---
title: "Locksmith license requirements by state (2026) · LockCommand"
description: "Free state-by-state guide: which states require a locksmith license, who issues it, what it takes, and which cities add their own rules. All 50 states and DC."
url: https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license
---

[Free tool · no account needed](https://lockcommand.com/tools)

# Locksmith license by state

Which states license locksmiths, who issues the license and what it takes, plus the cities and counties with their own rules. All 50 states and DC, each with its sources. Last checked October 2026.

## Your state

Last checked October 2026. Laws change: confirm with the agency before you apply or advertise.

## Texas

Statewide license

Example: pick your state above

Yes. Texas licenses locksmith companies and individual locksmiths through the Private Security Program of the Department of Public Safety. Before opening a property, a locksmith must check ID and get a signed statement that the customer owns it or may legally enter. Cities and counties can't add their own locksmith license on top.

**Issued by**

[Texas Department of Public Safety, Private Security Program](https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/private-security)

[Full rules and sources for Texas](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/texas)

## All 50 states and DC

51 of 51 shown

| State | Statewide license | Who issues it | Local rules |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Alabama](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/alabama) | Statewide license | Electronic Security Board (AESBL) | None found |
| [Alaska](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/alaska) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Arizona](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/arizona) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Arkansas](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/arkansas) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [California](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/california) | Statewide license | BSIS | None found |
| [Colorado](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/colorado) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Connecticut](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/connecticut) | Statewide license | Department of Consumer Protection | None found |
| [Delaware](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/delaware) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [District of Columbia](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/district-of-columbia) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Florida](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/florida) | No statewide license | None statewide | Ended (see state page) |
| [Georgia](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/georgia) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Hawaii](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/hawaii) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Idaho](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/idaho) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Illinois](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/illinois) | Statewide license | IDFPR | None found |
| [Indiana](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/indiana) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Iowa](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/iowa) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Kansas](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/kansas) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Kentucky](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/kentucky) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Louisiana](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/louisiana) | Statewide license | State Fire Marshal | None found |
| [Maine](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/maine) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Maryland](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/maryland) | Statewide license | Maryland Department of Labor | None found |
| [Massachusetts](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/massachusetts) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Michigan](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/michigan) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Minnesota](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/minnesota) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Mississippi](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/mississippi) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Missouri](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/missouri) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Montana](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/montana) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Nebraska](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/nebraska) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Nevada](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/nevada) | Statewide license | County sheriff | Washoe County, Clark County (unincorporated), City of Las Vegas |
| [New Hampshire](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/new-hampshire) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [New Jersey](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/new-jersey) | Statewide license | NJ Division of Consumer Affairs | None found |
| [New Mexico](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/new-mexico) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [New York](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/new-york) | No statewide license | None statewide | New York City, Nassau County, Yonkers |
| [North Carolina](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/north-carolina) | Statewide license | NC Locksmith Licensing Board | None found |
| [North Dakota](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/north-dakota) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Ohio](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/ohio) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Oklahoma](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/oklahoma) | Statewide license | Oklahoma Department of Labor | None found |
| [Oregon](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/oregon) | Statewide license | Construction Contractors Board (CCB) | None found |
| [Pennsylvania](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/pennsylvania) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Rhode Island](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/rhode-island) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [South Carolina](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/south-carolina) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [South Dakota](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/south-dakota) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Tennessee](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/tennessee) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Texas](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/texas) | Statewide license | Texas DPS Private Security | None found |
| [Utah](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/utah) | No statewide license | None statewide | Provo |
| [Vermont](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/vermont) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Virginia](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/virginia) | Statewide license | DCJS | None found |
| [Washington](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/washington) | No statewide license | None statewide | Olympia, Mountlake Terrace |
| [West Virginia](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/west-virginia) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Wisconsin](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/wisconsin) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |
| [Wyoming](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/wyoming) | No statewide license | None statewide | None found |

LockCommand saves the customer's ID, proof of ownership photos and signature on every job, so your records are ready if your state or city asks.

