Casey Anthony Has P.I. Firm But Cannot Legally Be a P.I.

Casey Anthony is the owner of a new private investigation company but she's not legally allowed to privately investigate.

Here's the deal ... Anthony just opened her own P.I. company in West Palm Beach --- Case Research & Consulting Services, LLC -- but state officials tell us she hasn't even filed for a P.I. license in Florida, so she can't legally do any investigating herself.

It's possible Casey's intention was to hire legit private eyes to work for her ... but if she wants to put in her own work as a P.I., she's got to navigate some hoops and hurdles.

Casey's gotta get a Class C license to work as a private eye in Florida, a lengthy process requiring 2 years of training, a background check and a state exam.

As you know, it's been nearly a decade since Casey was acquitted in the death of her daughter, Caylee ... and state officials tell us they would need to review her criminal history to determine if she's even eligible for the Class C license.