Take Action — Sign the Petition

Sign the locksmith licensing petition — mandatory licensing for UK locksmiths

Sign the parliamentary petition calling for mandatory locksmith licensing. Every signature adds to the parliamentary record. At 10,000 signatures the Government must respond. At 100,000 Parliament must consider a debate.

Sign at parliament.uk → Bad Actors Database →

10,000

Signatures — Government must respond

100,000

Signatures — Parliament must debate

ÂŖ0

Cost to sign — takes 60 seconds

Ireland

Already has mandatory PSA licensing

Sign the petition now

Parliamentary petition — mandatory locksmith licensing

Takes 60 seconds. Every signature is a matter of parliamentary record.

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Why mandatory licensing is the only solution that works

Every other measure — Trading Standards complaints, Google listing reports, fake review flags — is reactive. The harm has already happened. Mandatory licensing is the only proactive measure that prevents harm before it occurs.

Under a mandatory licensing model — every locksmith must hold a valid government-issued licence before they can legally advertise or trade. Getting a licence requires a genuine identity, a genuine address, proof of competence, and a background check. A fake listing cannot display a valid licence number. No licence — no listing. No listing — no callout. No callout — no victim.

Ireland has done it — the PSA model works

Private Security Authority — Ireland

Every locksmith in Ireland must hold a valid PSA licence. Every advertisement must display the licence number. An unlicensed locksmith advertising online is committing a criminal offence. The fake listing problem that devastates the UK market simply does not exist in Ireland at the same scale.

Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Belgium have all banned paid locksmith advertising on Google. Apple banned it globally in July 2026. The UK is the only European country that has not acted.

The Government's response in 2021 — and why it was wrong

The 2021 parliamentary debate resulted in the Government saying there was no evident high level of criminality and that voluntary measures were preferred. Complaints have risen 147% since that decision. A network of eight locksmith shell companies has been documented — all incorporated by the same director between March and August 2026 — three in two days — at the same serviced office address — one confirmed on a consumer invoice. That is evident criminality.

Sign the petition. Write to your MP. The political case for mandatory licensing has never been stronger. Template MP letter →

Been overcharged by a locksmith?

Call your bank immediately. Trading Standards: 0808 223 1133. Report Fraud: reportfraud.police.uk.

How to get your money back →

locksmithscams.co.uk — independent public interest resource — not affiliated with any organisation. View the full bad actors database →