Home › Cities › San Jose

San Jose locksmith and door lock rules

Source: California Locksmith Help (californialocksmithhelp.com), part of the Local Help Stations network (localhelpstations.com). Last updated November 3, 2026.

Door and lock rules in San Jose

San Jose's checklist for apartment owners in its Multiple Housing Inspection Program says no more than one security lock can be installed at the entry door, and double keyed locks must be replaced with a standard dead bolt. (source: City of San Jose Code Enforcement)

Strike plates on doors and door jambs must be present and secure, and sliding glass door tracks kept free of dirt and debris. (source: City of San Jose Code Enforcement)

Adding access gates at those properties is generally prohibited and allowed only when strict criteria are met. San Jose Permit Center: 408-535-3555. (source: City of San Jose Code Enforcement) (source: City of San Jose Development Services Permit Center)

Statewide rules that apply here

BSIS licenses locksmiths in California. A locksmith operates a business that installs, repairs, opens or modifies locks, or that makes original keys for locks. Someone who only duplicates existing keys is not a locksmith and does not need a BSIS license. (source: Bureau of Security and Investigative Services) (source: Bureau of Security and Investigative Services)

No one may do locksmith work in California without a valid locksmith license or registration unless they are exempt. Pretending to be licensed, or falsely claiming to work for a licensee, is a misdemeanor punishable by a $10,000 fine, up to one year in county jail, or both (B&P 6980.10). (source: California Legislature)

A locksmith who opens a home or business for someone after an on site look at the door must get the street address and the customer's signature on a work order, plus the customer's name, address, phone number, date of birth and driver license or ID number. The work order is kept for two years and is open to police and BSIS (B&P 6980.55). (source: California Legislature)

Landlords must install and maintain a working dead bolt on each main swinging entry door of a rental unit. Locked, the bolt must extend at least 13/16 of an inch past the strike edge into the doorjamb; existing dead bolts of at least half an inch still count (Civil Code 1941.3). (source: California Legislature)

See how to check a locksmith, what a locksmith must ask for at a lockout and landlord lock rules.

Other cities: Los Angeles · San Diego · San Jose · San Francisco · Sacramento · Sacramento County · Long Beach · Oakland

On this site: California locksmith license rules (BSIS) · California locksmith employee registration · California locksmith license fees · What a California locksmith must ask for at a lockout · California key duplication rules · Who does not need a California locksmith license · California landlord dead bolt and window lock rules · Lock changes for California tenants facing abuse or violence · How to check a California locksmith and complain · When a California locksmith also needs a contractor license · Door replacement permits in California cities · Cities · FAQ · Sources

Sources

Last updated: