restraining order. Don’t hinder progress by not following the laws.
They’re going to be times when that occurs, however in most cases especially when working a domestic, insurance, or someone faking a work injury related case, law enforcement is not going to be involved. Law enforcement investigates criminal matters, whereas a domestic related situation such as an affair or child custody matter is going to be civil. There are times when our agency investigates someone be defrauded, and they feel law enforcement is not putting the effort which they desire into the case, so they come to us. In this case any information we uncover can certainly be provided to law enforcement to further their progress from a legal criminal standpoint.
No, we cannot. Private Investigators do not carry badges or have any powers to legally detain or arrest anyone. We can certainly report a crime, but to intervene to the point of holding someone against their will would not be lawful.
Being a Private Investigator in Texas does not provide any special abilities to carry a firearm over what the abilities of any private citizen are. Many states require a special license for a Private Investigator to carry a gun during their investigation, or have special restrictions, so in reality we have more rules placed upon us then a normal citizen. No one at our agency has been granted any permissions to carry firearms when working any case on your behalf at any time. It’s not necessary.
Here’s a big question. There are many misconceptions when it comes to obtaining mobile phone records as they’re many companies online stating they can do such things. They cannot, this is a scam. Aside from the fact hacking into a phone company’s website and extracting information is a felony, it’s just simply not possible. To obtain one’s phone records will require a subpoena from the courts, therefore you would need an attorney for such an action, however the courts rarely if ever will issue such for a civil matter. When a crime has been committed and law enforcement is investigating, that’s a different story. Don’t fall for someone on the internet stating they can get these records.
We cannot hack a phone. Another misconception based on what some companies advertise to basically scam you. We get 100+ calls a month stating, “my phone has been hacked”. The only way this is generally done would be by someone having full access to your phone, placing an app on it that may send them data as to calls or messages coming and going from the phone. Do a search for Apple vs FBI. Back in 2015 the FBI was investigating a case in CA that rocked the nation. They had an iPhone that was locked and requested Apple provide them with a path to get into the phone. Apple refused. If the FBI which of course is backed by The United States Federal Government can’t hack a phone, stands to reason a Private Investigator is not going to be able to do this either. If someone else has had access to your phone, its recommended you take it to your service provider to request they clean it out of any apps you may not be aware of.
Many times, what we may see in the movies we feel transcends to real life. What people generally mean by tracking a phone is doing what’s called a “ping”, whereas you’re telling the phone to send you a signal to provide its location. This can absolutely be done, however it’s not something a Private Investigator can do on their own. In most cases this would require a subpoena from the courts when a crime is being investigated by law enforcement. If someone is telling you they can do that, they’re not being truthful.
No. we cannot. It’s not legal unless the person who is driving the car has provided consent, or a court order has been produced which a Private Investigator cannot obtain. GPS tracking can be considered a form of search and seizure which is protected by the 4th amendment. Even if you could, using the data from such is not going to 100% solidify say a charge of adultery, as there is no direct evidence to prove the person was driving that car. There is a lot various ruling in the courts when it comes to trackers. Different states have different laws, and they all seem to be rather grey. You always want to be careful to not do anything that yields you ill-gotten information, as that information will always be tossed out in a legal setting, or could even be used against you.
Based on the license our agency holds, we’ve been vetted by various data companies that provide us information the common person cannot obtain. We do not have access to people’s bank accounts, brokerage accounts, 401’s etc. This like other areas discussed above is an area where some companies advertise they obtain say people’s bank records. Doing such a thing would be 100% illegal. As time goes on with things such a 2-step verification, or codes being sent to one’s phone for access permissions, it’s very unlikely should you decide to hire someone practicing illegal activities you’re going to really receive accurate data. Such information would require a subpoena from the courts to provide any real accuracy or usefulness in a court of law. Finding things like hidden bank accounts in the Cayman Islands or such, is simply not something an investigator is going to be able to do for you.
We work directly with individuals and law firms for various case requests. We have cases where say a wife hires us to monitor their spouse, we have cases where a grandparent hires us to monitor the parents. We have people hire our service for background searches, trying to locate people, needing the owner of properties. Primarily we’re hired from people who require information to help them get clarity as to what is going on for personal reasons, legal reasons, or to assist in decision making.
There are many reasons why someone may want to hire a Texas Private Investigator. For us 90% of our work is when someone needs information about another person habits for various reasons. Some are for legal reasons; some are just for closure or personal information. If you want to know something, can’t seem to get to the bottom of it yourself, give us a call and let’s see what we can do. Most investigators have a free consultation.
If you found this website, then you’ve already figured out the largest part. The next step to hire an investigator would be to contact them, go over your needs or goals, and see if they’re a good fit for what you desire to know. It’s simple. Give us a free call now.
Is a candy bar worth it? Your new shoes worth it? There is no definitive answer to this question. If you just started dating someone, think it might be long term, but have some questions about their activities whereas you wonder if you’re just being too suspicious, or there could be some validity to your thoughts, look at it like this. You’re involved in something that could effect the rest of your life, so what’s the value to you? You’ve been involved in a child custody matter that’s been dragging on for 2+ years, you’ve spent thousands with a legal team, does not seem to be going anywhere, and you feel there could be some information out there to close the process, what’s the value there? It could even be as simple as wanting to know where your neighbor goes to breakfast each morning. Might seem a little silly, however each person has their own wants and needs, so again what’s the value. Most investigators have a free consultation to go over a potential case, so there’s no harm in calling and talking about it. It’s all confidential.
In most cases a Private Investigator is going to charge an hourly fee for surveillance. There’s going a starting standard fee, ours start at 75 per hour, some agencies we’ve heard of may be $170 hour. It really depends on the individual agency and the area of the country you’re needing service. An investigator here in Texas may be much cheaper than say one in Miami Beach. For things such as locating someone in most cases it’s going to be a flat fee.
A typical day for one of our field investigators would be going to a specific location at a specific time as outlined by our client. That investigator would locate the person or their vehicle, and then monitor their activities based on the clients wants or goals. The investigator would take photos, keep legal notes, and report that information back to their agency manager for client review.
Most agencies are always looking for that next rock star investigator. Many people that take on the job of an investigator might come from being retired law enforcement, retired military, or in some cases having a career goal in mind, and being an investigator works into that that goal. Some investigators work in the field providing surveillance services, some investigators work inside the office running searches or providing support to the field investigators.
Each state is going to have different rules or laws when it comes to being an investigator. In the state of Texas we’re licensed by the Texas Dept. of Public Safety. You can visit their website for more information, however here’s a brief understanding: A person who conducts a business that provides private detective services must be licensed by the TXDPS. Unless otherwise provided, a person must be licensed by the TXDPS as a private detective or as an agency before the person may conduct a business, or provide private detective services in the state and/or employ certified private detectives. An applicant may be either an individual or a firm. An individual shall be of good character and reputation. If the applicant is a firm, each firm member shall be of good character and reputation.
Sherlock Holmes
Of course we did, that show was awesome. Also watched Simon & Simon!