California locksmith license
Yes. California's Bureau of Security and Investigative Services licenses locksmith companies, and the locksmiths who work for a licensed company register as locksmith employees, under the Locksmith Act. A company license renews every two years.
Last checked October 13, 2026 · 20 quoted facts from official pages
California at a glance
- State license
- Yes, a statewide license
- License types
- 3
- Renewal
- Every 2 years
License types
As the agency names them.
Company
Locksmith Company license (LCO)
Required for any person or business performing locksmith work for compensation (rekeying, installing, repairing, opening or modifying locks, originating keys, including transponder/automotive key programming). A person whose work is limited to duplicating keys is not a locksmith. One person must be designated in active charge. Valid two years.
Company
Locksmith Company Branch Office registration (LCB)
Required for each additional physical location, including the California office of an out-of-state business dispatching locksmith services in California.
Individual
Locksmith Employee registration (LOC)
An employee performing locksmith services must apply within seven days of starting work, with fingerprints; a temporary registration card issued by the licensee is valid up to 120 days (not available to applicants with a prior conviction). Valid two years.
Requirements
Only what the official pages state. A blank means we could not confirm it.
- Background check
- California DOJ and FBI fingerprint background check (Live Scan in California; two hard fingerprint cards for out-of-state applicants) for each owner, partner, corporate officer and person in active charge, and for each employee registrant.
Fees
From the agency's fee rules. Fees change, so check before you apply.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Locksmith Company (LCO) initial application fee (on or after 10/1/2025) | $275 |
| Locksmith Company (LCO) initial license fee (on or after 10/1/2025) | $275 |
| Locksmith Company (LCO) biennial renewal (on or after 10/1/2025) | $550 |
| Locksmith Company (LCO) delinquent renewal, renewal fee plus $275 delinquency fee (on or after 10/1/2025) | $825 |
| Locksmith Company Branch (LCB) initial application (on or after 10/1/2025) | $275 |
| Locksmith Company Branch (LCB) renewal (on or after 10/1/2025) | $165 |
| Locksmith Employee (LOC) initial registration application (on or after 10/1/2025) | $60 |
| Locksmith Employee (LOC) renewal (on or after 10/1/2025) | $44 |
| Locksmith Employee (LOC) delinquent renewal, $44 renewal plus $25 delinquency fee (on or after 10/1/2025) | $69 |
| Fingerprint hard-card submission payment per owner/partner/officer (out-of-state or no Live Scan access), per LCO application packet | $49 |
Renewal and continuing education
- Renewal
- Every 2 years
Working without a license
Misdemeanor punishable by a $10,000 fine, up to one year in county jail, or both (Bus. & Prof. Code 6980.10(b) and 6980.13(a)); courts may also issue injunctions with civil fines up to $10,000 (6980.14), and a person convicted cannot be issued a license for a year after a first conviction (6980.13(c)).
What the official sources say
Each line is a short quote from the official page it links to, with the date we read it.
California requires a locksmith license or employee registration to perform locksmith work (Bus. & Prof. Code 6980.10(a)).
“unless the person holds a valid locksmith license, is registered pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, or is exempt”
Source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov · checked October 13, 2026
The statutory definition of locksmith covers transponder cloning and automotive key programming (Bus. & Prof. Code 6980(j)).
“including, but not limited to, electronic cloning of transponder keys and any other electronic programming of automotive keys”
Source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov · checked October 13, 2026
Someone who only duplicates existing keys is not a locksmith under the Act (Bus. & Prof. Code 6980(j)); BSIS FAQ confirms no license is needed for duplicate keys only.
“A “locksmith” does not mean a person whose activities are limited to making a duplicate key from an existing key.”
Source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov · checked October 13, 2026
Violating the Locksmith Act is a misdemeanor punishable by a $10,000 fine and/or up to one year in county jail (Bus. & Prof. Code 6980.13(a)).
“a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year”
Source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov · checked October 13, 2026
A superior court may enjoin unlicensed locksmith activity and impose civil fines up to $10,000 (Bus. & Prof. Code 6980.14(a)).
“may impose civil fines not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000).”
Source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov · checked October 13, 2026
A locksmith company license expires two years after issuance unless renewed (Bus. & Prof. Code 6980.27).
“Every locksmith license shall expire at 12 midnight of the last day of the month two years following the date of issuance unless renewed”
Source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov · checked October 13, 2026
BSIS states the Locksmith Company license is valid for two years (FAQ, revised July 2020).
“The Locksmith Company license is valid for two years.”
Source: bsis.ca.gov · checked October 13, 2026
Locksmith employee registrations also run on a two-year cycle (Bus. & Prof. Code 6980.50(a)).
“All registrations shall be placed on a cyclical renewal and shall expire two years following the date of issuance or assigned renewal date.”
Source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov · checked October 13, 2026
Show 12 more facts
Unregistered employees performing locksmith services must apply for registration within seven days of starting work (Bus. & Prof. Code 6980.42(a)).
“Within seven days after commencing employment, any employee of a locksmith who is not currently registered with the bureau”
Source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov · checked October 13, 2026
Employee registration requires fingerprints with an FBI background check (Bus. & Prof. Code 6980.42(a)).
“two classifiable fingerprint cards, one set of which shall be forwarded to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for purposes of a background check”
Source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov · checked October 13, 2026
A temporary employee registration card is valid no more than 120 days (Bus. & Prof. Code 6980.42(b)).
