From the Vice President

I have heard from many locksmiths since the licensing act came into effect in Oklahoma in 2007. Some are completely against licensing and others fully support it. Now I would like to provide my view and some of the things I’ve seen.

Since the Alarm & Locksmith Act was put into affect it has cut down to a great extent the number of scammer locksmiths in our State, and the background checks filtered out the ex cons, felons, and most bad elements in our field.

I understand that the law in Oklahoma is not perfect, however, no law is. Oklahoma’s Law is proving to be one of the best laws in the US, and many other states are using it as a model and looking at putting similar laws into effect in their States. The federal government is looking at instituting a federal licensing act for those states that do not have good licensing laws in effect.

Many locksmiths want licensing to go away, but I believe those days are gone!

Our world is evolving, and so is our Industry. Some people believe locksmithing is not a technical trade, and our work is repetitive, but we are a technical trade, with access control, CCTV, nurse call, and automotive electronics all requiring special knowledge and skills.

I enjoy locksmithing and intend to stay in the Industry as long as I’m physically able to do so, but there is one thing all locksmiths in Oklahoma need to realize. The days of “I do not care what goes on and just let me work”, are gone for the locksmiths who plan to stay in the Industry for the long term. We need to stay current with what is going on in our Industry on many levels, and not just rely on rumors from others. Nearly everyone now has, or has access to, a computer or I-phone and can get on the internet. The O.M.L.A. has a free website that ALL locksmiths can go to and find out how the State laws are changing. They are also welcome to come to the Oklahoma Master Locksmith Association quarterly meetings to observe and participate if they desire. The O.M.L.A. welcomes ALL locksmiths to their meetings to keep up on current issues and activities going on in our Industry.

I extend an open invitation to any & all locksmiths to come and attend an O.M.L.A. general business meeting. Meeting locations are available via our website at www.omla.com.

Membership is not required to attend the O.M.L.A. meetings, but if you feel that you would like to do so, any of the officers will be happy to provide the information you need.

I personally have been a member of the O.M.L.A for over 15 years and in my opinion, it has helped my business more than I could have ever hoped for.

I have found out there is power in numbers. The best way to keep up with our State and Legislative process and make sure legislation is not proposed or enacted that will harm our industry, is to become part of a group with a powerful voice, and the O.M.L.A. has developed a powerful voice for our Industry over the last several years, by successfully working with Legislators and Industry Representatives to protect the Locksmith Industry.

As I said before, I am not trying to persuade any locksmith to join the O.M.L.A., however, I do believe if you plan to stay in locksmithing in the State of Oklahoma, you will find it to be very beneficial personally to at least visit the website and attend a meeting.

Thank You

Dusty Brummitt O.M.L.A. Vice President

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