How to Become a Locksmith in Kansas

Every state has different standards for working with locks, keys, safes, and vaults.

However, you can still learn how to become an entry-level locksmith in Kansas within a few months.

Steps to Become a Locksmith in Kansas

1. Get your diploma, GED, or equivalent.

One basic requirement to becoming a locksmith is to make sure you earn your high school diploma.

If you have already turned 18 and feel you’re too old for sitting in class with other high school students, you can instead enroll in GED equivalent courses with other adults.

If you’re still a teenager, you can learn about locksmithing while in high school.

Use this time also to prepare for your initial training once you have earned your diploma.

2. Explore training opportunities.

To become a locksmith in Kansas, you have more opportunities open to you if you train for them.

This includes taking courses that will help you pass your ALOA (Associated Locksmith of America) certification exams and seeking hands-on experience as an apprentice.

3. Register with ALOA or a comparable association.

ALOA offers support for people living all over the nation, including Kansas.

I believe you would benefit from their support.

The Missouri-Kansas Locksmith Association (MKLA) also provides support to people in Kansas who want to become a locksmith.

4. Gain practical experience.

When you first start your locksmith training, you will learn as an apprentice.

You can gain practical experience while guided by a certified professional and even get paid for it.

This will prepare you for earning each locksmith certificate you study for.

5. Stay open to new opportunities.

As you continue to develop new locksmithing skills, stay open to new opportunities.

Watch for them and network with others who also have become successful in the lock and security trade.

6. Take continuing education courses.

Look for various security guard and lock technician courses available near you in Kansas.

They might not always pertain specifically to your certification but may still have some relevance.

7. Prepare for certification.

Before you take your ALOA (Associated Locksmiths of America) certification tests, you’ll have to prepare.

By this time, you should have already received the information you need from study guides or college courses about the ALOA certificate you want to earn.

Licensing Requirements to Become

I found some old legislation that may suggest that a locksmith must have a license to operate in Kansas.

However, that more than likely pertains to providing services as a self-employed professional.

I haven’t found any more recent information from the state.

The ALOA provides the best resources and the requirements to become a locksmith.

ALOA also provides guidelines for choosing a school to complete at least one lock and security certification level.

However, you must complete high school and undergo a criminal background check before working as a locksmith in Kansas.

Locksmith Programs

The locksmith programs you participate in will prepare you for one of three ALOA and two SAVTA classifications of lock and security certifications.

However, you must first achieve AFL (ALOA Fundamental Locksmith) status, which makes you an apprentice.

To become an apprentice, you must enroll in the Six Day Basic Locksmithing Course.

Then, you have to pass the exam you’d sit for on the last day of this instruction.

Types of Available Certifications

As you become an AFL, you will also have a chance to learn from certified locksmiths.

After some time, you will have earned one of the following certifications:

CRL–You will need to pass at least 10 categories of exam questions to qualify as a Certified Registered Locksmith (CRL).

You also need to earn a passing grade on two concentrations of your choice before you can earn the CRL credential.

CPL–Earning the CPL (Certified Professional Locksmith) credential requires that you pass 12 more categories of electives beyond what you learned at the CRL level.

I’d consider this an intermediate level of certification.

CML–By the time you earn a CML credential, you will have demonstrated proficiency in about 90 percent of the locksmithing categories you tested for on your exam.

This advanced locksmithing level also equips you with working with electronic security systems.

CPS–A CPS (Certified Professional Safe Technician) has begun a career in attending to safe and vault security issues.

The CPS certification comes with passing a test provided by SAVTA (an ALOA division), which makes you skilled in at least 17 SafeTech safe and vault categories.

CMST–The CMST (Certified Master Safe Technician) training prepares you for advanced safe and vault skill development.

When you prove your proficiency at this level, it’s the highest certification offered by SAVTA to prepare you for complex safe and vault repair issues.

Kansas Locksmithing Schools

You may have to try learning online at Penn Foster if you can’t find a Kansas locksmithing school near you.

Otherwise, I recommend that you contact your local association chapter for more information or take courses directly through ALOA.

Local employers may also provide you with training directly through them.

You might want to contact some of the lock and key service providers in your area to find out if they have classes.

Salary

A locksmith in Kansas can make an average (mean wage) of $50,410 per year.

You might earn up to $5,000 less or more than this, however.

That depends on your certification level and the cost of living where in KS you live.

Annual Salary Range:* Salary information last updated 2024