Locksmith Insurance for locksmith firms
Insurance for locksmith companies with mobile technicians, a fleet of vans and often a shop or key cutting counter. Compare cover for emergency entry, lock changes, master key systems, safe work and the key records your business holds.
- Damage caused gaining entry, plus wrongful entry where offered
- Key records, restricted profiles and master key suites protected
- Programmers, picking tools and stock covered in vans and shops
Reviewed October 2026 by the MyBusinessComparison.com editorial team
What is locksmith insurance?
Locksmith insurance is cover for businesses that open, fit, repair and design locking systems for homes and commercial premises. Alongside liability to the public and customers, employers' liability and protection for tools, key programmers and stock, specialist policies can add sections for key records and master key system design and, on some schemes, wrongful entry.
Locksmiths carry risks that general trade policies are not built for. A technician who opens a door for someone with no right to be there, a stolen key record that lets a burglar copy a restricted key, or a master key suite that has to be replaced across a whole building can all lead to claims well beyond ordinary property damage.
Insurers want to know which services you offer, how technicians check identity before gaining entry, how key records are stored and whether you work on safes or vehicles.
Locksmith insurance at a glance
- Suits
- Locksmith companies with technicians, vans, shops or contract work
- Main sections
- Liability, employers' liability, wrongful entry, tools and stock
- Must have
- Employers' liability for technicians and counter staff
- Locksmith extras
- Key records, master key design and safe work
- Often required by
- Housing providers, managing agents, insurers' repair networks and retailers
- Separate cover
- Vans, under commercial vehicle insurance or a fleet policy
What does locksmith insurance cover?
A locksmith policy is put together from the sections below. Check each one has a limit that matches the work you take on.
Public liability
Injuries and property damage caused by your technicians, including damage done gaining entry, such as a split door frame or a drilled cylinder that damages a multipoint mechanism.
Read more about public liability insurance
Wrongful entry
Claims that follow when you open a property or vehicle for someone who turns out to have no right to it, such as a former partner or a person posing as a tenant. Some specialist schemes offer this, usually with conditions on identity checks.
Products and completed works
Claims arising from locks, door hardware and security products you supply and fit, such as a lock that fails and leads to a burglary or traps someone inside.
Read more about products liability insurance
Key records and master key systems
Liability and replacement costs if key records, restricted key profiles or master key data are lost or stolen, and errors in the design of a master key suite.
Professional indemnity
Claims arising from security surveys, advice on locking specifications and master key system design, where a client loses money but nothing is physically damaged.
Read more about professional indemnity insurance
Employers' liability
Injury to your technicians and shop staff, including cuts and crush injuries from key machines and drills, and lone working on night call-outs.
Read more about employers' liability insurance
Tools and key programming kit
Picking and entry tools, drilling kit and vehicle key programmers, expensive to replace and often targeted by thieves, insured in vans and on site.
Read more about business equipment insurance
Shop, stock and key blanks
Your premises, locks, safes, key blanks and cutting machines, with security conditions to match a shop that holds valuable security products.
Read more about shop insurance
Further cover locksmith firms often add
- Crime and fidelity insurance: theft by a technician or misuse of the key records your firm holds
- Motor trade insurance: for auto locksmiths who drive or store customers' vehicles
- Commercial legal expenses: pricing complaints, disputed call-out charges and employment claims
- Business interruption: lost profit while a damaged shop and workshop are repaired
Which locksmith businesses is this cover for?
Locksmithing has several distinct specialisms, and insurers price each one on its own. These are the locksmith firms we help most.
Fit alarms and access control too? See alarm and CCTV installers insurance, or all the trades we insure.
- Emergency and mobile locksmith firms: lock-outs and break-in repairs for homes and businesses, often around the clock with technicians working alone
- Contract locksmiths for property clients: lock changes, boarding up and access work for housing providers, managing agents and commercial landlords
- Locksmith and key cutting shops: a counter for key cutting, security products and safes, with a workshop behind
- Master key system specialists: designing and supplying restricted and master key suites for offices, schools, hospitals and campuses
- Safe engineers: opening, moving, servicing and installing safes and strong rooms, where contents and handling add risk
- Auto locksmiths: vehicle entry, key programming and replacement keys, where damage to vehicle electronics is a real exposure and handling customers' cars may call for motor trade insurance
- Locksmiths fitting access control: electronic locks, fob systems and door entry alongside mechanical work
- Door and window lock specialists: uPVC and aluminium door mechanisms, often working alongside glaziers
How much does locksmith insurance cost?
Insurers start with turnover and wage roll, then adjust for the services you provide and how you control the risks that are unique to locksmiths.
