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Locksmithing is the work of creating and bypassing locks. Locksmithing is a traditional trade and in many countries requires completion of an apprenticeship. The level of formal education legally required varies by country, ranging from no formal education to a training certificate awarded by an employer, or a full diploma from an engineering college, along with time spent as an apprentice.

A lock is a mechanism that secures buildings, rooms, cabinets, objects, or other storage facilities. A "smith" is a metalworker who shapes metal pieces, often using a forge or mould, into useful objects or to be part of a more complex structure. Thus locksmithing, as its name implies, is the assembly and designing of locks and their respective keys by hand. Most locksmiths use both automatic and manual cutting tools to mold keys, with many of these tools being powered by batteries or mains electricity.

Locks have been constructed for over 2,500 years, initially out of wood and later out of metal.^[1] Historically, locksmiths would make the entire lock, working for hours hand cutting screws and doing much file-work. Lock designs became significantly more complicated in the 18^th century, and locksmiths often specialized in repairing or designing locks.

Although replacing lost keys for automobiles and homes, as well as rekeying locks for security purposes, remains an important part of locksmithing, a 1976 U.S. Government publication noted that modern locksmiths are primarily involved in installing high-quality lock-sets and managing keying and key control systems.

Most locksmiths also provide electronic lock services, such as programming smart keys for transponder-equipped vehicles and implementing access control systems to protect individuals and assets for large institutions.^[2] Many also specialise in other areas such as:

• Auto Locksmithing
• Safes

In Australia, prospective locksmiths are required to take a Technical and Further Education (TAFE) course in locksmithing, completion of which leads to issuance of a Level 3 Australian Qualifications Framework certificate, and complete an apprenticeship. They must also pass a criminal records check certifying that they are not currently wanted by the police. Apprenticeships can last one to four years. Course requirements are variable: there is a minimal requirements version that requires fewer total training units, and a fuller version that teaches more advanced skills, but takes more time to complete. Apprenticeship and course availability vary by state or territory.^[3]

In Ireland, licensing for locksmiths was introduced in 2016,^[4] with locksmiths having to obtain a Private Security Authority license. The Irish Locksmith Organisation has 50 members with ongoing training to ensure all members are up-to-date with knowledge and skills.

In the UK, there is no current government regulation for locksmithing, so effectively anyone can trade and operate as a locksmith with no skill or knowledge of the industry.^[5]

Fifteen states in the United States require licensure for locksmiths. Nassau County and New York City in New York State, and Hillsborough County and Miami-Dade County in Florida have their own licensing laws.^[6] State and local laws are described in the table below. 15 states require locksmith licensing: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

Locksmiths may be commercial (working out of a storefront), mobile (working out of a vehicle), institutional (employed by an institution) or investigatory (forensic locksmiths) or may specialize in one aspect of the skill, such as an automotive lock specialist, a master key system specialist or a safe technician.^[2] Many locksmiths also work as security consultants, but not all security consultants possess locksmithing skills. Locksmiths are frequently certified in specific skill areas or to a level of skill within the trade. This is separate from certificates of completion of training courses. In determining skill levels, certifications from manufacturers or locksmith associations are usually more valid criteria than certificates of completion. Some locksmiths decide to call themselves "Master Locksmiths" whether they are fully trained or not, and some training certificates appear quite authoritative.

The majority of locksmiths also work on any existing door hardware, not just locking mechanisms. This includes door closers, door hinges, electric strikes, frame repairs and other door hardware.

The issue of full disclosure was first raised in the context of locksmithing, in a 19^th-century controversy regarding whether weaknesses in lock systems should be kept secret in the locksmithing community, or revealed to the public.

According to A. C. Hobbs:

A commercial, and in some respects a social doubt has been started within the last year or two, whether or not it is right to discuss so openly the security or insecurity of locks. Many well-meaning persons suppose that the discussion respecting the means for baffling the supposed safety of locks offers a premium for dishonesty, by showing others how to be dishonest. This is a fallacy. Rogues are very keen in their profession, and know already much more than we can teach them respecting their several kinds of roguery.

Rogues knew a good deal about lock-picking long before locksmiths discussed it among themselves, as they have lately done. If a lock, let it have been made in whatever country, or by whatever maker, is not so inviolable as it has hitherto been deemed to be, surely it is to the interest of honest persons to know this fact, because the dishonest are tolerably certain to apply the knowledge practically; and the spread of the knowledge is necessary to give fair play to those who might suffer by ignorance.

It cannot be too earnestly urged that an acquaintance with real facts will, in the end, be better for all parties. Some time ago, when the reading public was alarmed at being told how London milk is adulterated, timid persons deprecated the exposure, on the plea that it would give instructions in the art of adulterating milk; a vain fear, milkmen knew all about it before, whether they practised it or not; and the exposure only taught purchasers the necessity of a little scrutiny and caution, leaving them to obey this necessity or not, as they pleased.

