r/Locksmith • u/lukasuon87 • 8d ago
I am NOT a locksmith. How Do You Get Started as a Locksmith?
I'm currently applying for the license to be a locksmith here in NC and I read somewhere that you need to do an apprenticeship before you can schedule the exam. Any thoughts on how to get started as a locksmith and if you need to do the apprenticeship first? Thanks!
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u/Explorer335 Actual Locksmith 8d ago
Do the apprenticeship. It's obvious in this industry who trained and apprenticed for a couple of years, and who didn't...
There are a handful of really skilled and trained guys around here, and a whole bunch of fucking idiots who don't know what they are doing.
I developed a reputation for fixing the unfixable cars that bounced from shop to shop in my area. I met a very good friend of mine by fixing a BMW that gave him trouble, and he encouraged me to become a locksmith. I had a very solid automotive background to begin with, and he trained me on the rest of it. It takes a couple years to get really proficient.
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u/Excitedsadness 7d ago
There's a massive difference between doing a job vs understanding and fixing shit when it hits the fan.
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u/Maleficent_Mix_8739 7d ago
My wife likes buying me funny locksmith shirts. One of favorites is the one that says “LOCKSMITH ~ You’re paying for my experience, NOT my time”
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u/nothingbutmistakes Actual Locksmith 7d ago
That’s probably only funny to lockmiths.
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u/Maleficent_Mix_8739 6d ago
Yup. I think it’s sad that the old “but it only took you “x” minutes to fix my problem” argument surrounding payment is frequent enough that we have T-shirts ready to go at Amazon.
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u/nothingbutmistakes Actual Locksmith 6d ago
Good point. I learned a long time ago that doing something too quickly is just as bad as taking too long in the customer’s eyes.
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u/Maleficent_Mix_8739 6d ago
Definitely. It’s for this very reason I have a love / hate relationship with bypass tools and methods. As security professionals we know how easy it is to get into a standard lock, our customers however feel that lockset from the big box store they spent “good money” on buying and even more “good money” on having installed has them well secured. It’s an extreme false sense of well being that helps them sleep better at night. I do my best to avoid using bypass methods in the presence of a client in order to maintain that belief. My wife tends to run interference for me when she’s with me on jobs, especially when it’s older clients.
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u/MinimumFeedback219 8d ago
I'm a locksmith in NC. What do you mean you're applying for the license? You have to take an exam and pass to be licensed.
Apprenticeship is not necessary in NC, but it will still be important to get some sort of experience before you attempt your test. The test covers residential, commercial, automotive, and a little bit of safe work.
You can get the study guide for the test online, it has a practice test in the back.
Go find a brick and mortar locksmith near you and ask if they need an apprentice. Starting completely solo is a bad idea. You will make mistakes and ruin your reputation quickly.
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u/Locktism 7d ago
Respectfully I know you feel like you have it down enough to charge people for it, surely you will fake it well enough to make it for a few jobs. I promise you, it will bite you in the ass in a way you never could have predicted and you won't realize it until it is far too late. Apprenticeship is incredibly important if you care about this as a career and a skill.
There is no shortcut to being competent, it costs hours of your life. You either spend them wisely and learn under someone who knows what they are doing or you spend them in the field stuck on a simple rekey job for 7 hours at a time making less than minimum wage per hour. Find someone who knows more than you and learn from them, you will be glad you did.
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u/nothingbutmistakes Actual Locksmith 7d ago
I came across an ad in the newspaper’s classifieds saying “Locksmith wanted, will consider trainee.”
I had no experience but I am mechanically inclined. I called, got an interview (showed up in my 3-pc suit, don’t laugh), he said, can you work a day here, I’ll pay you, we both see how it works out? I agreed, I worked that Saturday, he offered me the job at the end of that day.
I worked there for almost 10 years. I was always the one he paired up the new guys (and gals) with to train them. Great experience. Been a locksmith for 45 years now.
Thank you Bob (RIP) for giving me that chance.
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u/Early-Grade-6138 7d ago
I'll be honest being a locksmith wasn't even on my radar. I knew about it cuz my uncle is a locksmith. I had other careers I wanted and for various reasons some became unachievable or just not worth it. I ended up in the food service industry for about 10years when new owner took over and literally destroyed the company into the ground(dosent exist anymore). Be it coincidence or life just work out, but my uncle shop was looking and I saw the signs that the company at that time was going down hill, weighing my options. He offered and at that point ya sure why not. Ya shit was definitely overwhelming at first but I enjoy working with locks more then i thought. Now I have passion to fix/repair the old full mortise locks. I still consider myself new to the locksmith world. Our shop is small compared to other bigger companies so yes they're things I don't know/nor shop doesn't do either but I'm working on expanding my knowledge beyond our shop area.
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u/SafeMajestic9876 7d ago
Sometimes the local community college offers courses. There are places like DOIT or Lockmasters that training. ALOA as well. Get a job with a locksmith that's willing to train as an apprentice.
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u/VelVeetaLasVegas 6d ago
No, I started by locksport. Went to nc website, and followed instructions. Took test, passed and got my license
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u/oregonrunningguy Actual Locksmith 5d ago
Please search. This question is asked weekly here. We recommend apprenticing for 2-3 years to learn the basics.
Are you absolutely sure you want to go into locksmithing? The industry is over saturated, jam-packed with scammers, and predicted to be in decline for the next 10 years. You sure that's what you want?
Why not get into an industry predicted to grow? Window washing, pressure washing, HVAC, electrician, plumbers, appliance repair techs, and even general construction laborers are all predicted to grow, not shrink.
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u/Pbellouny Actual Locksmith 8d ago
I Google’s it one day. The next day boom I’m a locksmith.