Locked out? How to avoid locksmith scams
What to check before you call, what to ask on the phone and at the door, drilling and replacement, car lockouts and what to do if you were overcharged.
Lockouts happen at the worst moments, and the search results you see on your phone are not all real local businesses. Consumer agencies have warned for years about "locksmith" listings that route calls to a dispatcher, quote a low price and then send someone who demands far more, sometimes after drilling a lock that could have been picked. A few minutes of checking, even under pressure, protects you.
Before you call
- Look for a license number. In Illinois, a licensee may not knowingly advertise locksmith services without its license number in the ad (225 ILCS 447/35-15). In California, it is a misdemeanor to advertise that you are licensed when you are not (Bus. & Prof. Code 6980.10). Search the company here or on the state's own lookup.
- Look for a real address. A listing with no address, or an address that turns out to be a shopping center or an empty lot, is a warning sign. Our listings come from state license records, not paid ads.
- Be wary of generic names. "Locksmith Services" or "24 Hour Locksmith" with a call-center phone number tells you nothing about who will arrive. California does not issue licenses under misleading fictitious names (6980.17).
- If you can wait, plan ahead. Save the number of a licensed locksmith near your home and workplace before you need one.
On the phone
Ask for the company's legal name and license number, the total price including the service call, mileage, after-hours charges and any parts, and the name of the technician who will come. Ask whether they will try to pick the lock before drilling. Write the answers down. If the person answering won't give a business name or says only "locksmith service", treat that as a reason to call someone else. A local licensed company should be able to tell you roughly how long it will take to arrive and who is coming.
When the locksmith arrives
- Check that the vehicle, invoice and ID match the company you called.
- In California, ask to see the technician's BSIS locksmith registration card. In Illinois, employees of licensed agencies hold a permanent employee registration (PERC) card (225 ILCS 447/35-30).
- Confirm the price before work starts. If it has changed substantially, you can decline the work, though you may owe a service call fee you agreed to.
- A legitimate locksmith will usually ask for proof that you live there or own the vehicle, such as ID with the address or a registration. That is a good sign, not a nuisance.
Drilling and replacing
Most residential lockouts can be opened without destroying the lock. If a technician immediately says the lock must be drilled and replaced with an expensive high-security lock, ask why, and ask for the price of the new hardware before agreeing. You can also ask for your old lock back.
Why prices vary
Legitimate prices differ with the time of day, the distance, the type of lock and the work needed. Opening a standard residential lock during business hours is a different job from opening a high-security lock at 2 a.m. or programming a transponder key for a late-model car. What should not happen is a price that changes completely between the phone call and the doorstep. Get the full quote, including the service call and any minimum charge, before the technician starts, and ask what would make it change.
Plan for next time
Once the lockout is over, pick a licensed locksmith near your home and save the number. Leave a spare key with someone you trust, consider a keypad lock or a lockbox, and keep your car's roadside assistance number with your insurance card. A minute of planning means you won't be choosing from search ads in a parking lot.
Pay with a card and get an itemized receipt
A card payment gives you a dispute route if you were overcharged, and an itemized invoice with the company name, address and license number gives you evidence. Be cautious if the technician insists on cash only.
Car lockouts
For a car lockout, check whether your auto insurance, auto club or the vehicle manufacturer's roadside service covers it before calling anyone. In Illinois, employees of towing, roadside assistance and auto club services may open vehicles in the normal course of their duties without a locksmith license, so long as they don't hold themselves out as locksmiths (225 ILCS 447/30-5). Replacement car keys with transponder chips are locksmith work in California (Bus. & Prof. Code 6980(j)).
If you were overcharged or misled
- Write down everything while it is fresh: who you called, the quoted price, the technician's name, the vehicle and what was charged.
- Dispute the charge with your card issuer if the price was misrepresented.
- Complain to the licensing agency: the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services in California, which also takes reports of unlicensed activity, or IDFPR in Illinois. Complaints are what lead to discipline, and in Illinois discipline appears on the license record.
- Tell your state attorney general's consumer protection office.
How this site helps
Every company listed here holds a current locksmith company or agency license in California or Illinois, taken from the state's own licensing file. Each listing shows the license number, how long the company has been licensed and, in Illinois, any discipline IDFPR has on record. We never mark anyone as a scam or as unlicensed: a company missing here may be licensed under another name, licensed after our last refresh, or in another state, so check the official lookup for anyone you are unsure about.
General information only, current as of the date above. The information on Licensed Locksmith Check is not a recommendation or a guarantee of anyone's work. A license record shows registration status on the date shown, not workmanship, insurance coverage at the time of your job, or suitability for your project. Confirm license, insurance and permits directly before you hire. Rules and programs change; check the official sources linked in this guide.