How to Choose a Motorcycle Locksmith in California

Quick answerIn California, a business that makes keys from scratch, opens locks or programs transponder keys must hold a locksmith company license from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, and its employees must be registered. Verify the license before anyone touches the bike, get an estimate on the phone, and expect to be asked for ID and registration. A locksmith who skips the ownership check or cannot show a license is the one to avoid.

What California requires of a locksmith

The Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, known as BSIS, licenses locksmith companies under the Locksmith Act in the Business and Professions Code. Its consumer guide says a locksmith company is a business that rekeys, installs, repairs, opens or modifies locks or makes keys, and that this includes electronically duplicating transponder keys and other electronic programming of vehicle keys and devices such as fobs. Someone who works for that company and does locksmith work must be registered with the Bureau as a locksmith employee.

Owners, partners, corporate officers and employees go through a criminal history background check with the Department of Justice and the FBI. Section 6980.10 makes it a misdemeanor to work as a locksmith, or to advertise as licensed, without a license, punishable by a fine, county jail time, or both. There are narrow exemptions: retail counters and individuals that only duplicate a key from an existing key, tow truck drivers who only open vehicles and do not originate keys, and new motor vehicle dealers acting within their dealership.

How to verify a license

BSIS tells consumers to verify that a company is licensed, or that an employee is registered, before doing business with them. You can use the Verify a License search on the Bureau's website, which runs through the Department of Consumer Affairs license search, or call the Bureau. Search by the business name or by the license number, and check that the status is current and that the name matches the company you called.

Ask for the locksmith company license number when you call; state law requires it in a licensee's advertising, along with a name, address or phone number that matches Bureau records
On arrival, ask to see the company license or the employee registration card, plus photo ID
The company license must be displayed at the place of business and in each mobile service vehicle
Owners and officers must carry a pocket identification card; registered employees must carry their Bureau registration card and a California driver's license or ID
A new employee may be working on a temporary registration, which BSIS says is valid for 120 days while the application is processed

What a locksmith has to check and record

A careful locksmith asks you for paperwork because the law says so. Business and Professions Code 6980.55 requires a locksmith who makes keys for a motor vehicle to record the customer's name, date of birth and driver's license or ID number, the vehicle's registration or identification number, the date, and the customer's signature. Penal Code 466.6 covers anyone who makes an ignition key by any method other than copying an existing key, including from a key code, and adds the address, phone number, license plate, year, make, model, color and VIN. Work orders are kept for two years and are open to police and the Bureau.

So expect to show photo ID and the registration or title, and to sign a work order. Our proof of ownership guide explains what to do when the registration is locked under the seat or the bike was just bought. This is general information, not legal advice.

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Questions to ask on the phone

BSIS and the Department of Consumer Affairs both advise getting an estimate from the dispatcher when you call. For a motorcycle, a few more questions sort out who can actually do the job.

What is your locksmith company license number, and what business name is it under?
Do you work on motorcycles, and have you done this make, model and year?
My bike has a chip key or a fob: can you program it, or does this model need the dealer?
What is the estimated total, including the key, programming, travel and any extra key?
What could make the price change once you see the bike?
What do you need from me to prove the bike is mine?
Will I get an itemized receipt with the company name and license number?

Red flags

The Federal Trade Commission has warned that locksmiths advertising in local listings may not be local at all and may not have professional training, and it advises checking out a locksmith before you need one. The Associated Locksmiths of America, the trade association, describes the usual pattern: a too good to be true price on the phone that rises substantially after arrival or after the work is done.

California's own guidance is blunt. If anything seems wrong, stop the process, and if the locksmith threatens you or insists on a charge for showing up, call the police.

No license number in the ad or on the phone, or a number that does not match the business name
A phone price far below everyone else's, with no stated total
A different company name on arrival than the one you called
No company license in the service vehicle, and no signage or other way to tie the vehicle to the business
No questions about who owns the motorcycle
Going straight to drilling, which the trade association lists as a common sign of a scam
Cash only, and no written receipt

After the job, and if something goes wrong

Ask for a receipt that shows the company name and license number, a local address and phone number, the cost of all parts and services, and the full amount charged. BSIS also suggests writing down the name and registration number of the employee who did the work. Test the new key in the ignition, fuel cap and seat lock, and start the engine, before the locksmith leaves.

Complaints about a locksmith company or employee, including unlicensed work and services that were invoiced but not completed, go to BSIS through the Department of Consumer Affairs online complaint form or by phone. A city or county may also require a local business permit, which you can check with the local government.

Quick questions

Does a hardware store need a locksmith license to copy my key?

No. BSIS says a locksmith license is not required for retail establishments or individuals who only duplicate keys from an existing key. Making a key when none exists, opening locks and programming transponder keys are locksmith work.

Does a motorcycle dealer need a locksmith license?

The Locksmith Act exempts new motor vehicle dealers and their employees acting within the scope of their employment at a dealership. Dealers still check ownership before ordering or programming keys.

Does a tow truck driver need a license to open a vehicle?

The Act exempts tow truck drivers who do not originate keys and whose locksmith work is limited to opening motor vehicles. Making a key is outside that exemption.

What does the license number look like?

A locksmith company license is commonly shown as LCO followed by a number. Enter the number or the business name in the state license search to see the status and the name it belongs to.

Services that can help

Keep reading

Proof of Ownership for a Motorcycle Key in CaliforniaA legitimate California locksmith will ask for photo ID plus the motorcycle's registration or title before making a key, because state law requires locksmiths to record your ID, the bike's VIN and registration details, and your signature for every vehicle key they originate.
Dealer vs Locksmith for a Motorcycle Key: Which to CallFor plain metal keys, broken keys, worn ignitions and many transponder keys, a mobile motorcycle locksmith can usually do the work where the bike sits, often for less.
How Much Does Motorcycle Key Replacement Cost?Typical market ranges for motorcycle key replacement run from $50-$165 for a mobile duplicate of a plain metal key to $250-$600 for a transponder key when every key is lost, and a job that needs a new control unit or dealer-only parts falls outside those ranges.
Does Insurance Cover Lost Motorcycle Keys?Usually not the key itself.
OEM vs Aftermarket Motorcycle Keys and FobsFor a plain metal key, a good aftermarket blank cut to the factory code does the same job as a factory key.

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Page last updated November 14, 2026.