Business

As Locksmith License Requirements Set to Expire, Will Illinois Become the ‘Wild West’ Some Critics Fear?

Jennifer Hoppes had just moved into her new Chicago apartment when she and her roommate accidentally locked themselves out.

It was 11 p.m. and Hoppes’ roommate had to pack for an early flight. Desperate and panicked, Hoppes called the locksmith number she found on a sticker pasted to the intercom in her building.

The locksmith arrived within an hour and drilled out her lock saying the only option was to replace it. The next day, her door still wouldn’t lock, and she was out $350.

After several phone calls the next day to the locksmith company, Mega Locksmith & Security, nobody returned to fix the mistake and Hoppes was left with an unlocked apartment for three days.

“I don’t know anything about locks, and he also took advantage of that,” Hoppes said.

Hoppes eventually gave up on Mega Locksmith & Security and reached out to her landlord who was able to fix the door. Adding to the confusion, Hoppes says her landlord said he had not placed the Mega Locksmith sticker in the lobby and it was not an endorsement by him.

The damaged lock left at Jennifer Hoppes' home. (Courtesy of Jennifer Hoppes)

Angry and upset, Hoppes wrote a scathing Yelp review online of Mega Locksmith & Security.

“They never apologized for their awful work and never sent anyone back out even after promising to do so,” Hoppes said in her review.

The company, which is licensed by the state, did not respond to emailed questions regarding the Hoppes’ case. By phone, Mega’s vice president did confirm, however, that it was fined $15,000 in 2012. A public records request to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) shows the fine was for “false advertising” and “unethical, unprofessional, and dishonorable conduct.”

The company has not been fined since, and eventually reimbursed Hoppes.

Law to disappear

The state law that currently mandates licensing requirements for locksmiths is expected to sunset in January 2029, thanks to legislation passed in Springfield.

Illinois is currently one of only 13 states that require locksmiths to be licensed and is one of the strictest states when it comes to licensing requirements, according to Bill Gibson, executive director at Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA).

Those seeking a license in Illinois must meet the following requirements:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Pass an authorized licensing exam
• Pass a criminal background check
• Get fingerprinted
• Have good moral character
• Pay up to $300 in fees.

Gibson says that requiring licensing for locksmiths is “a dual-edged sword,” as it may not always be properly enforced, failing to protect the consumer.

(Credit: DePaul’s Center for Journalism Integrity and Excellence)

Easing the Burden

Illinois state Rep. Edgar Gonzalez Jr., D-Chicago, a sponsor of the Regulatory Sunset Act, said the idea for this bill was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic when people were experiencing difficulty obtaining jobs and getting licenses.

“We want to remove as many barriers as possible, one of those was excessive licensing,” Gonzalez said.

Although the law eliminates the need for locksmith licensing and regulation, Gonzalez said that some requirements are still needed but that “the requirements aren’t way too stringent.” Gonzalez did not specify what the less stringent requirements would be or how they would be enforced.

Regulation of other professions will sunset as well: funeral directors, veterinarians, public accountants and private security contractors.

Gonzalez explained that the goal was to make it easier for Black and Brown people to become locksmiths. “In order to help them, either lower restrictions or eliminate them,” Gonzalez said.

Critics of the sunset are concerned it will result in fewer consumer protections for Illinois residents when they find themselves in a situation similar to Jennifer Hoppes.

Anne Gruber is the owner of Ashland Lock & Security Solutions and a member of IDFPR’s state regulatory review board for private detectives, locksmiths, security, alarm and fingerprint vendors. Gruber sympathizes with consumers like Hoppes saying she knows how uncomfortable it is to feel unsafe in your own home.

“I do know that most regulation happens because abuse occurred,” Gruber said. As a member of the IDFPR review board, she sees the complaints that come in.

When asked who will regulate locksmiths once the licensing law sunsets, Gruber said, “No one. It becomes the Wild West again.”

Currently, consumers can file complaints about locksmiths through an online form on the IDFPR website. Complaints are reviewed by the board before an administrative law judge determines any reprimands or fines. Gruber says judgements against a locksmith will become part of the individual or company’s permanent licensing record.

After publication, a spokesperson for IDFPR, which did not respond to calls during the reporting of the story, wrote the department plans to work with lawmakers and stakeholders to “update and extend” the existing law.

“All 54 professional licensing acts that govern the over 120 professions under the auspices of the Department have sunset provisions, which allow the Department and the Illinois General Assembly to regularly update these acts to ensure that they reflect current practices and protect consumers,” the statement reads, in part. “Overall, sunsetting legislation creates a structured and systematic approach to ensuring that the regulatory environment for licensed professionals remains effective, relevant, and aligned with the needs of society.”

‘Trunk Slammers’

Speaking to Hoppes’ experience, Gruber identifies the type of unlicensed locksmith who typically shows up when consumers call a number they find online, or on a sticker, during an emergency.

“We call them ‘trunk slammers’ in our world because they’re guys who work out of their cars,” Gruber said. “They’re not associated to a brick-and-mortar entity. They don’t have oversight and training; they don’t have supervision.”

Thom Johnson, vice president at the Better Business Bureau, said these unlicensed operators have tell-tale practices that can warn consumers that they’re not licensed locksmiths.

“Some of our consumers allege in their complaints that people show up, and they act like they are trying to pick the lock for a minute or two, and saying, ‘Sorry, this isn’t going to work, and we are going to have to drill it out,’” Johnson said, adding, drilling out a lock is not an uncommon practice for an inexperienced locksmith.

When a locksmith drills out and changes the lock, it can increase the bill by several hundred dollars. And the issues don’t stop there.

“Consumers also have alleged in their complaints that they’ll come in and have a door lock replaced, and it will fall apart within a couple of days,” Johnson said. “It will literally be loose and no longer working, and when they call back, they find out that the guarantee, the verbal guarantees, mean absolutely nothing.

What Comes Next?

That’s exactly what happened to Hoppes, and the experience left her wary of any locksmith who advertises directly in apartment buildings, as convenient as it may seem.

“Don’t assume anything,” Hoppes said. “Don’t think that just because there is a sticker that it means that that’s going to work for you. Because since this happened to me, I’ve seen other stickers on other buildings and I always wonder, ‘did somebody just put that there?’”

While Hoppes may be a wiser consumer now, the general public may not be aware. When the law sunsets in 2029, consumers will have to protect themselves in the case that they, too, get locked out.

Note: This story was updated June 5, 2024, to include a statement from IDFPR. 

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