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MLA Membership Categories & Logos

There are 2 main categories of membership of the Master Locksmiths Association where you’ll see the logo being used.

1. MLA Approved Locksmith Companies

MLA Approved Locksmith Companies are locksmiths have met the stringent “Vetted, Inspected and Qualified” criteria of the MLA.

Why use an MLA Approved Locksmith
All MLA Approved locksmiths are vetted ( criminal record checked ), inspected (by ourselves) and qualified (passed MLA qualification).

Listing on Find a Locksmith Search
MLA Approved Locksmiths are listed on our find a locksmith page.

With the lack of government-backed regulation within the locksmithing industry, we think it’s vital that the public is protected and hence we recommend the use of MLA Approved Companies whenever somebody needs a locksmith.

2. Personal Members – Registered, QML & ASIM Members

Personal Membership has 3 categories of membership, which are the following:

Registered Membership
Registered membership is the entry level to the MLA and is suitable for all levels of experience,

QML Membership
QML membership is dedicated to locksmiths who have passed the MLA Qualification and those looking to progress to MLA approved company membership.

ASIM Associated Security Industry Membership
ASIM Membership is for those (1) actively concerned with the locksmithing and/or security industry and have been for at least the previous 2 years, or (2) are practising locksmiths outside the United Kingdom.

3. MLA Affiliate Members

MLA Affiliate members are companies who supply the locksmith industry.

They may be a) manufacturers or b) distributors of security products, c) wholesalers to the locksmith industry or even insurance companies.

Some may even have the MLA Affiliate logo on their products or the packaging of their products to highlight their affiliation with the MLA. MLA Approved Company Locksmiths will often purchase their products from MLA Affiliate members.

Other Logos To Look Out For

In terms of other logos that you may want to watch out for there are the following:

1. Sold Secure

Sold Secure is one of the leading suppliers of test and certification services for security-related products.

2. BSI Kitemark

The British Standard kitemark is another approval that you may want to look out for on certain security products.

Run by the British Standards Institute it’s a stamp of approval to demonstrate that certain standards have met. For example, the most common BS standard for mortice locks is BS3621.

In fact, many insurance companies stipulate you need a BS3621 lock to comply and the easiest way to check is to get your local MLA licensed locksmith to confirm the locks are indeed Kitemarked to BS3621, and if not to upgrade them.

A number of locksmiths also do alarm work, and in the same way that the MLA runs its accreditation scheme for locksmiths, there are 2 main companies that do the same for Alarm work.

3. NSI

The National Security Inspectorate (NSI) operates a 2 tier approach to approvals. This allows companies to grow and develop their business whilst consistently developing the NSI reassurance to their customers.

Companies can enter at either level:

Silver is designed for ‘Product Certification’ Refers to the ‘Product Certification’ against sector-specific standards, e.g. BS7858, BS8243.

Gold builds on product Certification to incorporate Quality Management System Certification.

4. SSAIB

The Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB) offers a wide range of product certification schemes within the electronic security; monitoring; guarding services and fire sectors.

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