We are not a locksmith. This is a free consumer guide. We take no calls, do no callouts and sell nothing.
London Lockout Guide

About

Why this site exists

Because the moment you are locked out is the worst possible moment to research a trade — and a whole industry is built on exactly that.

Read this first. We are not a locksmith. We do not attend jobs, take bookings, answer a phone, or pass your details to anyone who does. There is no number on this site because there is no service behind it. If you need a locksmith, use the checks in our guides and contact the company directly.

The problem in one sentence

Locksmithing is not a regulated or licensed trade in the United Kingdom. There is no legal qualification you must hold, no register you must join, and no licence anyone can take away from you. Most locksmiths are decent tradespeople. The unregulated gap is what the bad ones live in.

How we research

What we will never do

If this site ever carries advertising, it will be labelled as advertising, it will be disclosed on this page, and it will never be dressed up as a recommendation.

This is information, not advice

Nothing here is legal advice, and no guide can see your particular door, lock, tenancy agreement or insurance policy. Use it to ask better questions. For a dispute over money already taken from you, seek proper consumer advice.

Corrections

If a price range is out of date, a standard has changed, or we have simply got something wrong, we want to fix it. Corrections are made in the article and the "updated" date changes so you can see it happened.