To work as a locksmith in Virginia, you need an individual registration from the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) rather than what other states call a locksmith license. Getting the Virginia locksmith license — formally a DCJS locksmith registration — takes three things: an 18-hour approved training course, a fingerprint-based state and national background check, and an online application with fees that total roughly $100 before training tuition.1Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. Locksmith
Who Has to Register
Under Virginia Code 9.1-139, no one can work as a locksmith for a licensed private security services business without a valid DCJS registration.2Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 9.1-139 – Licensing, Certification, and Registration Required; Qualifications; Temporary Licenses The rule applies whether you pick residential locks, service commercial access control, or cut keys for walk-in customers. If you advertise locksmith services to the public, you need the registration.
Several groups are exempt. Retail merchants who cut keys or sell locks at their store don’t need to register as long as they don’t hold themselves out as locksmiths. Auto dealers, towing companies, and licensed contractors who handle locks incidentally to other work are also exempt, as are emergency responders performing lockouts without compensation.3Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code Title 9.1 Chapter 1 Article 4 – Private Security Services Businesses
Who Qualifies
You must be at least 18 years old.4Virginia Code Commission. 6 Virginia Administrative Code 20-174-40 – Initial Registration Application Beyond that, your criminal history is the main thing DCJS looks at. The agency may deny registration to anyone convicted of a felony in any jurisdiction. Disqualifying misdemeanors include offenses involving moral turpitude, assault and battery, property damage, controlled substances, prohibited sexual behavior, and firearms. A no-contest plea counts as a conviction.5Virginia Code Commission. 6 Virginia Administrative Code 20-174-110 – Denial, Probation, Suspension, and Revocation
Step 1: Complete the 25E Training Course
Every applicant must finish the 25E Locksmith entry-level course, which runs 18 hours of instruction plus a final exam.6Legal Information Institute. 6 Virginia Administrative Code 20-174-290 – Locksmith Compulsory Minimum Training Requirements DCJS-certified schools throughout Virginia offer the course, and the agency publishes a list of approved providers on its website.1Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. Locksmith Tuition varies by school. The 18-hour requirement is a floor, so some schools offer longer programs with more hands-on practice.
Step 2: Get Fingerprinted
After training, you submit fingerprints for both a Virginia Criminal History Records search and a National Criminal Records search.2Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 9.1-139 – Licensing, Certification, and Registration Required; Qualifications; Temporary Licenses Virginia contracts with Fieldprint for the service. Schedule an appointment at fieldprintvirginia.com or by calling 877-614-4364.7Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. Fingerprints
Two separate payments are involved. You pay DCJS a $25 fee for the Criminal History Processing Form, by check, money order, or credit card payable to the Treasurer of Virginia.8Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. Criminal History Processing Form You pay Fieldprint directly for the appointment, which runs about $35 to $40 depending on location.
Step 3: Submit Your Application
DCJS handles applications through its online Lotus portal. Create an account on the DCJS site, open the initial registration application, and fill in your personal details, your training information, and your fingerprint processing data.9Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. Apply for a License/Registration The form asks for your full legal name, Social Security number, residential address, the name of your training school, and the date you completed the 25E course.
The initial registration fee is $39.10Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. Private Security FAQs Add the $25 criminal history processing fee and the Fieldprint charge, and your total out-of-pocket cost for the registration itself lands around $100, not counting what you paid for training. Make sure every detail on the application matches the records held by your training provider and the fingerprint vendor. Mismatches are the most common reason applications stall.
Working Before the Card Arrives
Virginia has two paths that let you start earning before your permanent registration card shows up. A newly hired locksmith can work for up to 90 consecutive days while completing training, provided you carry a photo ID and written authorization from your employer on a DCJS-provided form at all times on duty.11Legal Information Institute. 6 Virginia Administrative Code 20-174-150 – Standards of Conduct You cannot pass 120 days of employment without receiving your registration or a department exception.
Once you’ve completed training, submitted fingerprints, and met the other requirements, DCJS can issue a temporary registration while the background check is pending.2Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 9.1-139 – Licensing, Certification, and Registration Required; Qualifications; Temporary Licenses The temporary registration is your legal authorization to work until the permanent credential is issued.
Keeping Your Registration Current
Locksmith registrations last two years.12Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. Private Security Services – Initial Registration Application Renewal costs $34.10Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. Private Security FAQs If you let the registration lapse, reinstatement adds $17 on top of the renewal fee. Renewals go through the same DCJS online portal used for the initial application.13Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. Renew a License/Registration
If You Want to Open Your Own Shop
Individual registration lets you work as a locksmith but doesn’t authorize you to run a locksmith company. Virginia treats locksmithing as a category of private security services, so any business providing locksmith services to the public under contract needs its own DCJS private security services business license, separate from and in addition to each employee’s registration.14Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. Business
A business license requires more than the individual credential does:
- At least $1,000,000 in comprehensive general aggregate liability insurance from a Virginia-authorized insurer, with DCJS listed as a certificate holder.
- A DCJS-certified compliance agent responsible for keeping the business and its employees in line with every statutory and regulatory requirement.
- A physical Virginia address, not a P.O. box, where records are kept and available for DCJS inspection.
- State Corporation Commission registration showing your entity is authorized to do business in Virginia.
The business application also goes through the DCJS online portal, and each additional service category beyond the first costs $50.14Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. Business
Penalties for Skipping Registration
Working as a locksmith without registration, or running a locksmith business without the DCJS license, is a Class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia.15Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 9.1-149 – Unlicensed Activity Prohibited; Penalty That’s the most serious misdemeanor classification in Virginia and carries possible jail time and fines. DCJS also has independent authority to deny, suspend, or revoke registrations for conduct violations, so a shortcut at the start can close the door on the trade permanently.