To locate a qualified, ethical and professional locksmith business Select the State, Click Go button.
Selecting a security professional to provide service for your home, your business, your stuff is an exercise that requires due diligence.
There are many unqualified persons offering security services in every large U.S. city. Many are listed in print and online directories, some use bogus addresses, or addresses of completely unrelated businesses. Some operate as scam businesses, they will quote a price for service, and then dispatch untrained, unqualified service people who will damage your hardware, and offer to fix or replace it at very inflated prices. There have been documented cases of quoting $25.00 to open a locked door, and then presenting a bill for $400.00 and higher. These are only the cases we know of, many go unreported.
The good news is that within the security industry there is a concerted effort to identify these predatory businesses and bring them to the attention of authorities, there have been many successful prosecutions and there are many more in progress.
We suggest the following steps to help you select a qualified, ethical security business.
- You should determine if there are any legal or regulatory requirements in your State or Province, and if so, are they in compliance. Licensing for locksmiths is not required in most states. You may wish to ask neighbors or other businesses for recommendations, you may want to check with the Better Business Bureau the local Chamber of Commerce, or your local Police Department for any complaints.
- You should be sure that they are insured and/or bonded and that they have all required business licenses or permits.
- Check if they belong to local or national trade associations, this may not always be an indicator of competence, however if they are members of these associations, they are more readily exposed to new products and new developments in the industry. They may also be certified at some level by these associations, again certification may not guarantee their level of expertise, but does show that they at least went through certain classes or training in order to attain that certification. See below for links to national associations.
- A well stocked retail store is a clue that should not be overlooked, however many very successful, competent, security professionals have their shops in industrial parks, or just run mobile units. In some smaller communities it is not economically feasible to have a retail store.
Links to national security professional associations.
Associated Locksmiths Of America (ALOA) www.aloa.org
Safe & Vault Technicians Association (SAVTA) www.savta.org
The National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA) www.alarm.org
ASIS International (ASIS) www.asisonline.org
In addition to this list, the following links list qualified professional locksmith service companies that have been checked out.
- Find-a-Locksmith www.findalocksmith.com
- Legal Locksmiths www.legallocksmiths.com
