Bill
HB 829
NC HB 829 requires licensure for locksmiths and locksmith businesses, tightens apprenticeships, and strengthens enforcement to protect sensitive facilities and public safety.
Status: Reported Favorably (Reptd Fav). Introduced in 2025 session. Sponsored by Representatives Schietzelt, Winslow, and Chesser (primary) and others.
Overview / Purpose
- Modernizes and strengthens North Carolina’s Locksmith Licensing Act to (1) require licensure for locksmith businesses as well as individual locksmiths, (2) tighten apprentice rules and supervision, and (3) strengthen enforcement and compliance requirements to protect sensitive facilities and records and increase public safety.
Key provisions and changes
- Licensure requirement
- No person may perform or offer locksmith services without a Board-issued locksmith license.
- The law explicitly covers locksmith work involving facilities that hold medical, pharmaceutical, educational, criminal, voting, tax, legal, personnel, or other sensitive records.
- Locksmith business licensing (new/clarified)
- Entities (corporations, LLCs, partnerships, sole proprietorships) providing locksmith services to the public must obtain a locksmith business license from the North Carolina Locksmith Licensing Board.
- Business license must be renewed annually.
- Business license application must include: articles of incorporation/organization (if applicable), an IRS Employer Identification Number (EIN), a North Carolina mailing address, the business license fee (per G.S. 74F‑9), and names/contact information for all persons doing locksmith work for the business.
- If a business is owned by a corporation/LLC/partnership, at least one specified officer/partner/member must hold an active locksmith license and be actively engaged in operations.
- Apprenticeship program revisions
- Apprenticeship designation issued by the Board requires: age ≥18, criminal history check (per G.S. 74F‑18), payment of fee, and completion of 16 hours of Board‑approved technical locksmith training.
- Apprentices must work under supervision of a licensed locksmith; the Board will set supervision rules.
- Board issues colored apprentice badge cards that apprentices must display while working.
- Apprentice designation is time‑limited (text indicates a three‑year period) and includes provisions for renewal or retaking the licensure exam; changing employers requires a transfer fee and notification to the Board.
- Qualifications for individual licensure
- Applicants must be ≥18, demonstrate good moral/ethical character (criminal history check), pass a Board exam on locksmith knowledge and applicable law, and pay required fees.
- Enforcement and penalties
- Violation of the licensure requirement is a Class 1 misdemeanor for a first offense; a second or subsequent offense is a Class I felony (unless another statute prescribes greater punishment).
- The Board may impose supervision, transfer, and other administrative requirements to improve compliance and accountability.
- Definitions and scope
- Clarifies definitions for “locksmith,” “locksmith business,” “locksmith services,” “locksmith tools,” “apprentice,” and the role of the “Board” (North Carolina Locksmith Licensing Board).
Who is affected
- Individual locksmiths (existing and prospective) — must be licensed.
- Businesses providing locksmith services — must obtain and renew a business license and ensure licensed staff and required disclosures.
- Apprentices — new training, supervision, badge, and time limits on apprenticeship.
- Employers and institutions (schools, hospitals, government facilities, etc.) — will need to ensure locksmiths servicing sensitive records/facilities are licensed.
- Consumers/public — expected to receive services from regulated, vetted practitioners.
Procedural / timeline notes
- Introduced in the 2025 session and reported favorably by committee (Reptd Fav). The bill has been referred to relevant committees (Regulatory Reform; Finance; Rules), and carries sponsors listed above.
- Fee amounts referenced (e.g., G.S. 74F‑9) are not specified in the provided text; implementation details (licensing forms, exact apprentice renewal rules, badge design) will be set by the Board by rule and administrative process.
Potential impacts
- Public-safety benefit from background-checked, licensed locksmiths servicing sensitive sites.
- Compliance costs for businesses (application fees, administrative recordkeeping, ensuring licensed personnel).
- Increased regulatory oversight and penalties likely to reduce unlicensed practice.
For more detail, consult the full bill text (G.S. 74F amendments) and the Board’s implementing rules once adopted.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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