Do you want to become a locksmith in North Carolina, US? How to become a locksmith in North Carolina? Different states in the US have their own rules and licensing requirements. Let’s see how you can become a North Carolina locksmith, get the necessary locksmith training course in North Carolina accredited locksmith schools, and finally get a North Carolina locksmith license.
If you live in North Carolina, you must read this article and learn the requirements for becoming a licensed locksmith in North Carolina. This guide will apply when you want to become a locksmith in any of these cities, Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Durham, Winston-Salem, Fayetteville, Cary, Wilmington, High Point, Concord, Asheville, Greenville, Gastonia, Jacksonville, Huntersville, and other cities in North Carolina.
North Carolina: Who is a Locksmith?
A locksmith is termed as a property protection service in North Carolina.
The North Carolina Locksmith Licensing Act defines a locksmith as following:
Services that include repairing, rebuilding, rekeying, repinning, servicing, adjusting, or installing locks, mechanical or electronic locking devices, access control devices, egress control devices, safes, vaults, and safe-deposit boxes for compensation or other consideration, including services performed by safe technicians. The definition also includes any method of bypassing a locking mechanism of any kind, whether in a commercial, residential, or automotive setting, for compensation.
In North Carolina, locksmiths are required to obtain a license. Locksmith services can only be provided by licensed entities.
According to North Carolina laws, working as a locksmith without a valid license by the state can be a felony crime. “Unless the conduct is covered under some other provision of law providing greater punishment, a violation of this section is a Class 1 misdemeanor for the first offense. A second or subsequent offense is a Class I felony.”
How to Get Locksmith Training in North Carolina?
For locksmith training, the licensing department of North Carolina does not have any certification requirements. However, it is recommended to obtain training via reputed education providers.
Though the NC Locksmith Licensing Board does not have any certification requirement, it does test for the knowledge and skills. The licensing exam is designed to check knowledge of someone with a year of experience as a locksmith.
The board sells a guide for this examination. The Board has a study guide (v.4.0) available for the locksmith licensure examination. It costs $30. You can purchase the study guide for the NC Locksmith Licensing exam through the official website of the board.
You need to acquire the skill and knowledge of the locksmithing trade. You can do so via online training, in-person trade school, working as an apprentice or self-learning through various resources. For obtaining a locksmith license, you just have to successfully complete the locksmith licensure exam.
How to Find Locksmith School in North Carolina?
Anyone looking to work as a locksmith in North Carolina (or anywhere for that matter) should acquire knowledge of the trade.
Locksmith certificate and diploma courses are available through community colleges, vocational schools, and locksmith trade associations.
Try to find a local locksmith school in your city in North Carolina. Check local phone directories, yellow pages and online directories for locksmith training courses near you. You can also seek guidance from your local friendly locksmith.
Locksmith schools are few in numbers, and not present in every city. You should expand your search and try to find a good trade school near you within and beyond North Carolina. You can also enroll in an online locksmith course to get a formal training in the locksmith trade.
As an alternative to locksmith training, an aspiring locksmith can also work as an apprenticeship under an experienced locksmith.
How to Get North Carolina Apprentice Locksmith License?
Any individual can get an apprentice locksmith license in North Carolina if the person meets the following eligibility criteria:
- At least 18 years of age.
- Good moral and ethical character, as evidenced in part by a criminal history record check
To obtain a locksmith apprentice license, there is a licensing fee of $300.
After obtaining a license and an identity badge card, the apprentice may practice as an apprentice locksmith under the supervision of a licensed locksmith.
An apprentice has to take the locksmith license examination and qualify within 3 years of starting as a locksmith apprentice. The apprentice may have the apprentice designation for no longer than three years. If the apprentice does not qualify the examination within the three-year period, the apprentice shall not receive a locksmith license and shall not be granted another apprenticeship.
During the apprenticeship, the individual can get employed with another licensed locksmith other than with whom he/she originally applied. The apprentice license has to be transferred to the new locksmith employer, for which a fee is payable.
Each licensed locksmith is normally allowed to have a maximum of two apprentices at one time.
How to Get North Carolina Locksmith License?
North Carolina requires that locksmiths obtain a valid license from the NC Locksmith Licensing Board before conduction any business. It also requires that apprentices also get valid licenses.
