Guides
Hiring a locksmith, explained
What to do when you are locked out, how to tell a local locksmith from a call centre, which locks insurers ask for, and lost car keys.
Lost Car Keys: What to Do and What It Costs
If you have lost your car keys, search properly once, then call an auto locksmith or a dealer. A locksmith can often cut and programme a new key where the car is parked. A replacement key costs about £100 to £282 cut and programmed, from WhoCanFixMyCar booking data and StageMyCar. Have the V5C logbook and photo ID ready.
Keys Locked in the Car: What to Do Next
If your keys are locked in the car, check every door and the boot, then your breakdown cover, then call an auto locksmith. A car lockout opened by an auto locksmith costs about £65 to £95, from the MLA and Bark. If a child or an animal is inside on a hot day, call 999 first.
Car Key Fob Replacement or Repair: Which Do You Need?
A car key fob that has stopped working often needs a new battery, a new case or reprogramming rather than a whole new key. Try the battery first, then ask an auto locksmith to test it. A full replacement, cut and programmed, costs about £100 to £282, from WhoCanFixMyCar booking data and StageMyCar.
Car Key Programming: Dealer, Locksmith and SERMI
Car key programming pairs a key's chip and remote with the car so it will unlock and start it. An auto locksmith can programme most keys at the roadside; some cars need the dealer or a SERMI approved operator. Programming alone averaged £250.33 on WhoCanFixMyCar bookings in 2026, and the Crime and Policing Act 2026 now governs the tools.
Locked Out of Your House: What to Do, Step by Step
If you are locked out, first check whether anyone has a spare key: a household member, a neighbour, your landlord or letting agent. Check every other door. If none of that works, call a locksmith based near you, agree the total price on the phone, and have proof that you live there ready. A daytime lockout costs about £90 to £160 (MLA, MyJobQuote).
How Much Does a Locksmith Cost in the UK?
A daytime lockout opened without damage costs about £90 to £160, and a euro cylinder change about £105 to £175 fitted, from the MLA and MyJobQuote price lists. Nights and weekends usually add £50 to £100, according to MyJobQuote. A fair quote gives one total before anyone sets off: call-out, labour, parts and VAT.
Rogue Locksmiths: How the Pattern Works and What to Do
The common overcharging pattern starts with a search ad, a low price quoted by a call centre and a locksmith who drills the lock and multiplies the bill on the doorstep. MLA complaints about suspected overcharging rose from 280 in 2023 to 402 in 2025, as reported by the BBC. Ask for a total before anyone sets off.
Questions to Ask a Locksmith Before They Set Off
Before a locksmith sets off, ask who will come and where they are based, what the total price will be, whether a night or weekend rate applies, whether the lock will be opened without damage, and what standard any new lock meets. The answers take a few minutes and tell you more than the headline price does.
MLA Approved Locksmiths Explained
The Master Locksmiths Association (MLA) is the UK locksmith trade body. Its Approved Companies have passed criminal record checks, the ABBE Level 4 qualification and an inspection, and the MLA says it has over 340 of them. Membership is voluntary, because UK locksmiths are not licensed. Check any claim on the MLA's own search at locksmiths.co.uk.
Insurance Approved Locks: BS 3621, TS 007 and More
Home insurers usually ask for a BS 3621 mortice deadlock or nightlatch on timber exit doors, and a multipoint lock with a TS 007 3 star or SS 312 Diamond cylinder on uPVC and composite doors. Wording varies by policy, so read yours. An anti-snap cylinder costs about £137 to £150 fitted, from the MLA and Checkatrade.
Should You Change the Locks When You Move House?
Yes, in most cases. You cannot know who still holds a key to a home you have just bought or rented, and some insurers expect locks to be changed. On most doors only the cylinder needs replacing, which costs about £105 to £175 fitted from the MLA and MyJobQuote, so it is a good moment to fit an anti-snap one.
Can a Tenant Change the Locks? Rights and Duties
A tenant can usually change the locks only with the landlord's agreement, and most tenancy agreements require a copy of the new key. Read your agreement first. A landlord, in turn, cannot change the locks to remove a tenant who lives there without following the legal process. If safety is the reason, tell the landlord and ask for help.
Keyless Car Theft: Relay Attacks and How to Cut the Risk
Keyless car theft usually means a relay attack: thieves extend the signal from a keyless fob inside the house so the car unlocks and starts as if the key were beside it. A signal-blocking (Faraday) pouch, keeping keys away from doors and windows, and switching off keyless entry where the car allows it all reduce the risk.
UK Locksmiths Are Not Licensed: What That Means
Locksmiths in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland do not need a licence. Anyone can trade, and the Private Security Industry Act 2001 does not cover lock work. Parliament debated licensing in 2021 without legislating. The Republic of Ireland, by contrast, has licensed locksmith contractors since 2017. In the UK, checking falls to you.
Locks explained
Euro cylinders, mortice deadlocks, night latches, multipoint and smart locks: what each is and what it costs fitted.
Guides for locksmiths
Getting work without lead fees, qualifications, SERMI, and pricing a job.