[Keep ID and proof on every job](https://app.lockcommand.com/sign-up?from=tool-locksmith-license)

## What we found

By our count, **13 states** require locksmiths to hold a state license, registration or permit: [Alabama](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/alabama), [California](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/california), [Connecticut](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/connecticut), [Illinois](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/illinois), [Louisiana](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/louisiana), [Maryland](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/maryland), [Nevada](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/nevada), [New Jersey](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/new-jersey), [North Carolina](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/north-carolina), [Oklahoma](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/oklahoma), [Oregon](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/oregon), [Texas](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/texas) and [Virginia](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/virginia). The other 38 states and DC have no statewide locksmith license. Pick a state above for the agency, the law, who needs it and what it takes, or open its page for the full detail and sources.

### The 13 states that license locksmiths

| State | Issued by | The law |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Alabama](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/alabama) | Electronic Security Board (AESBL) | Ala. Code §34-1A-1 et seq. |
| [California](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/california) | BSIS | Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §6980 et seq. (Locksmith Act) |
| [Connecticut](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/connecticut) | Department of Consumer Protection | Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-691 |
| [Illinois](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/illinois) | IDFPR | 225 ILCS 447 (Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, Fingerprint Vendor, and Locksmith Act of 2004) |
| [Louisiana](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/louisiana) | State Fire Marshal | La. R.S. 40:1664.1 et seq.; rules at LAC 55:V, Chapter 32 |
| [Maryland](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/maryland) | Maryland Department of Labor | Md. Code, Bus. Reg. Title 12.5 (Maryland Locksmiths Act) |
| [Nevada](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/nevada) | County sheriff | NRS chapter 655 (Locksmiths and Safe Mechanics), NRS 655.070 |
| [New Jersey](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/new-jersey) | NJ Division of Consumer Affairs | N.J.S.A. 45:5A-23 et seq.; rules N.J.A.C. 13:31A |
| [North Carolina](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/north-carolina) | NC Locksmith Licensing Board | N.C. Gen. Stat. Chapter 74F (Locksmith Licensing Act); rules 21 NCAC 29 |
| [Oklahoma](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/oklahoma) | Oklahoma Department of Labor | 59 O.S. §1800.1 et seq.; rules OAC 380:75 |
| [Oregon](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/oregon) | Construction Contractors Board (CCB) | ORS 701.475 to 701.495; OAR chapter 812 |
| [Texas](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/texas) | Texas DPS Private Security | Tex. Occ. Code ch. 1702 (Private Security Act) |
| [Virginia](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/virginia) | DCJS | Code of Virginia §9.1-138 to §9.1-150; regulations 6VAC20-172 and 6VAC20-174 |

### Where other guides disagree

- [Tennessee](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/tennessee) repealed its locksmith license in 2021. Plenty of guides still list it.
- [Nebraska](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/nebraska) repealed its county clerk locksmith registration in 2021 (LB169).
- [Florida](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/florida) never had a state license, and the Miami-Dade and Hillsborough County licenses ended in 2025 when state law took local licensing away from counties.
- [Illinois](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/illinois) still licenses locksmiths, but the law is set to end on January 1, 2029 unless it's renewed.
- [New York City](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/new-york) stops licensing individual locksmiths on May 31, 2027 and moves to a Locksmith Business license.

### What a license usually takes

No two states match, but the same pieces come up. Almost every licensing state runs a criminal background check, usually with fingerprints. Most add a test or training: Illinois, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon and Virginia test individual locksmiths, Texas tests company applicants, and Alabama and Louisiana require training certificates. Insurance minimums range from $250,000 for an Alabama company to $1,000,000 in Illinois and for a Virginia business. Some states license the business (Maryland), some the person (North Carolina), and many both. Texas also requires you to check ID and get a signed statement before opening a property, and California requires a record of every opening and every car key you make.

