Law firms — insurance defense
Licensed sub rosa surveillance, claimant backgrounds and social media, and course-and-scope-of-employment investigations for defense counsel.
Texas · Statewide
Licensed private investigator in Texas.
OnTrial, LLC is a Texas DPS-licensed private investigations company (License #C31261501) serving law firms, insurers, investors and private clients across Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio.
100% veteran & law-enforcement operated. Analyst-verified, source-cited findings. Fixed cost per engagement.
- Texas DPS licensed
- Private Investigations Company License #C31261501 Verify →
- 100% veteran & LEO
- Every investigator and analyst a veteran of the U.S. military or law enforcement
- 1,000+
- Reports completed
- TALI member
- Texas Association of Licensed Investigators View listing →
Texas licensing
How Texas licenses private investigators.
In Texas, investigating for hire is a licensed activity. Check the license before you share a single fact.
Texas regulates private investigations under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1702, administered by the Texas Department of Public Safety. A company that conducts investigations for hire in Texas must hold a DPS license, and the license is publicly searchable.
OnTrial, LLC holds Texas Department of Public Safety Private Investigations Company License #C31261501. Operated and advised by members of the U.S. military, law enforcement and special operations communities, and subject-matter experts in the investigations industry — decades of combined experience.
Every one of our investigators and analysts is a veteran of the U.S. military or law enforcement. Field work outside Texas is handled through vetted partners and contractors under the same case management.
Before you hire
How to verify a Texas private investigator.
- 01
Look up the license
Search the company's license number in the Texas DPS TOPS public license search. A Texas investigations company should give you its number without hesitation — OnTrial's is #C31261501.
- 02
Confirm insurance
Ask for a current certificate of insurance before the engagement starts, and confirm it covers the kind of work you are ordering.
- 03
Ask who directs the work
Know who scopes the matter, who does the work, and who reviews it. Litigation and family law matters should be retained by or through counsel, with the attorney setting scope.
- 04
Ask how evidence is handled
Findings should be sourced and documented so they can be used in discovery, depositions, hearings, and trial. Ask how chain of custody is kept and how evidence is preserved.
- 05
Check the compliance posture
Ask how the firm confirms permissible purpose, how it handles consumer and financial data, and what happens to your materials after the matter closes.
- 06
Get scope and cost in writing
Agree the subjects, the questions, the deliverable, and the cost before work starts, so there are no surprises when the report arrives.
Who we work for
Texas matters, by client.
Law firms — family law
Attorney-directed work for family law counsel: tracing community vs. separate property and documenting conduct relevant to conservatorship.
Law firms — business litigation
Pre-suit investigation, witness location, entity and related-party mapping, and asset work for judgment enforcement and turnover — retained through counsel.
Insurers & TPAs
SIU support, activity checks, and claimant investigations for carriers and third-party administrators, documented as timestamped, evidentiary-grade video.
Investors & lenders
Diligence on founders, management, sponsors, borrowers, and guarantors before LOI, close, or funding. Level 1 due diligence: 48-hour average turnaround.
Family offices & private clients
Confidential diligence on direct-deal targets, counterparties, and co-investors, plus online harassment and threat attribution for principals and families.
Across Texas
Private investigators in Texas’s major metros.
- Harris County
Houston
Energy-sector diligence, Harris County civil litigation, and insurance-defense surveillance.
- Dallas County
Dallas–Fort Worth
Corporate and M&A due diligence, backgrounds, and litigation support for the DFW business and legal communities.
- Travis County
Austin
OnTrial's headquarters, serving Austin law firms, founders, investors, and private clients.
- Bexar County
San Antonio
Investigations for the region's healthcare, business, and legal communities.
How it works
From first call to finished report.
- 01
Scope
Request a confidential consultation or create a client account. The subject, purpose, and scope are confirmed, permissible purpose is checked, and a fixed cost is agreed up front.
- 02
Investigate
Analysts work the records, open sources, and data; licensed operators go into the field when the matter calls for it. Field work outside Texas runs through vetted partners and contractors under the same case management.
- 03
Verify
Every finding is checked by an analyst and tied to its source before it reaches you.
- 04
Deliver
A written report with source-cited findings and documented chain of custody (SHA-256 hashed evidence), delivered through the secure client portal.
From a client
“OnTrial makes ordering what we need fast, efficient and trackable — no steps missed and reliably on-time.”
FAQ
Hiring a private investigator in Texas, explained.
- Is OnTrial a licensed private investigator in Texas?
- Yes. OnTrial, LLC holds Texas Department of Public Safety Private Investigations Company License #C31261501, issued under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1702, and is a member of the Texas Association of Licensed Investigators (TALI). Every one of our investigators and analysts is a veteran of the U.S. military or law enforcement.
- How do I verify a Texas private investigator's license?
- Search the company's license number in the Texas DPS TOPS public license search before you engage anyone. For OnTrial, search License #C31261501 at the Texas DPS TOPS portal. Then confirm insurance, who directs the work, how evidence is handled, and the firm's compliance posture. OnTrial's TALI listing is public as well.
- What parts of Texas does OnTrial cover?
- All of Texas. OnTrial works statewide from its Austin headquarters, with dedicated coverage of Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio. Research and analysis run the same way anywhere in the state; field work is scheduled where the matter is.
- Who hires a private investigator in Texas?
- Most OnTrial clients are law firms (insurance defense, family law, and business litigation), insurers and TPAs, investors and lenders, and family offices and private clients. Litigation and family law work is retained by or through counsel.
- What does a Texas private investigator deliver?
- A written report of analyst-verified, source-cited findings with documented chain of custody and SHA-256 hashed evidence, delivered through the secure client portal. Surveillance is documented as timestamped video. 1,000+ reports completed to date.
- What does a private investigator in Texas cost?
- OnTrial works at a fixed cost per engagement, agreed before work starts — no subscription, no monthly fees. Cost depends on scope: the number of subjects, jurisdictions, field hours, and turnaround. Rush is available on most reports.
Start a Texas engagement.
Become an OnTrial client and order directly through the secure client portal, or start with a confidential consultation. No subscription, no monthly fees.