What May a Private Investigator Do in Israel — and What Is Forbidden?
What may a private investigator legally do in Israel? A guide to surveillance, photography, recordings, privacy, impersonation, digital data and the investigator's license.
In short
A private investigator in Israel must operate within the law and the profession's code of ethics — a license does not grant police powers. Legal investigative work such as gathering information from permitted sources, interviews and observation is possible depending on the circumstances, but unlawful wiretapping, unauthorized access to accounts and other acts that violate the law do not become permitted just because they are part of an investigation. When in doubt — consult a lawyer before acting.
- Verify the investigator holds a valid license
- Ask for an explanation before any action affecting privacy or data access
- Never approve wiretapping or account intrusion without a proper legal basis
May a private investigator do anything to obtain information?
No.
A private investigator's license allows practicing the profession, but it does not grant police powers and does not override privacy law, wiretapping law, computer law or any other law.
A professional investigator should know not only how to gather information — but where to stop.
First of all: is the investigator licensed?
The Ministry of Justice licenses private investigators and investigation agencies.
Ministry of Justice private investigators registry (Hebrew)
Gathering information as a service to the public can qualify as private-investigation work that requires a license, depending on the circumstances.
Is surveillance allowed?
Surveillance and observation are recognized tools in private investigations, but the legality of a specific act depends on circumstances: the location, the manner of documentation, duration, the degree of intrusion on privacy and the purpose.
There is no simple rule of "if it's surveillance — it's always allowed".
Is photographing a person allowed?
Photography can be lawful in some situations and problematic in others.
There's a difference between documenting in a space with no comparable expectation of privacy and photographing inside a private space, or in a way that may violate the Privacy Protection Law.
Don't rely on rules of thumb like "if you can see it — you can shoot it".
Is recording a conversation allowed?
Israel's Secret Monitoring Law generally defines unlawful monitoring as listening to someone else's conversation using a device when none of the parties to the conversation consented.
When a person records a conversation they take part in, it is not necessarily "secret monitoring" in that sense — one of the parties is the one recording.
Even so, a recording that isn't secret monitoring can still raise other questions of privacy, use of the material and admissibility.
May an investigator tap a phone?
Wiretapping without lawful authorization is prohibited.
A private investigator cannot simply "listen in on someone's phone" because a client asked.
May an investigator break into a phone, email or account?
Never assume a license permits access to a digital account without authorization.
Intruding into a computer, account, device or system without authorization can violate the law.
Even if the client knows another person's password, that does not make using it lawful.
Is impersonation allowed?
The private investigators' code of ethics places significant limits on impersonation and ruses.
Be especially wary of impersonating an authority, a professional or another person in a way that may mislead in violation of law or the code of ethics.
Is locating a person allowed?
Locating a person's or property's whereabouts as a service to the public is among the activities the licensing committee has treated as investigative work requiring a license.
The fact that locating someone is a legitimate goal does not permit using any means.
May an investigator pull data from databases?
Only where proper authorization and a lawful basis exist.
Don't assume any investigator holds "special access to all the databases".
May an investigator lie?
The subject is more nuanced than yes or no.
Investigations may involve certain ruses, but the code of ethics limits conduct, impersonation, manipulation and infringement of rights.
What about confidentiality?
The professional code of ethics includes duties of loyalty, reporting and professional confidentiality.
Can unlawfully obtained material be used in court?
That is a legal question depending on the type of material, how it was obtained and the proceeding.
For example, the Secret Monitoring Law includes special provisions on the admissibility of material captured through unlawful monitoring.
If the goal is legal use, involve a lawyer in advance.
What to do if an investigator proposes something that sounds illegal
- Ask for a precise explanation.
- Don't approve an action you don't understand.
- Ask for a lawful alternative.
- In significant doubt — consult a lawyer.
- Verify the licensing.
Official sources
- Private Investigators and Guard Services Law, 1972
- The private investigators' code of ethics
- Secret Monitoring Law, 1979
- Privacy Protection Law, 1981
- The Ministry of Justice private investigators registry
This guide is general information and does not constitute legal advice.
Last updated: August 2026.
Checklist
- Verify the investigator holds a valid license
- Ask for an explanation before any action affecting privacy or data access
- Never approve wiretapping or account intrusion without a proper legal basis
- Clarify how information will be gathered and stored
- Beware of promises of 'access to any information'
- Tell the investigator if the material is intended for legal proceedings
- Consult a lawyer when the legality of an action is in doubt
- Keep the investigation's goal defined and proportionate
Frequently asked questions
May a private investigator follow a person?
Surveillance is a possible investigative tool, but its legality depends on the circumstances and how it's carried out. A license does not make every kind of surveillance lawful.
May a private investigator record a conversation?
When the person recording is a party to the conversation, it is not necessarily unlawful monitoring as defined by law — but using the recording can raise further questions.
May a private investigator tap a phone?
Wiretapping without lawful authorization is prohibited. An investigator has no blanket permission to intercept calls.
May an investigator break into a phone or email?
A license grants no authorization to intrude into another person's account or device.
Is an investigator bound by confidentiality?
The code of ethics includes duties of confidentiality, loyalty and reporting in the investigator-client relationship.
Is investigator-collected material always admissible in court?
No. Admissibility depends on the type of material, how it was obtained and the proceeding.