-- From A. C. Hobbs (Charles Tomlinson, ed.), Locks and Safes: The Construction of Locks. Published by Virtue & Co., London, 1853 (revised 1868).

• William F. Banham, founder of Banham Security, invented the first automatic latch bolt lock in 1926 after a series of burglaries on his wife's dress shop. He opened up his own locksmith shop on Oxford Street, London, and offered £25 to anyone who could pick or break one of his patented locks^[25][26] Banham Group still offer the patented locks.^[27][28][29]
• Robert Barron patented a double-acting tumbler lock in 1778, the first reasonable improvement in lock security.
• Joseph Bramah patented the Bramah lock in 1784.^[30] It was considered unpickable for 67 years, until A.C. Hobbs picked it, taking over 50 hours.^[31]
• Jeremiah Chubb patented his detector lock in 1818. It won him the reward offered by the Government for a lock that could not be opened by any, but its own key.
• James Sargent described the first successful key-changeable combination lock in 1857. His lock became popular with safe manufacturers and the United States Treasury Department. In 1873, he patented a time lock mechanism, the prototype for those used in contemporary bank vaults.
• Samuel Segal of the Segal Lock and Hardware Company invented the first jimmy-proof locks in 1916.
• Harry Soref founded the Master Lock Company in 1921 and patented an improved padlock in 1924 with a patent lock casing constructed out of laminated steel.
• Linus Yale Sr. invented a pin tumbler lock in 1848.
• Linus Yale Jr. improved upon his father's lock in 1861, using a smaller, flat key with serrated edges that is the basis of modern pin-tumbler locks. Yale Jr. developed the modern combination lock in 1862.
• Alfred Charles Hobbs demonstrated the inadequacy of several respected locks of the time in 1851 at The Great Exhibition, and popularized the practice of full disclosure.

• Associated Locksmiths of America
• Door security
• Glossary of locksmithing terms
• Immobiliser
• Locksport
• Master Locksmiths Association
• The National Locksmith

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A lock is a mechanical or electronic fastening device that is released by a physical object (such as a key, keycard, fingerprint, RFID card, security token or coin), by supplying secret information (such as a number or letter permutation or password), by a combination thereof, or it may only be able to be opened from one side, such as a door chain.

A key is a device that is used to operate a lock (to lock or unlock it). A typical key is a small piece of metal consisting of two parts: the bit or blade, which slides into the keyway of the lock and distinguishes between different keys, and the bow, which is left protruding so that torque can be applied by the user. In its simplest implementation, a key operates one lock or set of locks that are keyed alike, a lock/key system where each similarly keyed lock requires the same, unique key.

The key serves as a security token for access to the locked area; locks are meant to only allow persons having the correct key to open it and gain access. In more complex mechanical lock/key systems, two different keys, one of which is known as the master key, serve to open the lock. Common metals include brass, plated brass, nickel silver, and steel. The act of opening a lock without a key is called lock picking.

You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in German. (May 2025) Click [show] for important translation instructions. View a machine-translated version of the German article. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Consider adding a topic to this template: there are already 1,816 articles in the main category, and specifying|topic= will aid in categorization. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing German Wikipedia article at [[:de:Schlüssel#Geschichte_von_Schloss_und_Schlüssel]]; see its history for attribution. You may also add the template Translated to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.

Locks have been in use for over 6000 years, with one early example discovered in the ruins of Nineveh, the capital of ancient Assyria.^[1] Locks such as this were developed into the Egyptian wooden pin lock, which consisted of a bolt, door fixture or attachment, and key. When the key was inserted, pins within the fixture were lifted out of drilled holes within the bolt, allowing it to move. When the key was removed, the pins fell part-way into the bolt, preventing movement.^[2]

The warded lock was also present from antiquity and remains the most recognizable lock and key design in the Western world. The first all-metal locks appeared between the years 870 and 900, and are attributed to English craftsmen.^[3] It is also said that the key was invented by Theodorus of Samos in the 6th century BC.^[1]

The Romans invented metal locks and keys and the system of security provided by wards.^[4]

Affluent Romans often kept their valuables in secure locked boxes within their households, and wore the keys as rings on their fingers. The practice had two benefits: It kept the key handy at all times, while signaling that the wearer was wealthy and important enough to have money and jewellery worth securing.^[5]

A special type of lock, dating back to the 17th–18th century, although potentially older as similar locks date back to the 14th century, can be found in the Beguinage of the Belgian city Lier.^[6][7] These locks are most likely Gothic locks, that were decorated with foliage, often in a V-shape surrounding the keyhole.^[8] They are often called drunk man's lock, as these locks were, according to certain sources, designed in such a way a person can still find the keyhole in the dark, although this might not be the case as the ornaments might have been purely aesthetic.^[6][7] In more recent times similar locks have been designed.^[9][10]