In North Carolina, the locksmith license fees are applicable. To register as a locksmith apprentice, the license fee is $300. New license fee and renewal fee is $300. Locksmiths have to take an exam conducted by NC Locksmith Licensing Board, for which a examination fee of $200 is applicable.
Licensure based on experience; licensure of nonresident; reciprocity: The NC Locksmith Licensing Board may grant a license to a person who resides in this State and has at least three years’ experience as a licensed locksmith in another state whose standards of competency are substantially equivalent to those provided in this Chapter. It may grant a license to a nonresident if the person meets the requirements of this Chapter or the person resides in a state that recognizes licenses issued by the Board.
Qualifications for license: An applicant shall be licensed as a locksmith if the applicant meets all of the following qualifications:
- At least 18 years of age
- Good moral and ethical character, as evidenced in part by a criminal history record check
- Successfully completes an examination administered by the Board that measures the knowledge and skill of the applicant in locksmith services and the laws applicable to licensed locksmiths
Locksmith exam: The North Carolina locksmith license exam is designed for someone with a year of locksmith experience. The exam is conducted several time a year, which you can check at http://nclocksmithboard.org/exam/. You must obtain a score of 70% to pass the NC Locksmith Licensing Exam.
The NC locksmith exam is designed in the following manner.
- General Locksmithing — 75 Questions
- Automotive Locksmithing — 20 Questions
- Safe and Vault — 15 Questions
- Access Control — 5 Questions
- Rules/Ethics/Laws — 35 Questions
You should read through the NC Locksmith Licensing Board’s General Statue and Administrative Rules, both found on the Board Website. You must be aware about fees, renewal requirements, and obtaining
apprentice licenses. You should also check the Ethics section of the NC Locksmith Licensing Board’s Administrative Rules for questions that are ethical scenarios.
Criminal history check: One of the steps of the North Carolina locksmith license application is the completion of a criminal background check through the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. This is obtained by completing a LIVESCAN of your fingerprints at a NC Law Enforcement Agency. If you are not residing in North Carolina, you will need to enclose a completed fingerprint card with your application.
What if you have a criminal history? Having a criminal record, including felony convictions, does not mean an automatic denial of your locksmith license application. You can still get a license as the board considers various factors such as seriousness of the crime, how long ago it was, efforts at rehabilitation, and references from the community and business leaders.
You can contact the licensing authority at the coordinates below.
NC Locksmith Licensing Board
P.O. Box 10972
Raleigh, NC 27605-
919-838-8782
http://www.nclocksmithboard.org/
Locksmith licenses are valid for 3 years from issuance, and must be renewed.
North Carolina locksmiths are required to display their locksmith license prominently at their place of business. They also have to include their locksmith license in their advertisements.
Verify customer identification & property ownership: When opening a locked door to any vehicle or residential or commercial property, a licensee shall make a reasonable effort to verify that the customer is the legal owner of the vehicle or property or is authorized by the legal owner to gain access to the vehicle or property.
Exemption to Locksmith License Requirements
Several scenarios are exempt from locksmith license requirement.
An employee of a licensed locksmith when acting under the direct control and supervision of the licensed locksmith who is physically accompanying the employee.
A person or business providing any of the following services don’t require a locksmith license so long as the person or business does not represent himself, herself, or itself as a locksmith:
- A towing service, or its employee, when providing services in the normal course of its business.
- An automotive repair business, or its employee, when opening a vehicle to perform service on the vehicle.
- A repossessing company, or its employee, while repossessing a vehicle.
- A motor vehicle dealer or a motor club when opening automotive locks in the course of business duties.
A property owner (hotel, motel, apartment, condominium, commercial and residential rental property, etc), or the owner’s employee, when providing locksmith services on the property owner’s property, don’t require a locksmith license so long as he/she does not represent himself or herself as a locksmith.
No license is required when a person is performing a locksmith service in an emergency situation without receiving any compensation for this service and who does not advertise those services.
Continuing Education for North Carolina Locksmiths
North Carolina requires that locksmiths continue their education. Currently, locksmith technicians have to complete at least 16 hours of continuing education and renew license every 3 years.
The NCLLB has a list of approved continuing education providers, which is available on its website.