As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
DIRECTOR
The Director of the Office of Licensing.
[Amended 7-18-1996 by L.L. No. 5-1996]
KEYMAKER
Any person who provides the service of making or duplicating
keys, whose business is not, in whole or in part, that of a locksmith.
LOCKSMITH
Any person whose trade or occupation, in whole or in part,
is the making or fashioning of keys for locks or similar devices or
who constructs, reconstructs, repairs or adjusts locks or who opens
or closes locks for others by mechanical means other than with the
regular keys furnished for that purpose by the manufacturers of the
locks.
[Amended 7-18-1996 by L.L. No. 5-1996]
No person shall engage in the business of locksmith or keymaker
or practice or follow the trade or occupation of locksmith or keymaker
without first securing a permit therefor from the Director of the
Office of Licensing.
[Amended 7-18-1996 by L.L. No. 5-1996]
Such permit shall be issued only upon the verified application
of the individual seeking the permit. The application shall be upon
a form prescribed by the Director of the Office of Licensing and shall
set forth the proposed location of the applicant's place of business,
the names and addresses of five character references and such other
things as the Director of the Office of Licensing may require to determine
the character, honesty and trustworthiness of the applicant. Specimen
fingerprints of the applicant shall be furnished with the application.
[Amended 8-12-2004 by G.O. No. 5-2004; 6-26-2012 by G.O. No. 8-2012; 6-1-2017 by G.O. No. 8-2017]
The annual fee for the issuance of a permit shall be $400 for
a locksmith and $200 for a keymaker, to be paid to the Comptroller.
Each permit, unless sooner revoked, shall expire on the last day of
February next following the date of issuance. Each permit shall bear
a serial number.
[Amended 7-18-1996 by L.L. No. 5-1996]
Before such permit shall be issued by the Director of the Office
of Licensing, the Commissioner of Police shall cause an investigation
to be made upon each application filed with the Director of the Office
of Licensing, and if the Commissioner of Police finds that the applicant's
reputation for honesty is good; that the applicant has not used skills
or knowledge as a locksmith to commit or aid in the commission of
burglaries, larcenies, thefts or other crimes; that the applicant
intends honestly and fairly to practice the trade of locksmith in
a lawful manner; and that the applicant has not been convicted of
a felony, then the permit shall be issued. Otherwise it shall be denied.
Each permittee must keep a book, which shall be open to inspection
by any police officer at all times, in which the following must be
entered:
A. The name and address of every person for whom a key is made, by code
or number.
B. The name and address of every person for whom a locked automobile,
building, structure, house or store, whether vacant or occupied, is
opened or a key fitted thereto.
It shall be unlawful for any locksmith to fail to stamp the
serial number of his permit upon any key made, repaired, sold or given
away by him.
[Amended 7-18-1996 by L.L. No. 5-1996]
Every locksmith shall display, in a conspicuous manner in the
place where he is carrying on such business, trade or occupation,
a sign, of a style, size and color to be prescribed by the Director
of the Office of Licensing, reading "LICENSED LOCKSMITH," together
with the official permit number.
[Amended 7-18-1996 by L.L. No. 5-1996]
The Director of the Office of Licensing may revoke or suspend
any permit issued hereunder upon any of the following grounds:
A. Misrepresentation in obtaining such permit.
B. Violation of any provision of this chapter.
C. That the permittee has committed or aided in the commission of or
in the preparation for the commission of any crime by the use of the
permittee's skill or knowledge as a locksmith or by using or
letting the use of the permittee's tools, equipment, facilities
or supplies.
A violation of this chapter shall constitute a Class II offense.