How to Become a Locksmith in Canada
Locksmithing is a specialized profession that requires precision and dexterity. Helpful courses are offered both online and offline, and you often must pass tests to become a certified locksmith in Canada. The Association of Ontario Locksmiths, British Columbia Association of Professional Locksmiths and Institutional Locksmiths Organization of Canada are a few of the institutions that award locksmithing licenses. Each province establishes the requirements for locksmiths to provide services in its province. Few provinces legally require locksmith licenses as of 2010, but some provinces may add legislation requiring licenses. For example, after June 1, 2010, locksmiths in Alberta are required to hold a license, according to Alberta's Security Services and Investigators' Act. Apprenticeships are required or recommended in some provinces.
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Instructions
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Apply and register for a locksmith program offered by a local college. Some colleges that offer the program include Ashworth College, Stratford Career Institute and Reeves College. Among the classes needed to obtain certification include safety codes, cylinder knowledge, and lock-picking. Enroll in online distance training programs to learn the basics of the profession.
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Register for a certification test at the school where you trained. Visit the school's websites to determine whether the test application is offered online. Complete a test application form and attach a passport-sized photo. Submit it with an affidavit that verifies your criminal records and includes your fingerprints.
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Pass the certification test. Prepare for the test by familiarizing yourself with the common terms and basic procedures in locksmithing. Tests normally include questions on basic information, such as security types and installation methods. Consider joining an online study group by participating in student forums. Test results are sent by mail or are published online with specific login information for each person who took the test.
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Begin work as a locksmith. Working as a locksmith for a company may help if you want to open your own locksmith business in the future. Even if your province does not require a locksmith license, a license typically provides more business opportunities because it supplies proof to customers of your capabilities.
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Tips & Warnings
All persons possessing lock-picking equipment in Alberta are required by the Solicitor General of Alberta to obtain a license.
Consider obtaining liability insurance to cover property damages or personal injuries that occur while working.
Apprentice programs are offered in some provinces, including Alberta and Ontario.
References
- Photo Credit key image by Alfonso d'Agostino from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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bugmenomore
Oct 07, 2010
Owning lockpicks themselves without a license isn't illegal. However, if you get caught in a situation where someone would think you had used or were intending to use them illegally, then and only then, could you be in sticky legal trouble. This is in Canada's Criminal Code. Possession of break-in instrument 351. (1) Everyone who, without lawful ex- cuse, the proof of which lies on them, has in their possession any instrument suitable for the purpose of breaking into any place, motor vehi- cle, vault or safe under circumstances that give rise to a reasonable inference that the instru- ment has been used or is or was intended to be used for such a purpose, (a) is guilty of an indictable offence and li- able to imprisonment for a term not exceed- ing ten years; or (b) is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.