“A temporary registration card shall in no event be valid for more than 120 days.”
Source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov · checked October 13, 2026
Company license applicants (owners, partners, officers, person in active charge) undergo a California DOJ and FBI Live Scan criminal history check (LCO application packet, Rev. 10/2025).
“check is made on all applicants through the completion of a Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Live Scan.”
Source: bsis.ca.gov · checked October 13, 2026
Initial Locksmith Company fees are a $275 application fee plus a $275 license fee (LCO application packet, Rev. 10/2025).
“the $275 application fee and the $275 license fee ($550 total).”
Source: bsis.ca.gov · checked October 13, 2026
Out-of-state applicants submitting hard fingerprint cards include a $49 payment per listed owner/partner/officer (LCO application packet, Rev. 10/2025).
“Two completed fingerprint cards • Include payment of $49.00”
Source: bsis.ca.gov · checked October 13, 2026
BSIS fee schedule (dated September 2025; columns 'Prior to 10/1/2025' and 'On or After 10/1/2025'): LCO renewal $500 before, $550 on or after 10/1/2025.
“Renewal Application $500 $550”
Source: bsis.ca.gov · checked October 13, 2026
BSIS fee schedule (September 2025): LCO delinquent renewal $825 on or after 10/1/2025 ($550 renewal + $275 delinquency).
“Delinquent Renewal ($550 renewal fee + $275 delinquency fee) $750 $825”
Source: bsis.ca.gov · checked October 13, 2026
BSIS fee schedule (September 2025): Locksmith Company Branch initial application $275 and renewal $165 on or after 10/1/2025.
“Locksmith Company Branch (LCB) - Initial Application $250 $275 - Renewal Application $150 $165”
Source: bsis.ca.gov · checked October 13, 2026
BSIS fee schedule (September 2025): Locksmith Employee registration $60 initial and $44 renewal on or after 10/1/2025.
“Locksmith Employee (LOC) - Initial Application $55 $60 - Renewal Application $40 $44”
Source: bsis.ca.gov · checked October 13, 2026
BSIS fee schedule (September 2025): Locksmith Employee delinquent renewal $69 on or after 10/1/2025.
“Delinquent Renewal ($44 renewal fee + $25 delinquency fee) $65 $69”
Source: bsis.ca.gov · checked October 13, 2026
A person convicted under the Act cannot be issued a license for one year after a first conviction (Bus. & Prof. Code 6980.13(c)).
“shall not be issued a license for a period of one year following a first conviction”
Source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov · checked October 13, 2026
Sales tax on locksmith work in California
Rates, local taxes and how California treats labor and repair charges: sales tax facts for California.
Running a locksmith business in California on IntelliDrive OS
What the software does today, nothing more. It does not apply for licenses, file returns or give legal or tax advice.
One tax rate per shop
Add your rates under Settings → Tax Rates, then choose each shop’s default rate under Settings → Outlets, so every shop charges its own local rate.
All featuresRecords kept digitally
Invoices, receipts, signatures and photos are kept digitally for your records, and you can send a receipt to the customer by email or text.
Payment-link evidencePayment links through your own account
Text or email a payment link through your own QuickBooks Payments, Square or Stripe account. On a payment-link sale the record keeps the customer’s signature, the terms they accepted, IP address and device, photos, and location when their browser shares it.
Payment processingStock by shop and van
Each shop, and each van you set up as its own location, keeps its own stock, with reorder points, counts and exact transfers between locations.
InventoryYour team, hours and commission
Time clock, timesheets, pay rates and per-technician commission reporting, with role permissions and staff limited to their own shop.
WorkforceQuickBooks Online, when you choose
Push sales and payments from IntelliDrive OS to QuickBooks Online. It is a one-way push that you start yourself.
QuickBooks integrationScheduling and dispatch (add-on)
Scheduling, dispatch, live GPS and ETA texts come with the GetTimePad add-on at $199/month. It is not part of the $79 plan.
SchedulingMore for locksmiths: IntelliDrive OS for locksmiths.
California locksmith license questions
Do you need a license to be a locksmith in California?
Yes. California's Bureau of Security and Investigative Services licenses locksmith companies, and the locksmiths who work for a licensed company register as locksmith employees, under the Locksmith Act. A company license renews every two years.
Who issues locksmith licenses in California?
Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (California Department of Consumer Affairs), under Business and Professions Code § 6980 and following (Locksmith Act).
How much does a California locksmith license cost?
Locksmith Company (LCO) initial application fee (on or after 10/1/2025): $275. Locksmith Company (LCO) initial license fee (on or after 10/1/2025): $275. Locksmith Company (LCO) biennial renewal (on or after 10/1/2025): $550. Locksmith Company (LCO) delinquent renewal, renewal fee plus $275 delinquency fee (on or after 10/1/2025): $825. Fees change, so check the agency's fee page before you apply.
How often do you renew a California locksmith license?
Every 2 years.
What happens if you work as a locksmith without a license in California?
Misdemeanor punishable by a $10,000 fine, up to one year in county jail, or both (Bus. & Prof.
This guide summarizes the official pages linked next to each fact. Rules and fees change, so check with the licensing agency before you apply or take work. This is not legal advice.
Last checked October 13, 2026.
Run your California locksmith business on IntelliDrive OS
$79/month per business, billed monthly, with unlimited users.
The first 30 days are free. A card is required at signup and the first charge is on day 31; cancel in Settings → Billing before then and you pay nothing.