Last Updated on October 1, 2026
Arizona does not specifically license locksmiths. There is no locksmith license in this state. But Arizona does require a contractor license for bigger jobs. If a job costs more than $1,000 in parts and labor, or it needs a building permit, the company doing the work needs a license from the Arizona Registrar of Contractors, the ROC. Most Phoenix locksmiths don’t have one. We do. ROC #271563.
What the ROC license covers
The Arizona law is A.R.S. 32-1121. It lists the people who are exempt from a contractor license requirement. Everyone else needs one.
Paragraph 14 is the part that matters here. Most people call it the handyman exemption. It says you can hire someone without a license if the whole job costs less than $1,000, parts and labor together, and the work is small.
Three things cancel that.
- If the job needs a building permit, the person needs a license no matter what it costs.
- If the job is part of a bigger project, or someone splits one job into small pieces to stay under $1,000, it doesn’t count.
- And if someone advertises without a license, their ad has to say “not a licensed contractor.”
The last one is very important. I’ve seen a lot of unlicensed locksmiths advertise as “licensed,” but what they’re referring to is having a business license, not a contractor license.
Look at the ad or the website before you call. No ROC number and no warning means they aren’t licensed and/or following the law.
Which jobs need a license
Price decides it, not the type of work. A lock is a lock whether it costs $90 or $9,000. Once parts and labor pass $1,000 on one job, whoever does the work needs a license.
Locksmith work passes $1,000 more often than people think. Access control, a master key system, storefront hardware, panic bars, several doors at once, or gate hardware get there fast.
| Job | Typical total | Needs an ROC license? |
|---|---|---|
| Rekey a house | $350 typical | No |
| Replace a few house locks | Varies | No, if the total stays under $1,000 |
| Access control for a business | $800+ | Yes |
| Master key system for an office | Varies | Yes, once it passes $1,000 |
| Panic bar swap | $1,000+ | Depends on the total, and on the permit |
| Storefront door hardware | Varies | Depending on setup |
How many Phoenix locksmiths have one?
As of 09/30/2026, only 9 locksmith companies in the Phoenix area were found to have an active ROC contractor license with an additional 5 companies outside of Phoenix Metro (Yuma, Tucson, etc.)
How we counted
We searched the public ROC database for active licenses with “locksmith” and with “lock and” in the business/DBA name (to capture names with ‘lock and safe’, ‘lock and key’, etc.). You can run the same search at the ROC contractor search. We check this again every year.
How to verify a locksmith in two minutes
- Ask for the ROC number before the work starts, not after.
- Type it into the ROC contractor search.
- Make sure the business name matches the name on your bill and on the van.
- Make sure the license is active and not expired.
- Read the complaint history while you’re there.
If they can’t give you a number, you have your answer. These same checks catch most of the tricks in our guide on how to spot a locksmith scam.
Why it’s important to hire a licensed locksmith
A.R.S. 32-1121 lists the exceptions and the penalties.
We’re locksmiths, not lawyers, so read it yourself instead of trusting our summary. Here’s the part that affects you. If a company has no license, the ROC has no license to take away. That’s the main way you’d get help if the job goes bad.
If the job goes wrong, hiring a licensed contractor gives you somewhere to go. There’s a bond behind the license, the ROC can act against it, and on residential work you may be able to claim against the state Recovery Fund. None of that exists when the company isn’t licensed.
Why ACME Locksmith has one
We do commercial work that passes $1,000 all the time, so we need it. ACME Locksmith holds Arizona ROC license #271563. We run four shops in Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale and Gilbert, and we’ve been in business since 1995. There’s more on our about page, the shops are on our four shops page, and the work that usually needs the license is on our commercial services page.
Want to know what this costs first? We publish that too: what a Phoenix locksmith costs.
Got a job that crosses the line? Schedule service and ask for the ROC number when we confirm. We’ll give it to you.
Arizona Locksmith License Questions
Does a locksmith need a license to open my car?
No. A car isn’t a building, and a lockout costs nowhere near $1,000. The contractor rule only covers construction work on buildings.
Does the ROC license cover the tech who shows up, or the company?
The company. Arizona licenses the business, with one person named on the license as the qualifying party. So check the business name on your bill against the name on the license, not the technician’s name.
A locksmith told me they're bonded and insured. Is that the same thing?
No. Bonded and insured are two separate things you can buy without any license at all. A company can be both and still have no ROC license. However, having an ROC license guarantees that the company you’re hiring is bonded (it’s a requirement of the license).
Do I need a licensed locksmith to rekey my house?
No. A house rekey costs well under $1,000 and needs no permit, so the law doesn’t require a license. But you may still want to know who’s coming to your door.
