Checking a Locksmith in Broward County
Updated: November 2026
Broward County has not licensed or registered locksmiths since July 1, 2021, when Florida's HB 735 took effect, and Florida has no state locksmith license either (Broward County Consumer Protection). So when a Broward locksmith ad shows a "license #", it isn't proof of anything. A state licensing bill (HB 1311) was filed in 2025 and died without passing (Florida Senate).
- Licensed & insured
- 6-month workmanship warranty
- About 20 min to you
What to check instead
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| A real business name, the same on the phone, the site and the invoice | Call centers often answer with a generic "locksmith service" |
| An all-in total before anyone drives | "Service call only" quotes are how bait pricing starts |
| The technician's ID at the door | You know who you let in |
| Insurance | Damage happens; you want it covered |
| A local presence — a named person, one city | Multi-county networks rarely send the same person twice |
| Background checks | Palm Beach County's consumer office lists this among the things to ask (PBC) |
How bait pricing plays out
The ad says $19 or $29. The tech arrives, sometimes in an unmarked car, and the bill grows: labor, "high-security" lock, after-hours fee. The lock gets drilled when it could have been picked. In Tallahassee, a $70 phone quote became about $300 (Motor1); in Clearwater, the owners of a locksmith call center were indicted for overcharging (report).
Already overcharged?
- Pay by card so you can dispute it; ask for an itemized invoice.
- File a complaint: in Fort Lauderdale that's Broward County Consumer Protection, and statewide the Florida Attorney General.
A city Business Tax Receipt is worth asking about
Fort Lauderdale's Business Tax rules apply to anyone "engaging in or managing a business, profession, or occupation within the city limits," and most businesses need both a city and a county receipt (City of Fort Lauderdale). It's not a skills test, but it shows the business is registered where it says it works.
How to check one: ask for the receipt number, then call the city's Business Tax office at 954-828-5207 (option 1) or stop by 101 NE 3rd Avenue, Suite 100 (City of Fort Lauderdale). Don't go looking for the old City Hall building — it was demolished in 2024 (WLRN). And none of these offices can help with a lockout; for that you call a locksmith, or 911 if someone is at risk.
Something feels wrong at the door?
A "locksmith" you never called, someone pushing to be paid before starting, or a door that was clearly forced: step away and call Fort Lauderdale police on 954-764-HELP (4357), or 911 in an emergency (FLPD).
Our answers to the same checks
Licensed & insured — a City of Fort Lauderdale Business Tax Receipt on file, a commercial general liability policy behind the work, and its certificate for any building that asks. A published price list, a named lead technician — Eddie F., 21 years in the trade — who shows his ID and leaves his card, and the total agreed before we start. You pay after the work, never before; say no to our number at your Fort Lauderdale door and nothing is owed.