Guide for commercial locksmiths · checked 10 November 2026
Commercial locksmith software for master key systems, key control and code-compliant doors
A commercial locksmith's real product is a key system: a bitting schedule that decides which of 4,000 doors each key opens, a list of who holds every key, and the cores that get swapped when one goes missing. Around it sit the door hardware jobs that have to pass a fire marshal: delayed egress signs within 12 inches of the bar, maglocks that drop on fire alarm, latches that catch on every fire door. This guide covers how that work runs, what to record and how to set software up around it.
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Short answer
Locksmiths doing mostly lockouts and rekeys run on Workiz or Housecall Pro; commercial shops add master keying software such as WH Software's ProMaster or InstaCode for bitting, and their customers often hold keys in InstaKey or a KeyTrak cabinet. What a commercial locksmith needs from field software is a register of every opening and cylinder tied to the keying schedule, a key issue log per key holder, a rekey workflow when a key is lost, restricted keyway authorizations, door hardware checks against IBC, ADA and NFPA 80, and licensing records in the 13 states that require them.
2 years
How long a California locksmith keeps each work order for opening a building, with the requester's name, address, phone, date of birth, ID number and signature
13 states
Require locksmith licensing as of January 2025 (AL, CA, CT, IL, LA, MD, NV, NJ, NC, OK, OR, TX, VA), plus New York City and Nassau County
1,000,000
Cycles a Grade 1 bored lock must pass under ANSI/BHMA A156.2, against 400,000 for Grade 2 and 200,000 for Grade 3
source: CLK Supplies, Locksmithing 101: lock hardware grades 1, 2 and 3 (cycle tests)
12 inches
A delayed egress door's sign sits above and within 12 inches of the exit hardware: PUSH UNTIL ALARM SOUNDS. DOOR CAN BE OPENED IN 15 SECONDS
source: Locksmith Ledger, A guide to delayed egress (Oct 2024, with IBC delayed egress text)
How a job runs
One commercial locksmith job, from first call to paid
The order the work really happens in, and what has to be written down at each step so nothing is argued about later.
- 1
Survey every opening before designing anything
A new key system starts with the floor plans and a walk of every door: the customer's door number, which department owns it, the lock function and make, how many cylinders it holds, the frame and the hardware's condition. Medeco's deployment guide asks the locksmith to agree up front what format the survey is delivered in, because the customer will want it in their own system.
- 2
Design the hierarchy around the building, not the org chart
The keying conference sets the levels (change key, master, grand master, great grand master), which doors are keyed alike, which are cross keyed and how much room to leave for growth. ASSA ABLOY's guide warns that cross keying and complicated systems reduce both security and expansion, and suggests written expansion numbers such as 20 changes under the grand master and 50 per master. The customer signs off the schematic before a single pin is loaded.
- 3
Generate the bitting schedule and key symbols
Software or a hold and vary chart turns the design into bittings. A 6-pin two-step system gives 4,096 theoretical change keys, and the maximum adjacent cut specification (MACS) knocks that down by roughly 10 percent before cross keying takes more. Each key gets a blind code or symbol (for example AA, AB1) so the stamped key does not reveal its bitting.
- 4
Order restricted product with the customer's authorization
Restricted keyways ship only to the dealer that holds the system, and only against the end user's authorization. Schlage now issues a Restricted Product Authorization (RPA) through an online portal, with an expiry date for repeat use and a record of who created each one. Patents matter here: Schlage says Everest 29 keys are patent protected until 2029, which is what makes copying them a federal matter.
- 5
Pin the cores in the shop, install on site door by door
Cylinders or interchangeable cores are pinned to the schedule, tagged with the door number and installed in a planned order so the building is never half on the old system without a key that works. Each installed cylinder is checked with its change key, its master and the top master, and stragglers are listed before the crew leaves.
- 6
Issue keys against a signature
Keys go to named holders, each with a serial or stamped number, a receipt signature and the doors that key opens. The locksmith often keeps this log for the customer. A 'do not duplicate' stamp is not the control: in the US it has no legal weight, and ALOA calls it 'not effective security'.
- 7
Fix door hardware to the code that applies to the door
Most commercial service calls are hardware: a closer that does not close, a lever that sags, an exit device that will not latch, a maglock that will not release. Each fix is checked against the rule for that door type: the IBC electric locking sections, ADA 5 pound operation and 34 to 48 inch height, and on fire doors the 13 NFPA 80 inspection items.
