If you lose your car keys or lock them inside of your vehicle- I've done this myself - and you don't have a spare key to hand then you'll need someone to gain access to your vehicle and that someone is a vehicle or automotive locksmith.

People tend to turn to the internet nowadays when they have a lock out emergency either at home or with their vehicle and search Google using their smart phone, typically looking for someone local so they are not stood around for hours.

Not all locksmiths can open vehicles, it takes a professional automotive locksmith who has taken a specialist automotive locksmith course.

There are currently two official Ofqual (The Government Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) regulated locksmith training courses and these are the Level 3 Diploma in Commercial Locksmiths & Property Security and the Level 3 Diploma in Automotive Locksmiths & Vehicle Security.

 

 

Both of these courses are regulated by Ofqual; one of these courses specifically teaches commercial and domestic locksmith skills such as gaining entry to homes and other buildings using a range of none destructive entry methods included lock picking, and the other course focuses solely on vehicles and vehicle security and teach none destructive entry to vehicles, car key programming and car key cutting and duplication.

If you're someone who fancies a career change and are actively seeking out some locksmith training you may have come across a number of shorter, cheaper commercial and domestic locksmith training courses, run by private companies rather than colleges or a specialist locksmith training company with college status.

These private courses are very easy to spot, they won't include any official names or words like Diploma or Ofqual instead using generic terms such as advanced locksmith training,  specialist locksmith course, approved (by them) locksmith training course and these companies can't call themselves a college either as they would need to be officially registered with the government and have qualified teachers so their courses will be run in training centres by trainers, not teachers.

 

Why are their fewer automotive locksmiths

When you search for a locksmith online you'll discover that there are a lot more general locksmiths than there are automotive locksmiths this is because anyone can claim to be general locksmith and offer emergency entry, these are the types that turn up and immediately get out their drill to drill out your lock with no attempt to pick it or use some other non destructive method.

 

 

They will then probably sell you an overpriced new lock that they happened to have with them, basically a rogue trader and many of these rogues will have probably done one of the many private 1 day or 3 day locksmith courses mentioned, which teach nothing, they are basically just a scam.

It's a lot more difficult to wing in, so to speak, as an automotive locksmith, you can't turn up and start drilling someone's vehicle or start using brute force on their car door, you need to have the skill to pick the lock or use other methods and tools. You also need to know each vehicle and how their locking system works. Some professional auto locksmith can open vehicles remotely using special equipment and codes.

Another reason is that the equipment an auto locksmith uses is expensive. Key cutting and key programming machines can cost £1000 sometime more and then there are licenses that you need to pay to the likes of Ford, Vauxhall, BMW etc for updated key and entry codes and coding/reset methods.

 

 

Summary

If you find yourself locked out of your vehicle then you need to search for a specialist auto locksmith or automotive locksmith rather than just searching for a locksmith because most general locksmiths will not do vehicles unless they advertise it.

Searching the keyword or 'automotive locksmith near me' or using the town/city in your search phrase such as or 'automotive locksmith Wigan'* will return fewer results and filter out  the locksmiths who don't do vehicles and the locksmiths too far away.

Need something specific from an auto locksmith such as car key programming, car key duplication and repair? Then search those specific phrases and get a spare car key cut and programmed so next time you're locked out of your vehicle you can call your spouse to bring you the spare key. He/she wont be happy but at least you'll save money on emergency vehicle entry.

 

*For some reason Wigan in Greater Manchester is one of the top searched towns on Smart Locksmiths, people must get locked out of their homes and vehicles a lot in Wigan...