Proof of ownership for car key jobs: what to check in the UK and Ireland
A car with no keys and a stranger standing next to it is the job every auto locksmith has to get right. Program a key for the wrong person and you have handed them the car. Police in England and Wales recorded 312,250 vehicle offences in the year to March 2026, according to the Office for National Statistics.
This guide covers what to check, what the law in the UK and Ireland says, and what to keep afterwards. The sources are linked, and the facts were checked on 15 October 2026. It is a practical guide, not legal advice.
Does UK law make a locksmith check ownership?
No law in the UK makes a locksmith check ownership before cutting or programming a car key. Locksmiths are not licensed, and the Master Locksmiths Association says the trade "is not regulated in any way by the Government in the United Kingdom".
Customers are still told to expect a check. The MLA's own key cutting page says: "For car keys, you will be required to provide proof of ownership such as a V5 document."
What does the Crime and Policing Act 2026 change?
Section 149 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 makes it an offence to possess, import, make, adapt, supply or offer to supply an electronic device where there is reasonable suspicion that it will be used for vehicle theft or theft from a vehicle. The Act received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026. On 15 October 2026 section 149 was not yet in force: legislation.gov.uk marks it "prospective". The Home Office factsheet gives the maximum penalty as five years' imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both.
The defence is to show that you "did not intend or suspect that the device would be used in connection with a relevant offence". Under section 150, you have to raise enough evidence of that, and the prosecution then has to disprove it beyond reasonable doubt. The factsheet adds: "Those who do have a valid use for such a device should have no difficulty in demonstrating that."
Section 149 does not define "electronic device", and neither the section nor the factsheet mentions locksmiths. Section 150 is not in force yet either. A plain record of who you programmed keys for, and what they showed you, is the easiest way to show what a job was if anyone ever asks.
Is a V5C proof of ownership?
No. The V5C names the registered keeper, who may not be the owner. When the red V5C was introduced in 2010, the Department for Transport said: "Buyers often mistakenly believe the V5C to be proof of ownership of a vehicle. This is not the case."
So no single document settles it. A sound check puts three things side by side:
| Check | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Photo ID | A driving licence or passport, with a name that matches the papers |
| Car papers | A V5C (UK) or Vehicle Registration Certificate (Ireland) in that name, a new keeper slip, a hire or lease agreement, or a letter from the company that owns the car |
| The car | The VIN on the car matches the VIN on the papers |
| Latest V5C (UK) | The issue date on the V5C matches the latest one on GOV.UK |
When the papers name a company, ask for the lease or hire agreement, or a letter on the company's paper. Ring the company if anything looks wrong.
How do you check a V5C is the latest one?
Use the GOV.UK vehicle check. It needs only the number plate, and among other details it shows the "last log book (V5C) issue date". Compare that date with the date of issue on the V5C in front of you. If the V5C is older, a newer log book exists, and the one you are holding is not the current one.
GOV.UK gives buyers the same advice for the green new keeper slip: "Check that the date on the slip matches the last V5C issue date on the vehicle enquiry service".
Two more checks from GOV.UK's advice for used car buyers work just as well at the roadside. The V5C should have a "DVL" watermark. Its serial number should not fall between BG8229501 and BG9999030, or between BI2305501 and BI2800000. If it does, GOV.UK says the V5C "might be stolen" and to call the police when it is safe to.
What does the law say in Ireland?
Ireland licenses locksmiths. Since 1 February 2017 a locksmith needs a licence from the Private Security Authority (PSA), and the legal definition covers locks on motor vehicles and "motor vehicle transponder keys" (S.I. 343/2016). The current standard is PSA 55:2022. These are the parts that matter on a car key job:
| Clause | What it requires |
|---|---|
| 2.18 | "Restricted keys" include "coded motor vehicle keys" |
| 6.2.1 | Every restricted key cut is recorded with "the identity of the person(s) receiving the keys and the date of issue" |
| 6.3.1 | Before an opening, check the client's identity and their right to ask for it: "A driving licence, passport or other photo ID should be requested." |
| 6.3.2 | If you are not satisfied, ask the client to notify the Gardaí. If they refuse, do not open, and notify the Gardaí yourself |
| 6.3.3 and Annex B | A Record of Opening, signed by the client and the locksmith: ID verified yes or no and the type of ID, entitled yes or no and how you verified it, times, and a signed declaration |
| 6.4.5 | Records of visits to client premises are kept for at least three years |
The Record of Opening asks for the type of ID. It does not ask for a copy.
What should you write down?
One record per job, made at the car, before the work starts:
- date and time
- number plate and VIN
- the customer's name
- the type of ID seen
- the papers seen
- whether the names and the VIN matched
- for UK cars, whether the V5C is the latest one
- the customer's signature under a short declaration that they are entitled to have the work done
- who did the job
How long to keep it: PSA 55 sets three years for records of visits (clause 6.4.5) and no separate period for the key log or the Record of Opening. Using three years for all of them keeps it simple. If you are SERMI approved, the scheme asks for five years on jobs that use the car maker's security data, and it asks for the ID number as well. The UK has no fixed period for other jobs. The ICO says: "You must not keep personal data for longer than you need it." So pick a period, write it down, and stick to it.
Should you photograph the customer's ID?
Usually not. UK data protection law says personal data must be "limited to what is necessary", and the ICO adds: "You must not collect personal data on the off-chance that it might be useful in the future."
In 2023 Ireland's Data Protection Commission found that Airbnb broke that rule by asking a user for "a complete and unredacted copy" of his photo ID. Keeping the copy after the check was done broke the storage limitation rule as well.
Note the type of ID instead. That is all the PSA form asks for. If you keep a photo of the car papers, set a date to delete it.
What do you do when they cannot prove it?
Stop before you start. Write down that you stopped and why: no papers, names that differ, a VIN that does not match. In Ireland, clause 6.3.2 tells you to involve the Gardaí when you are not satisfied before an opening. Keep the record of a refused job as well, because it shows the check happens every time and not only when it suits.
A clear rule, said the same way every time, keeps the conversation short: "I need photo ID and the log book in your name before I can program a key. It protects you as much as me."
How do you keep ownership records on a phone?
Paper works if the folder stays dry and you can find a job from three years ago. A phone is the other option.
Nyrano has an ownership check on car key jobs. Before work starts, the technician picks the type of ID and the papers seen, answers whether the names and the VIN match and, for UK cars, whether the V5C is the latest one. The customer then signs with a finger on the phone. Nyrano never stores a copy of the ID. A photo of the papers is optional and is deleted after 90 days by default. The shop can choose 30 days, a year, or no photos at all. If the customer cannot prove it, the technician stops the job and the record stays. The check works without signal and is on by default for UK and Irish shops.
What it does not do: it does not look up the V5C date for you, so the technician checks it on GOV.UK. It keeps a record of the check. It does not make a shop compliant with any law.