- 8
Rekey when a key goes missing
A lost master is a project, not a call. The schedule shows every door that key operates, the locksmith quotes the cores to repin or swap, and the replaced key is retired in the register so nobody issues that bitting again by mistake.
- 9
Close with the key system record, invoice and next review
The job closes with the updated door register, the key issue log, what was rekeyed and why, and the work order details any state requires. In California, a job that opened a building for someone keeps the requester's ID details and signature on file for two years.
What to record
The fields every commercial locksmith job should capture
Each opening and cylinder (one record per door)
- Customer door number, building, floor, room name, owning department, photo of the door from both sides
- Lock function and type (bored, mortise, exit device trim, rim, padlock), manufacturer, BHMA grade, cylinder format (conventional, SFIC, FSIC, rim, mortise) and count
- Keyway, key symbol and blind code of the change key that operates it, keyed alike group, any cross keying
- Electric hardware if any: maglock, electric strike, electrified trim; fail safe or fail secure; IBC release method (door hardware release, sensor release, delayed egress)
Each key and key holder
- Key symbol, stamped serial number, keyway, quantity cut, date issued, issued by
- Holder name, role, department, signature on receipt, date returned or reported lost
- Restricted product: Schlage RPA or other manufacturer authorization number, who authorized, expiry date
- Lost or stolen keys: date reported, doors affected (from the schedule), rekey job number, bitting retired yes or no
Each code check and compliance record
- Delayed egress: 15 or 30 second setting, 3 second nuisance delay, sign text and position, fire alarm release tested, UL 294 listing
- Sensor release maglock: egress sensor, manual unlock 40 to 48 in high and within 5 ft, stays unlocked 30 seconds, releases on fire alarm and power loss
- Fire door hardware: NFPA 80 items for latching, closer, coordinator, auxiliary hardware, field modifications, label
- California work order for any opening: requester name, address, phone, date of birth, ID number, signature, locksmith name and license number
Rules and standards
The rules that shape the work, with their sources
| Rule | What it means on the job |
|---|---|
| State licensing: 13 states and some cities | ALOA counts 13 states that require locksmith licensing as of January 2025: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and Virginia. New York City and Nassau County license locally. Illinois' licensing is scheduled to sunset on 1 January 2029, and Broward County, Florida has ended its local license. source: ALOA Security Professionals Association, Advocacy and legislative updates (state and local licensing, January 2025) |
| California: work order for every opening | A locksmith who opens a residence or commercial establishment for someone by on-site inspection of a door must get the street address and the person's signature on a work order, and record their name, address, phone number, date of birth and driver's license or ID number. Each work order is kept two years with the locksmith's name and license number, open to peace officers and the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. source: California Business and Professions Code section 6980.55 (work order for opening a residence or commercial establishment) |
| California: Penal Code work orders, same two years | Licensed locksmiths are also bound by Penal Code 466.6 and 466.8, which require verifying the client's identification and keeping work orders with the client's details. A copy of each is retained for two years with the locksmith's name and license number. source: California Business and Professions Code section 6980.53 (Penal Code 466.6 and 466.8 work orders, two year retention) |
| Texas: who counts as a locksmith company | Under Texas Occupations Code 1702.1056, a business is a locksmith company if it sells, installs, services or maintains mechanical security devices such as deadbolts and locks, advertises using the word 'locksmith', or has it in its name. Those companies need a Private Security Bureau license from the Department of Public Safety; hotels are excluded. source: Texas Occupations Code section 1702.1056, Locksmith company |
