becoming certified/licensed as a locksmith in NYC

[deedogz]

Hello i'm new to this site and i was thinking about going to school to learn. Have anyone went to a school yet? How was it tell me something about what you learned please. oh yea i'm looking for school in the NYC area

[jason0]

I also found a distance learning program from a company called Education Direct

http://www.educationdirect.com/locksmith/

As to the quality, I can't say for sure. I did contact the New York State Education Dept. and confirmed that they are an accredited school by NYSED. They are also accredited by several other regional and national accrediting boards. Talked to someone at the school and although they say you can do the program in as little as 9 months, he said you could probably do it in 6 months or maybe less, depending on how fast a learner you are. Costs around $830-880, depending on how you pay.

My Uncle purchased this course. After a while, he lost interest, and passed the materials onto me. They consist of three binders (my guess 1 1/2 inch) some picks, a few locks, other basic tools, a small rekeying kit, and, when you finish, a key cutting machine. I just got them a few days ago, so I'm not that far into them, but i get a general sense of it. It's very boring to read, but it seems to cover everything. I think you send some stuff back, and I know you take an exam each lesson, of which there are 20. Here is the table of contents:

1. learning strategies
2. Locksmithing: An Expanding Career Field
3. Intro to locks and keys
4. key identification
5. Practical exercise - IDing keys
6. Lock Mechanisms
7. Residential Locks
8. Keymaking and Rekeying
9. PE - Duplicating a key by hand
10. PE - Rekeying the Kwikset Door Lock
11. Opening Locks without Keys
12. Home and Business Security
13. PE - Impressioning a key for a Mortise Cylinder
14. Shimming open and Rekeying the Mortise Cylinder
15. Automotive Locks
16. Safes and Vaults
17. Panic hardware and Electric Locks
18. Electronic Security
19. Starting a Small Business
20. Working as a Professional Locksmith

PE stands for Practical Exercise. I believe you do something (like make a key) then send it to them.

I have no more information as to who they are licensed by, but it does say this. As a graduation shipment, you get an Ilco key machine, a Locksmith patch, and a Locksmith Ledger Directory; the latter two suggest some credibility. hope this helps

[trigon]

i am a grad of charles stuart school of locksmithing. They helped me get my lic and a job. I have been working for the last ten years for a hardware. If you want to get your lic. Thier are 2 ways go thier or get 2 locksmith to sign for you.

[motorhead]

I have seen some of the videos from locksmith video school and they are ok, but i would only use them as a secondary source of info. Enroll in a course with a classroom setting that requires you to put in the hours and gives you hands on experience. Its easy with the videos to not put in the hours necessary and the hands on experience pays off.

I attend a locksmith class two nights a week and use a Foley-Belsaw course I bought on ebay to go along with my classroom learning. The correspondance course and classroom instruction go together very well. Good Luck!

[wiangube]

Hi deedogz,

Just a suggestion: if you want to get a good education, why don't you ask some professionals about their careers? I'd suggest you to start with this locksmith located in New York:

[edit- removed SPAM link-unlisted]

[freakparade3]

I'm afraid I don't understand here. You want to become a licensed locksmith so you can pick open locks to enter dwellings for fire or emergency calls? I know you also said you needed a second job but your comment on "getting the more interesting calls" concerns me. Picking locks even for experts is somewhat of a crapshoot. Noone can pick every lock they come across there are just to many variables. For a second job a lockout specialist on a big city may be a good money maker, but it's gonna take alot of practice with many types of locks to be able to offer good service to your customers. What woyld you do it you get called to an appartment to get them in and you see the dreaded word Medeco on the lock? You aren't going to pick it. And what if it's an emergency call? Do you think someone dying on the other side of the door will care if you break down the door? I think most would rather have help right away. One final piece of advice. Some of the best hobby pickers here can pick nearly any lock they are holding in there hands, but can't pick a $10 Kwikset deadbolt that is installed on a door.

[globallockytoo]

FREAK,

Picking medeco's arent that hard really. Only time consuming. It is often more likely that someone will drill a Medeco because they are too lazy to try picking, know what they are doing or have the tenacity and patience for the job.


I have been locksmithing for 25 years. Yesterday I couldnt pick a Schlage 6 pin SC4 entrance set cylinder on a grade 2 leverset. I tried for quite a while before just replacing the lock (I already had it off the door and in the privacy of my truck workbench)

I'm determined to pick the sucker so i wont drill it. My first attempt at impressioning failed also. I didnt have the time to waste on it any longer and I wasnt about to inconvenience my customer any more.

Sorry to hijack the thread.

[freakparade3]

I know that Medeco locks can be picked, my point was that picking is not always the best answer and you need to be prepared for other options. And that like your Schlage story, just because you can pick a Schlage at home don't mean you can easily pick any Schlage lock you come across. I have picked several yale locks with no problem but I recently aquired one that had been on a front door for likely 40 to 50 years that I cannot pick. It is perfect working order but no matter what pick I try or how much I vary the tension I cannot open it.

[Afisch]

I've got a yale that I pinned with all my left over security pins that just feels like nothing else.

[wiangube]

Hi,

I think I have a question similar to firescuems'.

How can I know a locksmith service located in New York is well prepared or certified? I'm talking specifically about these guys:

[edit- removed SPAM link-unlisted]

[globallockytoo]

Hi,

I think I have a question similar to firescuems'.

How can I know a locksmith service located in New York is well prepared or certified? I'm talking specifically about these guys:

[edit- removed SPAM link-unlisted]

Why dont you ask them for their license number?
One thing about their site that makes me a little suspiscious is their use of the ALOA logo. This particular logo is the previous logo that ALOA used before their current logo was copyrighted. There is a noticeable difference.

The reason ALOA was forced to modify and copyright their logo was because certain companies were using the logo for credibility without actually being members of ALOA. The previous logo, being non-copyrighted is legally able to be used by anyone, free from prosecution.

Only certified members of ALOA have permission to use the new logo.

[freakparade3]

Hi,

I think I have a question similar to firescuems'.

How can I know a locksmith service located in New York is well prepared or certified? I'm talking specifically about these guys:

[edit- removed SPAM link-unlisted]

Call your local better business bureau and check them out. Also remember that most licensed, bonded, and insured locksmiths usually state it in their advertisements, and will have no problem providing you with proof upon request.

[ryates]

i also want to be a locksmith in ny it seems like the only way to go is 11,000 for the charles stuart class which seems like a lot of money ...but worth it if you have the time to take the class why is it soooo hard to get a license in ny? what is aloa or *** can you get a license in ny through them? please advise
rich

[BuckeyeJoeR]

I am in Ohio so the rules may be different however you do not need state permission as long as you are a Police Officer or Firefighter and use this for work reasons. I attended a class from Hollotec for lock picking and it was a great class. It is a started class and you will get a lot of hands on training with real locks. You will also get tactical entry ideas on ways to make emergency entry into buildings and other ways to enter that have been created by the bad guys and are now used by law enforcement. Check in your state to see if Public safety is exempt from the license requirment. If like Ohio, public safety is exempt then using this on the job may give you the hands on experience you really need prior to paying the cash to go to a 10 or 11 grand school. Check out Hollotec and check to see if public safety is allowed without a license. BuckeyeJoeR

[victoria_1]

Hello, i m new here. Does anyone know of anywhere that offers an undergraduate degree in electronics and electrical engineering or similar via distance learning?

Thanks in advance...

Regards
Victoria Heden
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