Trust and safety
How Keys checks the locksmiths on its platform
Keys connects customers with independent locksmith and roadside businesses. This page sets out what Keys reviews before it approves a business, who does each check, and what Keys does not check.
The short answer
- A Keys administrator reviews the documents a locksmith business uploads and approves or rejects the business.
- Technicians are added and approved by their own business, not by Keys.
- Keys does not run background checks, does not confirm licenses with state licensing boards and does not check insurance.
- Documents have no expiry date in Keys and are not re-checked on a schedule.
What a locksmith business uploads
After signing up, a business uploads its documents in the Keys provider portal as PDF, JPG or PNG files.
- Business license
- Required on the portal's documents page: the documents cannot be submitted without it.
- Locksmith license or certification
- Optional. Licensing rules differ by state, and Keys does not confirm a license with the authority that issued it.
- Tax ID documentation
- Optional.
- Photo ID (front and back)
- Optional.
- Insurance
- Keys does not ask a business for proof of insurance.
Who approves a business
A Keys administrator looks at the business's details and the documents it uploaded, then chooses Approve or Reject. The business is told the result by email. When a business is approved, Keys creates its first technician account and emails the sign-in details.
Approval is a review of the documents the business provided. It is not a background check, a license lookup or an insurance check. Some businesses that Keys invites to join are approved when they finish signing up, without this document review.
Technicians who work for a business
- When a business owner adds a technician in the Keys portal, a driver's license upload is required, and the technician can work for the business straight away.
- A technician who signs up from a business's invitation waits until the business owner approves them.
- For some technician roles, a business can attach a commercial insurance document. It is optional, and Keys does not check it.
- Keys does not review individual technicians: the business owner approves them.
Who does each check
- Contact details
- Automatic, at sign-up: a one-time code confirms the account's contact details. Keys sends customer requests only to accounts that have completed this step.
- Business documents and approval
- A Keys administrator.
- Technicians
- The business owner.
- Payouts
- Payment for a job goes to the business's connected Stripe account. Keys treats payout setup as complete only once Stripe reports that the account can take charges and receive payouts.
- Removal
- A Keys administrator can remove a business. A removed business and its technicians are no longer sent requests.
What Keys does not check
- Criminal records or other background checks.
- Whether a license is valid with a state licensing board.
- Insurance, for businesses or technicians.
- Expiry dates. Documents are not re-checked after approval.
- A license number shown on a provider's own Keys website. The provider enters it.
Keys does not certify locksmiths.
The LINC Act, a legislative proposal by Keys' founder, would set up a national credentialing system for locksmiths covering training, background checks and certification. It is a proposal, not something Keys does today. About the LINC Act.
What this means when you book
Providers send their price for your job, and you choose who to book. The payment rules, including card holds, extra work and cancelling, are on booking and payments.
Frequently asked questions
Does Keys background-check locksmiths?
No. Keys does not run background or criminal-record checks on locksmith businesses or their technicians.
Are locksmiths on Keys licensed and insured?
Keys does not confirm licenses with state licensing boards and does not check insurance. A business can upload a locksmith license or certification, and a Keys administrator reviews the documents a business uploads before approving or rejecting it. Licensing rules differ by state.
Who approves locksmiths on Keys?
A Keys administrator approves or rejects each locksmith business that goes through document review. Technicians are approved by their own business owner, not by Keys.
Does Keys re-check providers after approval?
No. Documents in Keys have no expiry date and are not re-checked on a schedule. A Keys administrator can remove a business, and removed businesses and their technicians are no longer sent requests.