| ANSI/BHMA grades: cycle tests by grade | BHMA's A156 series sets the tests for each hardware type: A156.2 bored locks, A156.3 exit devices, A156.5 cylinders and input devices, A156.13 mortise locks, A156.23 electromagnetic locks. For bored locks, Grade 1 must pass a 1,000,000 cycle test, Grade 2 400,000 and Grade 3 200,000. Specs name the standard and grade together, for example 'A156.13 Grade 1'. source: National Lock Supply, BHMA A156 series cheat sheet (May 2026) |
| ADA: 5 pounds, one hand, 34 to 48 inches | Section 404.2.7 of the 2010 ADA Standards requires handles, latches and locks to comply with 309.4 (one hand, no tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist, 5 pounds maximum force) and puts operable parts 34 to 48 inches above the floor. Panic hardware codes allow 15 pounds, and ICC A117.1-2017 allows 15 pounds push or pull and 28 inch-pounds rotational, so some jurisdictions enforce 5 pounds and some do not. source: iDigHardware (Lori Greene, Allegion), Decoded: operational force for door hardware (ADA 404.2.7 and 309.4) |
| IBC delayed egress: 15 seconds, 3 seconds, one per path | A push held for no more than 3 seconds starts an irreversible release in no more than 15 seconds (30 where approved), with an audible signal at the door. The lock releases on sprinkler or fire detection activation and on power loss, rearms only by hand, and is listed to UL 294. An egress path passes through only one delayed egress lock, except I-2, I-3 and some I-1 and I-4 occupancies where two are allowed with 30 seconds combined. Emergency lighting goes on the egress side. source: Locksmith Ledger, A guide to delayed egress (Oct 2024, with IBC delayed egress text) |
| IBC sensor release maglocks: the 40 to 48 inch button | Under 2021 IBC 1010.2.12, a sensor on the egress side unlocks the door as someone approaches, power loss unlocks it, and a manual unlocking device 40 to 48 inches above the floor and within 5 feet of the door cuts power directly and keeps the lock open at least 30 seconds. Fire alarm activation unlocks it until the alarm is reset. Door hardware release (1010.2.11) instead requires the lever or bar itself to cut power. source: iDigHardware, 2021 IBC sections on electric locking (1010.2.11 door hardware release, 1010.2.12 sensor release) |
| NFPA 80: annual inspection of fire door hardware | Fire doors are inspected after installation, after repairs and annually against 13 criteria, including latching hardware that secures the door when closed, a self-closer that fully closes the active leaf, a coordinator that closes the inactive leaf first, no auxiliary hardware that interferes, and no field modifications that void the label. Reports record the date, inspector, each assembly and its deficiencies. source: Buildings (Lori Greene), From signage to latching hardware: 13 fire door inspection criteria to know (July 2026) |
| Restricted keyways: the end user's authorization | Schlage requires an end user authorization for restricted keys, blanks and cylinders, now issued as a Restricted Product Authorization (RPA) through its portal. An RPA can carry an expiry date so it covers repeat orders, and the account shows who created each one and which order used it. source: Schlage, Restricted product brochure 110673 (Restricted Product Authorization portal) |
| Patented keyways: what keeps blanks restricted | Patent protection is what stops third parties making blanks, and patents expire. Schlage states Everest 29's undercut key design is patent protected until 2029, and its Primus cylinders listed to UL 437 are tested and certified for pick and drill resistance. source: Schlage, Everest 29 keyways (patent protection to 2029, Primus UL 437, SFIC formats) |
| 'Do not duplicate' has no legal weight | In the US there is no direct legal sanction for copying a key stamped do not duplicate (US Postal Service keys and Department of Defense keys are covered by federal law). ALOA calls DND stamping deceptive because it gives a false sense of security, which is why commercial key control rests on restricted keyways and issue records. source: Wikipedia, Key duplication: Do not duplicate key and US restrictions |
Rules vary by state, council and contract. Checked 10 November 2026; confirm against the source for your area before relying on it.
Numbers
The figures a commercial locksmith designs, specifies and checks against
Each figure is from the source named. Master key capacities are theoretical; usable keys drop with MACS and cross keying.
