Local locksmiths are pushing against a Minnesota law that could dictate how you can legally purchase keys.
The keys you have to your home, car, and business most likely don’t align with Minnesota law. In 2023, lawmakers required all keys manufactured and sold in the state to have no more than .009 percent lead.
Nearly every key in use today is made from brass. There are small amounts of lead inside, making it possible to cut a key to fit a lock precisely.
“The brass key goes back 150 years. It supplanted steel literally 150 years ago,” said Todd Ladwig, Certified Master Locksmith and Owner of Curt’s Lock & Key Service.
The lead ban would make most keys on the market today non-compliant.
Businesses that sell, make, and distribute keys and a bipartisan group of lawmakers are now urging state leaders to exempt them from that 2023 law that’s set to enforce on July 1, 2025.
According to other industry leaders, there are alternative alloys in use that would satisfy Minnesota law.
For those at Curt’s Lock & Key, they said these alternatives have the potential to damage over time.