### How to get a locksmith license, step by step

1. Open your state's page here, then the agency's own page. Fees and forms change, and the agency is the only place that's always current.
2. Work out who needs it: the business, each person who does locksmith work, or both. Many states license the company and register every employee.
3. Start the fingerprints and background check first. It's usually the slowest part.
4. Book the exam or training if your state asks for one, and keep the certificates.
5. Line up insurance, and a bond where the state asks for one, before you apply.
6. Apply, pay the fees and wait for your number. Don't take paid work before it arrives.
7. Put the number where the law says: some states want it in every ad, on invoices or on the van.
8. Diary the renewal date and any continuing education hours.

### City and county rules

We found local locksmith licenses in 4 states: [Nevada](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/nevada), [New York](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/new-york), [Utah](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/utah) and [Washington](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license/washington). The places are Washoe County, Clark County (unincorporated), City of Las Vegas, New York City, Nassau County, Yonkers, Provo, Olympia and Mountlake Terrace. Local rules change more often than state law, and plenty of towns we couldn't check may have their own, so call the city or county clerk before you work somewhere new.

### How we checked

For each state we looked for the statute and the licensing agency's own pages, and used trade sources such as [ALOA](https://www.aloa.org/advocacy) and [Locksmith Ledger](https://www.locksmithledger.com/home/article/55128047/locksmith-licensing-2024-update) only as a starting point. A “no” means we found no statewide license: locksmiths are missing from the state's official list of licensed occupations or its professions law. Requirements are listed only when the source states them. Each state page lists the sources we used. Last checked October 2026. This is a guide to help you find the right office, not legal advice.

Whatever your state, check ID and proof of ownership on every lockout and keep a record. The [lockout authorization form](https://lockcommand.com/tools/lockout-authorization-form) gives you a signed one.

## Questions

### How many states require a locksmith license?

13 states, by our count in October 2026. Connecticut and Virginia call it a registration, and Nevada's is a permit from the county sheriff under state law. In the other 38 states and DC we found no statewide license, though some cities and counties have their own.

### Does Tennessee still require a locksmith license?

No. Tennessee repealed its Locksmith Licensing Act in 2021 (Public Chapter 572). Many websites still list Tennessee as a licensing state; they're out of date.

### Does Florida require a locksmith license?

Not at the state level, and since July 1, 2025 not at the county level either. A state law stopped counties from licensing trades the state doesn't license, so the Miami-Dade and Hillsborough County locksmith licenses ended.

### I'm licensed in one state. Can I work in another?

Not on that license. Each licensing state issues its own, and Oregon says plainly that its certification is required even if you're licensed elsewhere. Check the state page before you take a job across the line.

### If my state has no license, do I need anything?

Usually a general business license or registration from your city, county or state, a sales tax permit where locksmith services are taxed, and any local locksmith license. Contractor rules can apply when you install hardware that becomes part of a building.

### How current is this?

Every entry was checked in October 2026 against the statute or the agency's own site. Laws change, so confirm with the agency before you apply or advertise, and tell us if you spot something out of date.

## More for your shop

- [Lockout authorization form Make a printable lockout authorization form in English or Spanish, with ID, proof of ownership and signature lines, with your shop's details.](https://lockcommand.com/tools/lockout-authorization-form)
- [Phone script builder Questions to ask on every kind of locksmith call, in English and Spanish, with your greeting.](https://lockcommand.com/tools/phone-script-builder)
- [Google verification checklist Step by step: Google Business Profile, Local Services Ads advanced verification and suspension appeals.](https://lockcommand.com/tools/google-verification-checklist)
- [Startup cost calculator Plan the first-year budget for a mobile locksmith business: van, tools, key machine, insurance and more.](https://lockcommand.com/tools/startup-cost-calculator)
- [ID & proof ID and proof of ownership photos, a customer signature and before and after photos on every job.](https://lockcommand.com/features/id-and-proof)

## Let LockCommand do this on every job

The AI receptionist quotes from your price book, books the job and texts the customer. Create your account and set up your shop in a few minutes.

[Create your account](https://app.lockcommand.com/sign-up?from=tool-locksmith-license) [See pricing](https://lockcommand.com/pricing)

Already have an account? [Log in](https://app.lockcommand.com/sign-in). Questions first? Email  [support@lockcommand.com](mailto:support@lockcommand.com) .