During the licensing process, the State of FL, the FBI and the Department of Justice collect identification and fingerprint information for each locksmith to ensure that he/she does not have a criminal background. This gives you assurance that the individual you are bringing into your home is legitimate and using his/her craft and skills for your protection.

Finally, and unfortunately, there are many individuals out there who are working as locksmiths but are not licensed. Most of the time these unlicensed, inexperienced, unprofessional locksmiths are simply trying to earn as much money as possible and therefore will give deleterious and misguided advice. Often these people do not have any real experience or training in the security industry and are motivated by greed.

Only a licensed locksmith can give you qualified advice and recommendations regarding security solutions (both physical and electronic) for your home or business.

So don't be shy. Ask your locksmith for his/her license number.

Mike Keys Locksmith, we are actively trying to inform and educate our clients about the difference between a licensed (bonded and insured) locksmith and an unlicensed, unqualified individual.

LICENSED = An individual or company has filed the necessary paperwork with state and/or federal government agencies and received a license to operate as an official business (in this case a locksmith and security company) within that state.

INSURED = An individual or company has purchased liability insurance to protect both the individual/company and their clients against any accidental damage. This is similar to the car insurance that we must have in order to operate a vehicle in the United States.

BONDED = An individual or company is bonded when they pay a nominal fee to a bonding company and, after passing a background check, are guaranteed that should an accident occur, the bonding company will post a certain amount of money in order to rectify the situation and fix the problem. Bonding is simiilar to insurance, but it is an added measure of protection for the client. Many top notch industry organizations offer bonding for their members in their respective industries; for example ALOA (Associated Locksmiths of America) offers bonding to their members (locksmiths).

Did you know that you can conduct your own locksmith license search? To verify the license number of a locksmith in Tampa. It is your right to this information and it will help you make a responsible decision when choosing your locksmith.