Is your automotive repair shop certified to perform vehicle security work? If you haven’t applied for a Lock Smith Identification (LSID) license yet, you could be leaving money on the table.

Perhaps a lot of money.

And you’re not alone, either. Many automotive repair shops have been hesitant to hop on board the LSID bandwagon since the first national Right to Repair rules went into effect back in 2014.

But times are changing. The 2018 drop dead date agreed to by automotive manufacturers is fast approaching. The time to reconsider that security license is now.

What’s Changed in the Automotive Security Market?

Dealership franchisees used to be the only automotive repair shops with the “keys to the kingdom,” so to speak. Electronic lock mechanisms and codes were closely guarded by automotive manufacturers as proprietary technologies. If you needed to replace a key, it had to be ordered and programmed by a dealer (or directly from the manufacturer). As these technologies worked their way deeper into vehicles, however, affecting areas such as engine and transmission control units, problems arose. Independent automotive repair shops found their hands tied when they tried to diagnose and repair these newer vehicles.

In 2012, the state of Massachusetts passed the Right to Repair Act. This served as a model for a nationwide pact, signed by the automotive manufacturers (mainly to prevent the headaches that state-by-state legislation would have brought), the following year.

According to Automotive News automakers agree to ‘right to repair’ deal, “all automotive companies would make their diagnostic codes and repair data available in a common format by the 2018 model year.” The full scope of the right to repair agreement accomplished the following:

• Required automakers to make available to automotive repair shops the same vehicle repair information they give to dealers
• Allowed automotive repair shops to purchase that data with an ordinary computer over a standardized, Internet-based service
• Required automakers to offer a non proprietary interface for diagnosing problems with vehicles, starting in the 2018 model year

So if you’re an independent automotive repair shop owner, you should be sensing an opportunity here. Now you can become a Vehicle Security Professional… with a Locksmith Identification license.

What is a Locksmith Identification (LSID) License?

The LSID is a credential identifying you as a registered Vehicle Security Professional (VSP). With it, you will gain access to security related information from automakers websites and call centers.

You also gain the authorization to provide security related services, such as immobilizer resets, security system initializations, and the creation and registration of secure electronic keys.

What this means is that you, the automotive repair shop owner, are no longer reliant on your local dealership for these security related services. With your own LSID, you can access the data you need and perform those services on your own. You can also purchase Theft Relevant Parts (TRP) on behalf of your customers. So your LSID effectively opens up whole new income possibilities for your business.

How to Obtain an LSID

To obtain an LSID, you must first register with the National Automotive Service Task Force.

This can be a lengthy and time consuming process. Many automotive repair shops balk at the requirements – which is exactly what those requirements were meant to do. Automotive manufacturers don’t want everyone accessing their security information, so they’ve thrown up a few hurdles in your path. For the most part, government regulators agreed there should be some checks and balances in place to protect both the manufacturers and vehicle owners. So whether or not you agree with these requirements, they’re necessary for obtaining your LSID.

The full application process can be found here.It includes:

• Completing the NASTF application
• Providing proof of insurance and bonding
• Signing and notarizing your completed application
• Authorizing a criminal background check

The application process can take anywhere from three weeks to three months to complete. NASTF charges an application fee of $75, and annual membership maintenance fees are $150. Your first two years of dues are payable at the time of your application, for a total upfront registration cost of $375.

Once your application is approved, you’ll be entered into the VSP registry and your LSID username and password are issued.

What You Gain as a Vehicle Security Professional

As we mentioned earlier, your LSID grants you access to the security-related websites and call centers of participating automakers.

This gives you the ability to fully diagnose and repair your customers’ vehicles even when security measures have been engaged or deployed. You can also order TRP parts, program electronic keys, and initialize and reset security features. Just being able to do these things in-house can greatly impact your turnaround times and customer satisfaction ratings.

And as vehicles become even more sophisticated with their electronic safeguards, your LSID will become even more integral to your business. You could earn referrals from other area businesses, too – if they prefer sending security jobs your way rather than to the local dealership.

There’s one more advantage to an LSID that we haven’t mentioned yet. And that’s credibility. Once your registration with NASTF is accepted, you can officially call yourself a Vehicle Security Professional. That credential – and the jobs it allows you to perform – can give you a real marketing advantage over other automotive repair shops in your area.

A Little Cost for a Great Benefit

Sure, the NASTF application is fourteen pages and not exactly fun to fill out. But $75 for a professional license plus $150 per year in dues seems a small price to pay for the LSID. When you consider the extra work it will enable you to do, the headaches it will solve, and the impacts it can have on turnaround times and marketing… you won’t get too many opportunities to grow your business for less of an investment than that. Ready to raise profits and build customer loyalty? Contact us today and put our amazing Farsight MDVS platform to work!

Justin Kidd is the Director of Support at Farsight. Farsight offers ruggedized tablets and software for multi-vehicle diagnostic and repair solutions.