Services offered
Emergency entry, safe work and auto locksmithing are each rated differently from straightforward lock fitting and key cutting.
Identity checks
A documented process for confirming a customer's right to enter, recorded on every job, is something insurers look for.
Key record security
How restricted key records and master key data are stored, who can access them and whether they are encrypted all affect the price.
Premises protection
Shops holding locks, safes and key blanks are rated on alarms, shutters, safes and the stock value on site.
Vans and tools
The value of tools and programmers in each van, and whether vans are alarmed and emptied overnight, shape the tools premium.
Staff vetting and claims
Background checks on technicians and your claims history complete the picture.
Gaps to watch in locksmith insurance
These are the exclusions that catch locksmith firms out most often.
- Wrongful entry claims under general trade policies that do not include a specific section
- Entry carried out without following the identity checks your policy requires
- Damage to vehicle electronics during key programming, unless the policy is extended
- The contents of safes you open or move, beyond any limit set for goods in your care
- Theft by your own technicians, unless you hold crime and fidelity insurance
- Tools stolen from an unattended van overnight where the security terms were not followed
- Technicians' vans when driven, insured under a fleet policy or individual van policies
A locksmith policy or general public liability?
General cover looks similar on paper. The differences show up at claim time.
| Feature | Specialist locksmith policy | General public liability |
|---|---|---|
| Wrongful entry | Available on some schemes, with conditions | Rarely included |
| Key records and master keys | Can be included for loss and design errors | Usually not covered |
| Damage gaining entry | Often covered where reasonable care was taken | May be treated as damage to property worked on |
| Safes and vehicles | Can be added for safe engineers and auto locksmiths | Often excluded or limited |
| Tools and stock | Often included, with limits for programmers and picks | Needs a separate policy |
How to get locksmith insurance quotes
Insurers price locksmith risks on detail, so a few minutes of preparation goes a long way.
Break down your services
Show turnover from emergency entry, lock fitting, key cutting, master key systems, safes and vehicles.
Describe your identity checks
Explain how technicians confirm a customer's right to enter and how that is recorded.
Explain your key records
Set out how restricted profiles and master key data are stored and who can reach them.
List vans, tools and premises
The value of kit per van, your shop security and the stock and safes you hold.
Compare the detail
Check wrongful entry, key record cover, vehicle and safe work, tool limits and dishonesty cover.
Speak to a locksmith specialist
Let us know your services, technicians and premises, and a broker who insures locksmiths will compare options.
Compare quotesLocksmith insurance FAQs
How much does locksmith insurance cost?
It depends on your turnover, wage roll, the services you provide, your identity checking process, key record security, shop protection, tool values and claims history. Emergency entry and safe work usually carry more weight than key cutting.
Is damage caused while gaining entry covered?
Usually, on a specialist locksmith policy, provided the entry was carried out with reasonable care. General trade policies may treat a damaged door or lock as property being worked on and exclude it, which is a common gap for emergency locksmiths.
What is wrongful entry cover?
Where offered, it covers claims when you open a property or vehicle for someone who had no right to enter, and the owner suffers loss as a result. Insurers usually require proof of identity and address checks, so follow and record your process on every job.
Are lost or stolen key records covered?
A locksmith policy can pay for re-keying and liability to customers if restricted key records or master key data are lost or stolen. Insurers will ask how records are stored, both on paper and electronically, and who has access.
Should a locksmith firm hold professional indemnity insurance?
If you design master key systems, carry out security surveys or advise customers on locking specifications, it is worth having. A design error that forces a client to replace a master key suite is a financial loss, which public liability does not cover.
Can auto locksmiths get cover for work on customers' vehicles?
Yes, but it needs to be arranged specifically. Insurers ask about key programming and vehicle entry, and damage to a vehicle's electronics may need an extension. If you drive or store customers' vehicles, motor trade cover may also be needed.
Does locksmith insurance cover work on safes?
Safe opening, moving and servicing can be included if declared. Insurers will ask about the work you do and set a limit for the contents of safes in your care, so mention any high value work, such as jewellers or cash offices.
Are picking tools and key programmers covered in the van?
Yes, if tools cover extends to vehicles. Insurers commonly require an alarmed van and removal of high value kit overnight. Key programmers are often among the costliest items, so make sure the sum insured reflects their replacement cost.
How do I get a locksmith insurance quote?
Reach our partner through this page, and a broker who places locksmith risks will be in contact. They will want your service split, turnover, wage roll, identity check process, key record security, premises details and claims history.
Compare cover for your locksmith business
Entry, key records, tools and shop cover arranged for firms that hold the keys to other people's property.