PREVENT Contractors/Carpenters doing Locksmith Work!

Pending Admin Rule Tabled July 23, 2008 -- RULE §35.311 Exemptions (see below)

Will we continue to allow special interest groups to decide what work our locksmith license is for?

The Roadside services and Tow Industry used their power to block vehicle opening (unlocks) from being include in ‘regulated security work’. 

Another special interest group, possibility Retail Construction, used their power to exempt themselves from licensure requirements as ‘regulated services’, although we know they perform much of the same security work as locksmiths.

Unless we make ourselves heard by DPS/PSB Board and legislation we may ‘give away’ additional work to the Construction Industry & Glass Door Industry.

The State of Texas says they are concerned about the security of the general public, however, politics and power decide who must be regulated, not reason, it seems!

Buckets-of-mail is the only way we, as independent locksmiths, can make our voice heard to the DPS/PSB Board. Have everyone one of your employees write a letter to every one of the Board members. We only have about 2 months to make ourselves heard in Austin!

 RULE §35.311 Exemptions

(a) An owner or employee of a retail establishment open to the general public may perform work on a mechanical security device of the general public within the confines of the establishment, providing that the person does not use the term "locksmith" or any similar term that would lead a reasonable consumer to believe that the person is a registered locksmith. The work on the mechanical security device must be limited to servicing products sold by the establishment or duplicating keys.

(b) The mere physical placement of a lockset in a door, involving no re-keying or other internal manipulation of the locking mechanism, is not a regulated “installation” for purposes of  Sections 1702.1056 and 1702.2227 of the Act. No license is required under such circumstances, providing that the person does not purport to be a locksmith, use in any manner the term "locksmith" or any similar term, or otherwise lead a reasonable consumer to believe that the person is a registered locksmith.

Note:
The addition of subsection (b) is intended to clarify that individuals such as carpenters who merely place a customer-purchased lockset into a door as an incidental part of other carpentry services do not need to be licensed.