| Item | Figure | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Bored lock cycle test (A156.2) | Grade 1: 1,000,000; Grade 2: 400,000; Grade 3: 200,000 | CLK Supplies |
| 5-pin hold and vary system | 1,024 theoretical change keys | Locksmith Ledger |
| 6-pin hold and vary system | 4,096 theoretical change keys | Locksmith Ledger |
| 7-pin hold and vary system | 16,384 theoretical change keys | Locksmith Ledger |
| Usable keys after MACS | About 10% fewer than theoretical | Locksmith Ledger |
| Delayed egress release | 15 s (30 s if approved) after a 3 s push | IBC via Locksmith Ledger |
| Sensor release manual unlock | 40 to 48 in high, within 5 ft, open 30 s | 2021 IBC 1010.2.12 |
| ADA hardware force and height | 5 lb max; 34 to 48 in above floor | ADA 309.4 and 404.2.7 |
| Panic hardware release force | 15 lb max (IBC, IFC, NFPA 101, UL 305, A156.3) | iDigHardware |
| Fire door bottom clearance | 3/4 in max (NFPA 80, 2025) | Buildings |
| California work order retention | 2 years | B&P Code 6980.55 |
| Everest 29 patent protection | Until 2029 | Schlage |
source: CLK Supplies, Locksmithing 101: lock hardware grades 1, 2 and 3 (cycle tests)source: Locksmith Ledger (Gale Johnson), Mastering the art of masterkeying (2017)source: Locksmith Ledger, A guide to delayed egress (Oct 2024, with IBC delayed egress text)source: iDigHardware, 2021 IBC sections on electric locking (1010.2.11 door hardware release, 1010.2.12 sensor release)source: iDigHardware (Lori Greene, Allegion), Decoded: operational force for door hardware (ADA 404.2.7 and 309.4)source: Buildings (Lori Greene), From signage to latching hardware: 13 fire door inspection criteria to know (July 2026)source: California Business and Professions Code section 6980.55 (work order for opening a residence or commercial establishment)source: Schlage, Everest 29 keyways (patent protection to 2029, Primus UL 437, SFIC formats)
Where it breaks
Where spreadsheets and generic software fall over
A hospital's grand master goes missing and nobody can say which of 1,800 doors it opens, because the bitting schedule lives in one retired locksmith's master keying file and the door numbers changed in a renovation.
Every opening record carries the key symbols that operate it, kept current at each install, so a lost key returns the exact door list and a rekey quote the same day.
Keys are issued from a spreadsheet; a departing facilities manager hands back 'about 12 keys' and nobody can prove which ones.
Each key is serialized and issued against a signature to a named holder, and leaving staff get a returns list generated from their record, item by item.
A tech installs a maglock on a stair door with a push button at 52 inches and no fire alarm tie-in, and the fire marshal fails the door at the annual walk.
Electric lock jobs require the IBC release method to be chosen first, then ask for button height, distance from the door, 30 second hold and fire alarm release test, and fail outside the limits.
A retail chain orders 40 restricted cores for a new store and the order sits at the distributor because the authorization expired last month.
Each key system holds its manufacturer authorization number and expiry; a restricted parts line cannot be ordered against an expired one, and renewal is asked for in advance.
A California tech opens a storeroom for a man who says he is the new manager and writes 'opened door' on the ticket.
Any opening job in California blocks completion until the requester's name, address, phone, date of birth, ID number and signature are on the work order, which is then kept two years.
A school district's 'Grade 1' spec gets filled with Grade 2 levers on a rush order, and they fail within two years on the gym doors.
Hardware lines carry the BHMA standard and grade, and an opening tagged Grade 1 in the spec cannot take a lower grade part without a recorded substitution approval.
Checklist
The commercial locksmith operations checklist
Print it, or hand it to whoever runs the office side.
- Door register with the customer's door numbers, lock function, cylinder format and count
- Key symbol and blind code on every opening, matching the bitting schedule
- Signed customer approval of the keying schematic before pinning
- Written expansion allowance per master and grand master
- Serialized key issue log with holder signatures and returns
- Lost key workflow that lists affected doors and retires the bitting
- Restricted keyway authorization number and expiry per key system
- BHMA standard and grade on every hardware line
- IBC release method recorded on every electrified egress door
- Delayed egress sign text and position, nuisance delay and fire alarm test recorded
- ADA force and 34 to 48 inch height checked on replaced hardware
- NFPA 80 latching, closer and coordinator checks on fire doors
- State license numbers per tech and company, with expiry and continuing education
- California opening work orders with ID details kept two years
Software options
What software commercial locksmiths actually use
Judge each one on whether it fits the way your jobs run, not on the feature list. Bring a real job to every demo.
Workiz
Locksmith companies with a high volume of lockouts, rekeys and service calls
Has a locksmith page covering AI call answering, deposits before dispatch, inventory by truck, good, better, best proposals and custom checklists to record compliance against illegal entry disputes. Check how it holds door registers, key systems and key holders for commercial accounts.
