List of US States That Require Locksmith License

Do I need a locksmith license to operate as a locksmith in US? If this question is haunting you, here is a quick information to help you find the US states that require locksmith license. Many US states require a valid license to function as a locksmith or start a locksmith business. Some US states also make it illegal to even possess lock picking or locksmith tools. Make sure that you know the exact status of legal aspects of operating as a locksmith.

If you are in the United States and are contemplating to start operating as a professional locksmith, here is the list of US states that require a valid license to operate as a locksmith.

US states that require locksmith licensing

  • Alabama
  • California
  • Connecticut
  • Illinois
  • Louisiana 
  • Maryland 
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Jersey
  • North Carolina
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Virginia
If your state is not mentioned in the list above, you can start operating as a locksmith without any need for a license. However, it is highly recommended that you get yourself enrolled with a locksmith association to make your service more credible among prospective customers. You can also get your business listed with the BBB for additional credibility among your locksmith customers.

Just to make it more simpler, let us say you are located in Imperial Beach and want to start a Locksmith Imperial Beach business. Now, you arre located in California. So, you will require a locksmith license to start operating as a locksmith in Imperial Beach, CA. Again, if you are in San Ysidro - California, you can operate as a San Ysidro Locksmith with a valid license for a locksmith. Operating as a locksmith without a valid license is illegal in California and many other US states.

Get the right information locally as well to ensure that you are on the right side of the law. You can check the information in local libraries as well.

Best of luck for your locksmith business!