Choosing a locksmith

Locksmithing is not a licensed trade in the UK. Here is how to check who you are calling.

What a locksmith may and may not do

There is no locksmith licence in the UK — they are not even covered by the SIA. So what actually constrains them? The rules that do exist, and the one question a good locksmith always asks you.

27 Aug 2026

Choosing a locksmith

How to check a locksmith is genuine — in about two minutes

Locksmithing is unregulated in the UK, so nobody checks for you. Here are the five checks that take two minutes and filter out nearly all of the problem.

26 Aug 2026