With the onset of the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century and the concomitant development of precision engineering and component standardization, locks and keys were manufactured with increasing complexity and sophistication.^[11]

The lever tumbler lock, which uses a set of levers to prevent the bolt from moving in the lock, was invented by Robert Barron in 1778.^[12] His double acting lever lock required the lever to be lifted to a certain height by having a slot cut in the lever, so lifting the lever too far was as bad as not lifting the lever far enough. This type of lock is still used today.^[13]

The lever tumbler lock was greatly improved by Jeremiah Chubb in 1818.^[12] A burglary in Portsmouth Dockyard prompted the British Government to announce a competition to produce a lock that could be opened only with its own key.^[5] Chubb developed the Chubb detector lock, which incorporated an integral security feature that could frustrate unauthorized access attempts and would indicate to the lock's owner if it had been interfered with. Chubb was awarded £100 after a trained lock-picker failed to break the lock after 3 months.^[14]

In 1820, Jeremiah joined his brother Charles in starting their own lock company, Chubb. Chubb made various improvements to his lock: his 1824 improved design did not require a special regulator key to reset the lock; by 1847 his keys used six levers rather than four; and he later introduced a disc that allowed the key to pass but narrowed the field of view, hiding the levers from anybody attempting to pick the lock.^[15] The Chubb brothers also received a patent for the first burglar-resisting safe and began production in 1835.

The designs of Barron and Chubb were based on the use of movable levers, but Joseph Bramah, a prolific inventor, developed an alternative method in 1784. His lock used a cylindrical key with precise notches along the surface; these moved the metal slides that impeded the turning of the bolt into an exact alignment, allowing the lock to open. The lock was at the limits of the precision manufacturing capabilities of the time and was said by its inventor to be unpickable. In the same year Bramah started the Bramah Locks company at 124 Piccadilly, and displayed the "Challenge Lock" in the window of his shop from 1790, challenging "...the artist who can make an instrument that will pick or open this lock" for the reward of £200. The challenge stood for over 67 years until, at the Great Exhibition of 1851, the American locksmith Alfred Charles Hobbs was able to open the lock and, following some argument about the circumstances under which he had opened it, was awarded the prize. Hobbs' attempt required some 51 hours, spread over 16 days.

The earliest patent for a double-acting pin tumbler lock was granted to American physician Abraham O. Stansbury in England in 1805,^[16] but the modern version, still in use today, was invented by American Linus Yale Sr. in 1848.^[17] This lock design used pins of varying lengths to prevent the lock from opening without the correct key. In 1861, Linus Yale Jr. was inspired by the original 1840s pin-tumbler lock designed by his father, thus inventing and patenting a smaller flat key with serrated edges as well as pins of varying lengths within the lock itself, the same design of the pin-tumbler lock which still remains in use today.^[18] The modern Yale lock is essentially a more developed version of the Egyptian lock.

Despite some improvement in key design since, the majority of locks today are still variants of the designs invented by Bramah, Chubb and Yale.

• 
  Pin tumbler lock: without a key in the lock, the driver pins (blue) are pushed downwards, preventing the plug (yellow) from rotating.
• 
  Wafer tumbler lock: without a key in the lock, the wafers (red) are pushed down by springs. The wafers nestle into a groove in the lower part of the outer cylinder (green) preventing the plug (yellow) from rotating.
• 
  Tubular lock: the key pins (red) and driver pins (blue) are pushed towards the front of the lock, preventing the plug (yellow) from rotating. The tubular key has several half-cylinder indentations which align with the pins.

A warded lock uses a set of obstructions, or wards, to prevent the lock from opening unless the correct key is inserted. The key has notches or slots that correspond to the obstructions in the lock, allowing it to rotate freely inside the lock. Warded locks are typically reserved for low-security applications as a well-designed skeleton key can successfully open a wide variety of warded locks.

The pin tumbler lock uses a set of pins to prevent the lock from opening unless the correct key is inserted. The key has a series of grooves on either side of the key's blade that limit the type of lock the key can slide into. As the key slides into the lock, the horizontal grooves on the blade align with the wards in the keyway allowing or denying entry to the cylinder. A series of pointed teeth and notches on the blade, called bittings, then allow pins to move up and down until they are in line with the shear line of the inner and outer cylinder, allowing the cylinder or cam to rotate freely and the lock to open. An additional pin called the master pin is present between the key and driver pins in locks that accept master keys, to allow the plug to rotate at multiple pin elevations.

A wafer tumbler lock is similar to the pin tumbler lock and works on a similar principle. However, unlike the pin lock (where each pin consists of two or more pieces) each wafer is a single piece. The wafer tumbler lock is often incorrectly referred to as a disc tumbler lock, which uses an entirely different mechanism. The wafer lock is relatively inexpensive to produce and is often used in automobiles and cabinetry.

