The Texas Association of Licensed Investigators (TALI) is a professional association of private investigators in the U.S. state of Texas. It ensures adherence to licensing requirements for investigators; organizes training and education; and represents the profession to the state and federal government and regulatory bodies, including the Texas Private Security Board and the Texas Department of Public Safety. TALI holds an annual convention and publishes a magazine, The Texas Investigator. TALI was founded in 1971. During the 1990s, it lobbied repeatedly to retain access to drivers’ license and vehicle registration information. In the 2000s, it intervened to amend regulation of workers who access computer data. Since 2008, TALI has set up local chapters in each city and major rural area of the state, reporting to five regional directors. Founding Prior to State of Texas licensing, a governing board and a state law, the licensing and regulation of the profession was a mixed bag of local licensing by a few municipal and county governments. Because of the lack of consistent regulation among counties and cities, a group of five investigators met to discuss their ideas for the future. Their teamwork led to growth in the membership and resulted in the Texas Legislature passing Article 4413(29bb) V.A.C.S. in 1969. This act established the Texas Board of Private Investigators, private security agencies, and the accompanying state regulatory agency. However, one member hijacked the association for his own purposes. The effect was to sow dissent instead of camaraderie and to stall the forward momentum of the group. The budding association wound up going to court to preserve its name. In 1973, David Sallee, Ernest Humberson, Don Redding, and Ron Kelly revived the nearly lifeless association. These men knew that a statewide organization working for the good of all investigators could help all Texas investigators improve their professional image with the public. The founding investigators developed the first code of ethics and a set of by-laws for the association. The by-laws established a board of directors consisting of five positions: chairman, president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer. In the early 1970s, TALI held its first annual meeting in Longview, Texas. By then there were twenty-five members. TALI’s annual conventions have since grown in attendance to 650 investigators and other legal professionals. These meetings now offer investigative education, training, vendor product displays, and networking opportunities, which have begun to attract investigators from other states. History 1980s and