5 Best Private Investigators in Los Angeles (2026)

Independently ranked by our review of ratings, reviews and reputation · How we chose

By Fenris Morrow, Expert in Professional Services · ✓ Data verified August 2026 · 7 min read

When you're calling a private investigator in Los Angeles, it's usually because something urgent went wrong, a missing family member, a stalled legal case, someone who's gone dark. Kinsey Investigations alone has logged 159 reviews at a 4.8 rating, and reviewers across this list describe cases resolved in under 24 hours more than once.

Short answer: Kinsey Investigations leads Los Angeles private investigators with a 4.8 rating across 159 reviews, specializing in missing persons and family law cases. Sunset Blvd. Investigations holds a perfect 5.0 across 61 reviews, run by two retired LAPD and LASD detectives with over 80 years of combined law enforcement experience. Paramount Investigative Service and Drakonx Investigations both rate 4.8, covering surveillance, fraud, and custody cases.

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1. KINSEY INVESTIGATIONS…
2. Paramount Investigativ…
3. Sunset Blvd. Investiga…
4. Angel Investigations
5. Drakonx Investigations
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LA's Private Investigators, Compared

#	Business	Rating	Reviews	Best for
1	KINSEY INVESTIGATIONS Private Investigator Los Angeles	4.8 ★	159	Missing persons & family law	View ›
2	Paramount Investigative Service	4.8 ★	102	Legal, custody & surveillance support	View ›
3	Sunset Blvd. Investigations, Inc.	5.0 ★	61	High-stakes, law enforcement-trained cases	View ›
4	Angel Investigations	4.5 ★	34	Discreet, unconventional cases	View ›
5	Drakonx Investigations	4.8 ★	27	International & security-focused cases	View ›

5 Best Private Investigators in Los Angeles (2026)

Our top picks, reviewed

#1 Overall🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

KINSEY INVESTIGATIONS Private Investigator Los Angeles

4.8159 Google reviews

Kinsey Investigations is a licensed and bonded private investigation firm in Marina del Rey, specializing in missing persons cases and family law, alongside infidelity investigations. The firm works with private individuals, attorneys, businesses, and insurance agencies across LA and Orange County, and reviews repeatedly describe founder Barbara personally handling urgent cases.

What people praise

Highest review count on this page at 159, with a 4.8 rating
Multiple reviewers describe missing person cases resolved within a day
Reviewers cite reasonable, transparent fees for the results delivered
Praised for immediate phone pickup during time-sensitive situations

Reputation scorecardrank in Los Angeles

Rating4.8 / 5

Review volume159 · 96th

Confidencemoderate

Recency3 weeks ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown94% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The deepest review history here, with a pattern of fast, compassionate handling of missing persons cases specifically, worth the first call in an urgent situation.

Website +1310-613-3755 Directions

13157 Mindanao Wy Ste 889, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292

#2🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

Paramount Investigative Service

4.8102 Google reviews

Paramount Investigative Service is a downtown LA private investigation and process serving firm led by Ken Childs, handling surveillance, workers' compensation investigations, insurance fraud, child custody cases, and litigation support. Nearly every review names Ken directly, describing a hands-on approach even on complex, sensitive matters.

What people praise

4.8 rating across 102 reviews
Reviewers specifically praise thorough documentation for legal proceedings
Experienced in child custody and litigation support cases
Same person, Ken, personally handles most client relationships per reviews

Reputation scorecardrank in Los Angeles

Rating4.8 / 5

Review volume102 · 89th

Confidencemoderate

Recency2 months ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown95% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Best suited to legal-adjacent cases, custody disputes, insurance fraud, litigation support, where documentation quality genuinely matters for court.

Website +1213-733-3333 Directions

633 W 5th St Suite 2810, Los Angeles, CA 90071

#3🕑 Open 5 days/wk↩ Responds to reviews

Sunset Blvd. Investigations, Inc.

5.061 Google reviews

Sunset Blvd. Investigations is a downtown LA private investigation firm founded by two retired detectives, one from LAPD and one from LA County Sheriff's Department, with over 80 years of combined law enforcement experience. The firm handles cases from local searches to international matters, and reviewers describe genuinely difficult situations, missing family members, urgent time-sensitive searches, resolved quickly.

