The locksmith trade isn't licensed in the UK, which means the good and the dodgy advertise side by side. Here's how to tell them apart.
Here's something most people don't realise: locksmithing isn't a licensed trade in the UK. Anyone can put up a website and call themselves a locksmith tomorrow. That doesn't mean the trade is dodgy — most are honest and skilled — but it does mean it pays to know what you're looking for, especially in a stressful lockout when you're choosing fast.
Green flags — what good looks like
- A real, local identity. A named person or family business with a town behind them, not just a generic "24h Locksmith" and a mobile number.
- Membership of a recognised body such as the UK Locksmiths Association, which vets and DBS-checks its members.
- A price agreed on the phone before anyone sets off — and that price holding when they arrive.
- Non-destructive entry first. A skilled locksmith picks or manipulates the lock open where possible, rather than drilling everything.
- Proper insurance and a willingness to show ID.
Red flags — when to be careful
- A suspiciously low headline price that climbs once they're at your door.
- No address, no name, and a call handler who can't tell you who's actually coming.
- Pressure to drill or replace a lock that didn't need it.
- Cash-only, no receipt, no paperwork.
- Lots of near-identical websites with different names and the same phone number — usually a call centre, not a locksmith.
The questions worth asking
"Who's coming, and are you the person I'm speaking to?" "What's the price for this, all-in?" "Will you try to open it without drilling first?" "Are you UKLA-registered / insured?" An honest locksmith answers all four without hesitation.
Why we do it the way we do
We're a father-and-son team in Egham — UKLA Trusted & Vetted, DBS-checked and fully insured. You speak to one of us, you get a price before we leave, and one of us turns up. No call centre, no surprises on the doorstep. That's the whole point of going local.
More about who we are, or see what we do.
About Two Keys
Need a hand with this?
Two Keys is a father-and-son locksmith team in Egham — UKLA Trusted & Vetted, DBS-checked, fully insured. Straight prices, agreed before we set off.
We cover Egham · Staines-upon-Thames · Windsor · Guildford and the wider Surrey, west London and east Berkshire area — see full coverage.