Housecall Pro
Smaller locksmith shops focused on residential and light commercial calls
Lists locksmith business software with scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, quotes and an AI call answering service. Built around jobs and customers rather than key systems.
ProMaster (WH Software)
Commercial locksmiths designing and maintaining large master key systems
Master keying software for bitting generation and key system management; the PM8 Premium edition lists reports, imports from other master keying software and from lock manufacturers, and unlimited system size. A companion Key Manager product lets the end customer track key holders. It is a keying tool, not a dispatch or invoicing system.
InstaKey
Property portfolios and housing authorities that want to rekey without a locksmith visit
Sells a key control program with user-rekeyable cylinders, restricted keyways and key tracking software, plus outsourced key system management. It is run by the end customer, so a locksmith working on those sites works alongside it.
KeyTrak
Customers that hold keys in a locked cabinet (dealerships, campuses, multifamily, police)
Electronic key management cabinets and drawers with a mobile app, which log who took which key and when. Locksmiths install and maintain these alongside the key system they keep.
Published prices, compared:source: Workiz, Locksmith softwaresource: Housecall Pro, Locksmith business softwaresource: Locksmith Security Centre (LSC), WH Software ProMaster 8 master keying software, Premiumsource: InstaKey Security Systems (key control program, user-rekeyable cylinders, key tracking software)source: KeyTrak, electronic key management systems
Questions to ask any vendor
- Can every door be its own record with its cylinders, key symbols and the customer's door number, imported from our master keying software?
- If a grand master is reported lost, can the system list every door it operates and turn that into a rekey quote?
- Can keys be serialized and issued to named holders with a signature, and returned item by item when someone leaves?
- Can a restricted keyway order be blocked when the manufacturer authorization has expired?
- Can electric lock jobs require the IBC release method and its checks before the job closes?
- In California, can an opening job require the requester's ID details and signature and keep them for two years?
Bring one real commercial locksmith job. We show it running in Fieldproxy.
Get DemoHow Fieldproxy is set up for this
Commercial locksmith on Fieldproxy: built around how you already work
A Fieldproxy setup for a commercial locksmith is built around the key system: each customer's openings with their cylinders and key symbols, the bitting levels above them, the people who hold each key, and the manufacturer authorization that lets the shop order restricted cores. Hardware service, rekeys, electric lock installs and fire door checks all hang off the door they happen on.
Module 1
Door and cylinder register
A lost key, a fire marshal note or a hardware failure always comes back to one door number.
- Records: Customer > Site > Building > Opening (customer door number) > Cylinders, Hardware, Electric devices
- Opening fields: lock function, manufacturer, BHMA standard and grade, cylinder format (conventional, SFIC, FSIC, rim, mortise), count, fire rated yes or no, photos
- Import from the master keying export (e.g. ProMaster XLSX) so door numbers and key symbols match the schedule
- Rule tags: fire door, electrified egress, delayed egress, ADA route, restricted keyway
Module 2
Key system and bitting levels
The schedule is the product the customer is paying to keep correct.
- Records: Key system > Levels (GGM, GM, MK, change) > Key symbols, keyed alike groups, cross keying notes
- Fields: keyway, manufacturer, blind codes (bittings stay in the keying software or a restricted field), expansion allowance per level
- Statuses: Survey, Design, Awaiting customer sign-off, Pinning, Installing, Live, Rekey in progress
- Rule: a system cannot move to Pinning until the customer's signed schematic is attached
Module 3
Key issue and return log
Key control is a list of named people and numbered keys, and it is what the customer asks for after a theft.
- Each key: symbol, serial, holder, role, department, issued by, date, signature
- Returns checklist generated per leaving holder, item by item
- Lost or stolen: report date, doors affected pulled from the register, rekey quote opened automatically
- Retired bittings flagged so they are never issued again
Module 4
Restricted product and core ordering
A restricted order with a lapsed authorization stalls a store opening.
- Per key system: manufacturer, authorization number (e.g. Schlage RPA), authorized signers, expiry date
- Order lines for cores, cylinders and blanks blocked when the authorization has expired
- Shop pinning jobs: cores tagged by door number, checked with change key, master and top master
- Stock of blanks and cores by keyway in the shop and each van
Module 5
Rekey and core swap projects
A lost master or a tenant change touches dozens of doors in a fixed order.
