Illinois is one of the strictest states in licensing locksmiths, but that will end in a few years. Following legislation, licensing requirements will sunset in 2029, which is supposed to allow easier access to that business.
The substantial current licensing requirements include a proficiency test that by many accounts is difficult to pass, a fee to take the test, a criminal background check, a license fee, and if you want to be more than a one-person shop, an agency license and additional fees for employees.
Andy Streenz of Bill's Key and Lock Shop in Bloomington displayed ambivalence about the coming change. Part of the reason for the previous regulation was to prevent fraud and exploitative fees. Streenz said he’s not sure the previous regulation accomplished the goal.
“I still hear horror stories of people who Google a locksmith. They call the number that appears. Somebody shows up. They drill the lock off the door, charge them $500 and are never to be seen again,” said Streenz. “That's not locksmithing. It seems that those groups that set up these phone numbers are very difficult to track down, and I think that people are probably maybe a little bit ashamed of turning them in for such a thing.”
And without rigorous enforcement, Streenz said regulation lacks meaning., adding the state could do a better job of cracking down on fly-by-night operators.
“There's a way you can get online and you can fill out a form and tell them of your experience. But I've never seen the state swoop in and say, 'Hey, you're not doing things right,' and shut them down and move them out of town,” said Streenz.
Sponsors of the legislation to lift requirements said they wanted to lower barriers to enter the trade, particularly for traditionally underrepresented constituencies. They said the pandemic highlighted the need to relax the rules because people seeking new work could not get into the field.
Streenz said the concern is valid and the barriers were there even before COVID highlighted the situation in several areas.
“We have certainly seen much fewer, if not zero, new entrants, at least in our area, into the locksmith field. It presents a pretty high barrier of entry. And I think that some people look at the testing and the fees and the background check, and they just say, oh, I'll just do something else,” said Streenz.
But he also said he’s not sure reducing the barriers will necessarily help.
“I don't see a whole lot of people knocking on our door trying to be locksmiths. I guess we'll have to see. If a year or two after, if they do allow it to sunset, if I see lots of shops open up, then I guess we will have really shown that that deregulation of industries works. But I'm skeptical,” said Streenz.
Perhaps a more effective change in regulation that would retain some professional standards, he said, would be to create easier paths to independent business ownership flowing from an informal apprentice approach to the trade.
“They could make it better by offering some grandfathering in for these folks that have worked as a locksmith. That might be a better way of keeping these people in the field and starting up new shops,” said Streenz, adding there is room in the Bloomington-Normal marketplace for more locksmiths — though as a businessperson he would rather not see those.
“We're quite busy, and there's definitely room for competition in this town,” said Streenz. “In particular, the expanding field of automotive locksmithing. Everybody's carrying around a $100-$200 key in their pocket these days that fits their car, whether it's electronic or mechanical or anything in between. The need for those keys and people's desire for ease of access into their vehicle or their home or business, those things are keeping the industry propped up.”
Lawmakers who sponsored the measure say there will still be some less stringent requirements for locksmiths, but they have not specified what those are or how they'll be enforced.
Licensing requirements for funeral directors, veterinarians, public accountants and private security contractors such as private investigators and alarm installers also will sunset in 2029.
