This in effect means that anyone can trade as a locksmith irrespective of background, motive or competence.

This occurred when the Exceptions order for the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 was changed in July 2009 following debates in the House of Commons[3] and the House of Lords[4] whereby the MLA was added to the list enabling it to get standard level CRB disclosures.

[5] The MLA has its own non-governmental certification process whereby companies are vetted and regularly inspected.

[2][6] It currently has about 350 Approved Companies, which can be found through its "Find a Locksmith" website referral program.

[10][11][12] This reliance on the MLA by all sectors, in conjunction with the opacity and lack of regulation in the private security industry in the United Kingdom, has led scholars to express concerns about the accuracy of claims made both by and about organisations such as the MLA.