- Project created from a lost key or a tenant move, with the affected door list from the register
- Install sequence by building and floor so no area is left without a working key
- Per door: old core removed, new core installed, tested on all levels, photo
- Close-out report: doors done, stragglers, keys issued and retired
Module 6
Electric lock and egress check forms
Maglocks, strikes and delayed egress fail inspections on details a generic ticket never asks.
- Release method chosen first: door hardware release (1010.2.11), sensor release (1010.2.12), delayed egress
- Sensor release: button height 40 to 48 in, within 5 ft, 30 s hold, fire alarm and power loss release tested
- Delayed egress: 15 or 30 s, 3 s nuisance delay, sign within 12 in of the hardware, UL 294 listing, emergency lighting noted
- Fail safe or fail secure, power supply and access control panel details
Module 7
Door hardware service and fire door checks
Most commercial revenue is closers, exit devices and levers, and fire doors carry their own annual rule.
- Hardware lines with BHMA grade; a downgrade from the spec needs a recorded approval
- Fire doors: NFPA 80 latching, closer, coordinator, auxiliary hardware, field modification and label checks per visit
- ADA checks on replaced hardware: lever type, 5 lb operation, 34 to 48 in height
- Deficiency quote per door, approved by the property manager in the portal
Module 8
Licensing and opening work orders
In licensed states the shop's paperwork is inspected, not just its work.
- Tech profile: state license number, type, expiry, continuing education hours, fingerprint and background check dates
- Company licenses per state (e.g. Texas PSB company license) with expiry
- California opening jobs require requester name, address, phone, date of birth, ID number and signature; record locked for two years
- Jobs in licensed states only offered to techs with a current license there
Module 9
Customer outputs and reporting
Facilities managers, auditors and fire marshals each want a different document from the same key system.
- Facility portal: door register, open deficiencies, keys by holder, lost key history
- Audit pack: keys issued and outstanding by department, retired bittings, rekeys this year
- Fire marshal pack: electrified egress doors and fire doors with the latest check results
- Management: rekey projects by customer, restricted orders waiting on authorization, licenses expiring in 60 days
The AI agents, set up for commercial locksmiths
| Agent | When | What it does | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watcher agent | A manufacturer authorization is within e.g. 30 days of expiry, a tech's state license is close to expiry, or a lost key has no rekey job after e.g. 3 days | Checks each key system's authorization date, each tech's license record and every open lost key report | An alert to the service manager naming the customer, key system or tech, and a renewal or rekey task |
| Command Center | A facilities manager or the office asks 'which doors does key AB open?' or 'who still holds a GM key at building 3?' | Reads the door register, key symbols and the issue log for that customer | The door list or the named holders with serial numbers, and a rekey quote draft if asked |
| Vision agent | A tech photographs a lock body, a cylinder face, a fire door label or a hardware stamp during a survey | Reads the manufacturer, model, function, keyway stamp, BHMA grade marking or fire label rating | Filled opening fields on the door register, with the fire door tag set from the label |
| Document intelligence agent | A contractor emails a door hardware schedule PDF or a fire marshal emails a deficiency list | Reads door numbers, hardware sets, grades and deficiencies, and matches them to openings in the register | Hardware lines per opening, or jobs on the right doors with the marshal's deadline as the due date |
| Dispatch agent | A commercial lockout, a failed exit device or a maglock that will not release is logged | Matches techs by distance, a current license in that state, electric lock experience and the cores and blanks on each van | An assigned tech with an arrival window; licensed state work only to licensed techs |
| Autopilot | A rekey quote after a lost master, or a fire door deficiency quote, has no answer after e.g. 5 days | Drafts a follow-up naming the key lost, the number of doors it opens, or the doors and NFPA 80 items that failed | A draft email the office approves before it sends |
Straight answers
Commercial locksmith: FAQ
What software do commercial locksmiths use?
Service-heavy locksmiths run on Workiz or Housecall Pro; commercial shops add master keying software such as WH Software's ProMaster or InstaCode for bitting, and many of their customers track keys in InstaKey or a KeyTrak cabinet. What the field software needs is a door register tied to the key system, a key issue log, a lost key rekey workflow, restricted keyway authorizations, electric lock and fire door checks, and licensing records.
