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Home > ADVICE AND TIPS (FAQS) > Are locksmiths licensed in the UK? – Regulations & trading as a locksmith
Believe it or not, the locksmithing industry is not regulated in any way by the Government in the United Kingdom.
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
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
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.
This means locksmiths have no price guide so can charge what price they want, so locksmith prices will vary from each 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
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.
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:
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.
MLA Approved Locksmiths are Vetted, Inspected & Qualified
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