What people praise

Perfect 5.0 rating across 61 reviews
Founders bring decades of LAPD and LASD detective experience
Reviewers describe a missing father located and pulled off a flight before departure
Featured on Discovery Channel's Expedition Unknown

Reputation scorecardrank in Los Angeles

Rating5 / 5

Review volume61 · 82th

Confidenceearly

Recency3 months ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown98% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The law enforcement background here is a genuine differentiator, and the perfect rating with real high-stakes case outcomes backs it up.

Website +1213-745-4080 Directions

527 W 7th St Ste 209, Los Angeles, CA 90014

#4🕑 Open 6 days/wk

Angel Investigations

4.534 Google reviews

Angel Investigations is a private investigation firm on Hyperion Avenue with an unclaimed Google listing and no public phone number or website. Its reviews are unusually stylized and playful in tone, suggesting a smaller, more informal operation than the other names on this page, though the underlying rating reflects genuine client satisfaction.

What people praise

4.5 rating across 34 reviews
Cases described as resolved quickly, including one solved within a week
Reviewers describe a friendly, approachable team

Worth knowing

Unclaimed listing with no public contact details readily available
Lower review volume and older average review age than the top three entries

Reputation scorecardrank in Los Angeles

Rating4.5 / 5

Review volume34 · 75th

Confidenceearly

Recency9 months ago

Info completenesshours

Rating breakdown76% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Reviews here read differently from the rest of this page, worth contacting directly to confirm services and pricing before committing, given the limited public information.

Directions

1481 Hyperion Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029

#5🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

Drakonx Investigations

4.827 Google reviews

Drakonx Investigations is a private investigation, security, and intelligence firm founded in 2003, with offices in Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, and Havana. Its site markets a global network and Federal Government contractor registration, and reviews describe both legal documentation support and general investigative work.

What people praise

4.8 rating across 27 reviews
Multi-city and international presence, including a Havana office
Reviewers describe detailed final reports with photo and video documentation

Worth knowing

Most recent review activity on this page is roughly four years old

Reputation scorecardrank in Los Angeles

Rating4.8 / 5

Review volume27 · 68th

Confidenceearly

Recency4 years ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown93% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Worth considering if your case has an international dimension, though the review activity here is noticeably older than the other names on this list.

Website +1310-774-0547 Directions

1516 Garfield Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90022

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How we score

Rating is the live Google average. Review volume measures how many clients actually rated the firm relative to others on this page. Confidence blends rating with volume, so a handful of reviews counts less than hundreds. Recency checks how recently people are still reviewing. No business can pay to change these numbers.

How much does a private investigator cost in Los Angeles? (2026)

None of the firms on this page publish flat rates online, since pricing depends heavily on case type, urgency, and scope. Several reviewers describe reasonable or competitive fees, but expect to discuss pricing directly during an initial consultation.

Serving all of Los Angeles

These firms are based in Marina del Rey, downtown LA, and East LA, and describe serving Los Angeles, Orange County, and in some cases the entire state of California. If you’re searching for a private investigator near me in Los Angeles, most of these firms work cases across the metro area rather than requiring an in-person office visit for every step.

What to ask before you hire

Is the investigator licensed and bonded in California?
What’s the fee structure, hourly, flat rate, or retainer?
Will the final report be admissible or useful for legal proceedings if needed?
How quickly can the investigation begin once retained?
What experience does the firm have with cases similar to mine?
Is communication ongoing throughout the case, or only at completion?

Frequently asked questions

Are these rankings paid?

No. Rankings come from public Google data. A business can pay to be a Featured Partner (badge and top placement), but that never changes another business’s score or position.

How did you choose these private investigators?

We pulled real Google ratings and review counts for private investigation firms across Los Angeles and ranked them by a mix of rating, review volume, and how recently clients are still reviewing.

How often is this updated?

This page reflects Google data verified in August 2026 and is refreshed periodically as ratings and review counts change.

Which of these firms has law enforcement experience?

Sunset Blvd. Investigations was founded by two retired detectives, one from LAPD and one from LA County Sheriff’s Department, with over 80 years of combined law enforcement experience between them.

Can any of these firms help with a case outside Los Angeles?

Yes. Drakonx Investigations operates offices in Miami, Orlando, and Havana in addition to Los Angeles, and Kinsey Investigations describes work throughout California.

The bottom line

Kinsey Investigations is the safe default given its review depth and a strong track record on urgent missing persons cases. For anything involving custody or litigation, Paramount Investigative Service’s documentation-focused reviews make it worth a direct call to discuss your case.

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