The disc tumbler lock or Abloy lock is composed of slotted rotating detainer discs.

The lever tumbler lock uses a set of levers to prevent the bolt from moving in the lock. In its simplest form, lifting the tumbler above a certain height will allow the bolt to slide past. Lever locks are commonly recessed inside wooden doors or on some older forms of padlocks, including fire brigade padlocks.

A magnetic keyed lock is a locking mechanism whereby the key utilizes magnets as part of the locking and unlocking mechanism. A magnetic key would use from one to many small magnets oriented so that the North and South poles would equate to a combination to push or pull the lock's internal tumblers thus releasing the lock.

An electronic lock works by means of an electric current and is usually connected to an access control system. In addition to the pin and tumbler used in standard locks, electronic locks connect the bolt or cylinder to a motor within the door using a part called an actuator. Types of electronic locks include the following:

A keycard lock operates with a flat card of similar dimensions as a credit card. In order to open the door, one needs to successfully match the signature within the keycard.

The lock in a typical remote keyless system operates with a smart key radio transmitter. The lock typically accepts a particular valid code only once, and the smart key transmits a different rolling code every time the button is pressed. Generally the car door can be opened with either a valid code by radio transmission, or with a (non-electronic) pin tumbler key. The ignition switch may require a transponder car key to both open a pin tumbler lock and also transmit a valid code by radio transmission.

A smart lock is an electromechanics lock that gets instructions to lock and unlock the door from an authorized device using a cryptographic key and wireless protocol. Smart locks have begun to be used more commonly in residential areas, often controlled with smartphones.^[19][20] Smart locks are used in coworking spaces and offices to enable keyless office entry.^[21] In addition, electronic locks cannot be picked with conventional tools.

Look up lock or locks in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Lock(s) or Locked may refer to:

• Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance
• Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal

• Lock (film), a 2016 Indian Punjabi-language film
• Lock (waltz), a dance figure
• The Lock (Constable), an 1824 painting by John Constable
• The Lock (Fragonard) or The Bolt, a 1777 painting by Jean-Honoré Fragonard
• Lock (Saga of the Skolian Empire), a sentient machine in the novels by Catherine Asaro
• Locks (album), by Garnet Crow, 2008
• Locked (film), a 2024 American thriller
• Locked (miniseries), a 2020 Indian Telugu-language crime thriller
• "Locked", a song by Mutha's Day Out from My Soul Is Wet (1993)
• "Locked" (Incorrectly labeled “Gravity” in some places), a song by DJ3no made for the video game “Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy” (2011)
• LOCK, the stage name of Rokka Asahi, a fictional character from BanG Dream!

• Lock, from The Nightmare Before Christmas
• Lock, from Go! Princess PreCure

• Lock (surname)
• Ormer Locklear (1891–1920), American stunt pilot and film actor nicknamed "Lock"
• Lock Martin (1916–1959), stage name of American actor Joseph Lockard Martin, Jr.
• George Locks (1889–1965), English cricketer

• Lock, Ohio, an unincorporated community in the United States
• Lock, South Australia, a small town in the center of the Eyre Peninsula
• Lock Island, an island in the River Thames in England
• Lock Island (Nunavut), an island Peel Sound in Nunavut, Canada

• Lock (rugby league), a player position in rugby league, known as loose forward in the United Kingdom
• Lock (rugby union), a player position in rugby union
• Lock, any of several grappling holds in wrestling, judo and other martial arts

• Lock (computer science), a bookkeeping object used to serialize concurrent access
• Lock (database), a feature used when multiple users access a database concurrently
• File locking, describes a mechanism that restricts access to a computer file
• SIM lock, a restriction on mobile phones to work only in certain countries or with certain providers

• Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance
• Lock (firearm), the ignition mechanism of small arms
• Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal
• Lock (weapons guidance), missile navigation system's target acquisition fix
• Fermentation lock, a device in beer and wine making that allows carbon dioxide to escape while not allowing air to enter
• Rope lock, a device used in theater fly systems
• Airlock, a compartment for transfer between environments with different atmospheres
• Lockheed Martin, a military aerospace company

• Lock of hair, a piece of hair
• Dreadlocks, or locks, rope-like strands of hair formed by locking or braiding

• All pages with titles beginning with Lock
• All pages with titles containing Lock
• Loc (disambiguation)
• Lok (disambiguation)
• -lock, an Old English suffix
• Loch, a Gaelic term used in Scotland to describe lakes and other bodies of water
• Locke (disambiguation), a common English surname and place name
• Locker (disambiguation)
• Locking (disambiguation)
• LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe), a peer-to-peer network
• Lox, cured salmon filet
• Padlock (disambiguation)
• Lock and Key

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