Beginning September 01, 2026, significant changes to the law governing Utah Private Investigators take effect. Attorneys who hire Private Investigative Agencies must pay additional attention to the information collected by their Private Investigators. It is no longer a crime for Private Investigative Licensees to disclose Client File Material. Therefore, a Private Investigator can no longer categorically refuse to answer questions from Government Agents on the basis of Fifth Amendment (and Utah Article 1, section 12) privilege against self-incrimination. In the event that Government Agents serve a Subpoena, or attempt to Interrogate a Licensee who you have retained, the onus will be on the Law Firm who employs the Private Investigative Agency to appear and assert Attorney Work-Product and Client Confidentiality protections if an Attorney wishes to protect what-was-formerly-described-as-”Client File Material”. RDDI will resist all such inquiries and interrogations to the fullest extent of the Law. However, ANY attorney who employs ANY Private Investigative Agency after 01 September, 2026 will bear the ultimate responsibility for asserting privilege and work-product defenses to discovery and investigation by Government Agencies for the foreseeable future.

Any attorneys who have questions regarding the new law are welcome to contact RDDI. We can provide authoritative advice regarding the State-of-the-Law to you.