First of all this is a new law for Virginia and needs some revising which will come with time. I agree with the licensing because it not only will protects the consumer from being ripped off by these switch and bait artists, but it will keep out those people that aren't real locksmiths. I had a customer the other day that I had serviced after the phoney locksmith had been there. The customer key didn't work in her mortise cylinder (we all know what to do with this problem). She had told me that the person had arrived an hour later then was promissed, couldn't get her key to work, couldn't pick the lock and ended up drilling the cylinder, charging her, not the quoted fee, but $250.00. The reason I was there after the fact is that he didn't have a cylinder to replace it with and couldn't get one that day!!!  Not to mention any names but he (they) have a full page add in the local phone book with an "888" or "800" telephone number.  Anyway the purpose of this story is that these guys are giving the Locksmith Industry a bad name. The law is here to protect us, the Locksmith Industry!