Are locksmiths licensed in the UK? – Regulations & trading as a locksmith

The Locksmithing Industry is NOT Regulated

Believe it or not, the locksmithing industry is not regulated in any way by the Government in the United Kingdom.

What does no regulation of locksmiths mean?

This means that anybody can trade as a locksmith irrespective of their competence, background or motive.

Whereas other areas of the security industry are government licensed (e.g. door staff, or even keyholding companies) the government sees there is no need to regulate the locksmith industry.

There are only 340+ MLA Approved Locksmiths in the UK

How Many Locksmiths are there in the UK?

We estimate there are around 6,500 unlicensed locksmiths currently trading in the UK.

Of these 6,500+ locksmiths this means there are ONLY 340+ MLA Approved Locksmiths in the UK  – meaning they have been vetted, inspected and are fully qualified by the Master Locksmiths Association

Anyone can call themselves a locksmith in UK

As the industry is unregulated in the UK this means that anyone can pick up a set of tools and call themselves a locksmith.

Please view our hall of shame for examples of shocking locksmith work.

No Price Structure to Follow

This means locksmiths have no price guide so can charge what price they want, so locksmith prices will vary from each locksmith.

Criteria to become an MLA Approved Locksmith

This is why the MLA has its own licensing scheme for MLA Approved Companies whereby those locksmithing companies that are featured on the MLA’s find a locksmith page and use the MLA logo must have met the below criteria

1. Vetted – All MLA Locksmiths are fully Vetted

They’ve been vetted, the MLA has been at the forefront of vetting for a number of years and recently got the law changed to enable the association to perform standard level DBS checks on members.   

This was following debates in the Houses of Commons and Lords and being added to the exceptions order for the rehabilitation of offenders act.

2. Inspected

They are regularly inspected

The MLA has a team of inspectors who go to check approved companies on a regular basis, this inspection can include:

• Checking jobs done by the company
• Getting keys cut
• Checking audit trails for quality purposes etc.

3. Qualified

They employ a qualified locksmith – somebody who has passed an exam based proof of competence to ensure a minimum standard has been achieved.

It’s for this reason that we’d always recommend the use of an MLA Approved Locksmith.

Recommended Reading

• Why use a MLA Approved Locksmith – Criteria to become Approved by MLA
• How much does a locksmith cost? – Price guide and Checklist
• Choosing a Locksmith -How to find a good locksmith