No law is perfect, of course.  In addition, we in the metro-DC region face the challenge of fake / unlicensed 'locksmiths' who are able to pick up stakes from Virginia locations & re-locate only a few miles away in either DC or Maryland.

Having said that, we have experienced an encroachment upon the locksmith profession over the past 20 years that threatens to put the locksmith profession on its heels & eventually out of business.  At the very least, the locksmith profession is on the verge of subjugation to alarm companies & access control entities.  Why?  The changing nature of the physical security world.

Building engineers, access control entities & alarm companies, painters & carpenters & the like have been able to take on locksmith aspects, such as rekeying & hardware installations, due in part to a lack of legislation limiting who is permitted to perform these duties.  As the world of physical security moves ever faster towards electrified hardware, locksmiths run the risk of losing business on a massive scale to alarm companies & access control companies.  This trend is underway, in fact.

Licensing is a start.  I would hope that the fees that we pay, which are substantial (my company currently has upwards of 18 Security Technicians fully employed) are utilized in good conscience by the regulatory bodies to provide ethical enforcement of the laws, public education as to what defines a valid locksmith & perhaps some solid training (not just a two-day window dressing seminar) for the locksmiths & the locksmith companies that have complied with the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Regards,

Michael Groves

VP

Federal Lock & Safe, Inc.

Arlington, VA