Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation Division of Professional Regulation

ROD R BLAGOJEVICH Governor

Dean Martinez Secretary

Daniel E. Bluthardt Dkector

Dear Law Enforcement Official:

We are seeking your assistance in addressing a public safety issue that has been affecting more Illinoisans than ever before - the growing proliferation of unlicensed locksmith activity. Certain individuals and companies are attempting to take advantage of desperate homeowners who have been inadvertently locked out of their homes, or who have had to change the locks on their doors due to break-ins, fraud or other illegal activities that have compromised their security.

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) has been tracking a number of unlicensed locksmith complaints. In doing so the Department has discovered that any identifiable address for these unlicensed businesses is sometimes located in another state, and that the phone number that customers may call is, in fact, a phone switch answered in another city or state. When adequately located these unlicensed businesses simply change their name, move to a new address, or request a new telephone number from a local phone company.

We are asking for your help in shutting down these fraudulent businesses. As a law enforcement agency the members of your force can effectuate arrests for unlicensed activity. The Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, and Locksmith Act of 2004 provides for the following criminal sanctions:

"A person who violates any of the following provisions shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor; a person who commits a second or subsequent violation of these provisions is guilty of a Class 4 felony: (1) The practice of or attempted practice of or holding out as available to practice as a private detective, private security contractor, private alarm contractor, or locksmith without a license. (2) Operation of or attempt to operate a private detective agency, private security contractor agency, private alarm contractor agency, or locksmith agency without ever having been issued a valid agency license." (225 ILCS 447145-50)

While the law does not require a licensee to carry on his person a copy of his license the license must be displayed at each place where business is being conducted. Employees of a locksmith company (agency) are allowed to perform locksmith work but must carry on his person a Permanent Employee Registration Card (commonly referred to as a "blue card") issued by this Department and an identification card issued by his employer (locksmith agency) which contains a photograph of the employee, the employee's name, the name and agency license number of the employer, the employee's personal description, the signature of the employee, and the date of issuance.

In order to verify that an individual holds a license as a locksmith or is a properly registered employee of a Locksmith Agency or if a company is a licensed Locksmith Agency the Department maintains an up to date license look up feature on its web site at www.IDFPR.com. Telephone inquiries from law enforcement may be directed during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, to (3 12) 8 14-691 0. Citizen inquiries can be made by accessing this website or by calling (21 7) 782-8556.

We have also developed a web 'button' that allows users to click and be directed to the new locksmith page on the 1DFPR.com website. On that page, we created a new license lookup feature that allows

www.idfpr.com

Illinois residents to quickly check whether a locksmith is licensed by the State and provides other use l l information about the profession's standards and what consumers should know before hiring a locksmith. We are asking you help us by placing this feature on the home page of your community's website. We are also distributing the download to licensed locksmiths across the state in hopes that they will help make sure to spread the word that we're cracking down on unlicensed locksmith activity.

Please help us spread the word when citizens are taken advantage of by unlicensed locksmiths.

Sincerely,

Daniel ~ F ~ l u t h a r d t Director