Legal & Ethics

The rules

1. Only pick locks you own, or that you have explicit written permission to open. There is no other acceptable case. "Belongs to a friend" is not permission unless the friend has told you so directly, in writing.
2. Never pick a lock in use. If someone is relying on the lock — their front door, their storage unit, their bike — you do not touch it, even if it is technically yours. This is a long-standing rule in the community and it exists because damaging or jamming a lock someone depends on is a real harm.
3. Never carry tools with intent to commit a crime. In most jurisdictions, possessing picks is legal but intent is the determining factor. Carry your tools to practice sessions, meetups, and your own workshop — not to places you have no reason to be.
4. Jurisdictions vary. A few US states have stricter tool laws — Nevada broadly addresses possession of lock-pick / burglary implements, and states like Ohio and Virginia treat possessing picks as evidence of intent to commit burglary. These aren't locksmith-licensing rules; the legal factor is intent. Some countries (parts of Europe) are permissive; others are strict. Check your local law before buying tools.