Which states require a locksmith license?
ALOA lists 13 as of January 2025: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and Virginia. New York City and Nassau County license locally. Illinois' requirement is scheduled to sunset on 1 January 2029.
What records must a California locksmith keep?
For opening a residence or commercial building for someone, a work order with the street address, the person's signature, name, address, phone number, date of birth and driver's license or ID number. Each work order is kept two years with the locksmith's name and license number and shown to police or BSIS on request.
How many keys can a master key system have?
In a hold and vary system, a 5-pin system has 1,024 theoretical change keys, 6-pin 4,096 and 7-pin 16,384. The maximum adjacent cut specification cuts usable keys by about 10 percent, and each cross key or extra master level takes more.
What is the difference between ANSI Grade 1, 2 and 3 locks?
They are performance grades under the BHMA A156 standards. For bored locks (A156.2), Grade 1 passes a 1,000,000 cycle test, Grade 2 400,000 and Grade 3 200,000, along with strength and security tests. Commercial specs usually call for Grade 1 on high traffic doors.
Is it illegal to copy a key stamped 'Do Not Duplicate'?
In the US there is generally no legal sanction for copying a key stamped do not duplicate; ALOA calls the stamp a false sense of security. Real key control comes from patented, restricted keyways whose blanks are sold only against the owner's authorization, plus a signed key issue log.
How long does a delayed egress lock hold the door?
Under the IBC, pushing the hardware for up to 3 seconds starts an irreversible release that opens the door in no more than 15 seconds, or 30 seconds where the authority approves. It must release on fire alarm or sprinkler activation and on power loss, and carry a sign within 12 inches of the hardware.
Where does the push to exit button go on a maglock door?
For sensor release electric locks under 2021 IBC 1010.2.12, the manual unlocking device sits 40 to 48 inches above the floor and within 5 feet of the door, cuts power to the lock directly and keeps it unlocked for at least 30 seconds.
What does a locksmith check on a fire door?
NFPA 80's annual inspection has 13 criteria. The hardware ones are latching hardware that secures the door when closed, a self-closer that fully closes the active leaf, a coordinator that closes the inactive leaf first, no auxiliary hardware that stops it closing or latching, and no field modifications that void the label.
Can Fieldproxy hold a customer's master key system?
Yes. A Fieldproxy setup holds each opening with its cylinders and key symbols, the levels of the key system, the key holders and the manufacturer authorization, so a lost key returns the doors it opens and a rekey project can be created from that list. Bittings can stay in your master keying software.
Related guides
All sources on this page (29)
- source: California Business and Professions Code section 6980.55 (work order for opening a residence or commercial establishment)
- source: ALOA Security Professionals Association, Advocacy and legislative updates (state and local licensing, January 2025)
- source: CLK Supplies, Locksmithing 101: lock hardware grades 1, 2 and 3 (cycle tests)
- source: Locksmith Ledger, A guide to delayed egress (Oct 2024, with IBC delayed egress text)
- source: California Business and Professions Code section 6980.53 (Penal Code 466.6 and 466.8 work orders, two year retention)
- source: Texas Occupations Code section 1702.1056, Locksmith company
- source: National Lock Supply, BHMA A156 series cheat sheet (May 2026)
- source: iDigHardware (Lori Greene, Allegion), Decoded: operational force for door hardware (ADA 404.2.7 and 309.4)
- source: iDigHardware, 2021 IBC sections on electric locking (1010.2.11 door hardware release, 1010.2.12 sensor release)
- source: Buildings (Lori Greene), From signage to latching hardware: 13 fire door inspection criteria to know (July 2026)
- source: Schlage, Restricted product brochure 110673 (Restricted Product Authorization portal)
- source: Schlage, Everest 29 keyways (patent protection to 2029, Primus UL 437, SFIC formats)
- source: Wikipedia, Key duplication: Do not duplicate key and US restrictions
- source: Locksmith Ledger (Gale Johnson), Mastering the art of masterkeying (2017)
- source: Workiz, Locksmith software
- source: Housecall Pro, Locksmith business software
- source: Locksmith Security Centre (LSC), WH Software ProMaster 8 master keying software, Premium
- source: InstaKey Security Systems (key control program, user-rekeyable cylinders, key tracking software)
- source: KeyTrak, electronic key management systems
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