SAVE OUR KEYS
We wanted to follow up on the “Save our Keys” legislation that we were working to change. We are happy to report that the Minnesota House and Senate both passed HF 4, containing the revision to the law containing the keys changes. This is great news and means we’re all back to business as usual with no restrictions on any of the products we provide.
We want to say thanks to all for a great job spreading the word on this issue, calling your state representatives and helping correct this. We couldn’t have done it without you.
The revised law can be seen below:
Due to a 2023 law, Minnesota has banned the sale of nearly every key in the state. That means your house key, car key, keys to your business, your safe, your tool chest, even your boat or ATV, couldn’t be sold.
Watch the news story from Minnesota’s FOX 9 –
Nearly every key in use today is made from brass, an alloy that contains a small amount of lead, typically between 0.9% and 1.5%. That’s because brass offers the perfect mix of strength, durability, and machinability. The lead in brass is what makes it possible to cut a key to fit your lock precisely. Without it, you risk broken keys, jammed locks, or worse, locks that just don’t work. And when keys and locks are made of different materials, one will likely damage the other over time. It’s not just a manufacturing issue, it’s a functional one.
No other state has a restriction this extreme. Not even California. Key manufacturers can meet California’s standards, but Minnesota’s? They simply can’t. There is no viable, cost-effective alternative to brass keys with lead content at current levels, and neither the state nor the key-making industry has found one that works.
Thankfully, there’s bipartisan legislation at the State Capitol to fix this, authored by Democrat Senator Grant Hauschild and Republican Representative Josh Heintzeman. Their bills would restore common sense by carving out an exemption for keys, while keeping protections in place for other lead-containing products.
What can I do?
Tell lawmakers to unlock common sense. Support the key fix today. Use this link to find your local Minnesota State Representative and contact them about this – FIND YOUR LOCAL STATE REPRESENTAIVE We need your help to make them aware of the issue and why the current law needs to be amended.
Have your voice heard
We’ve set upa a survey to help collect our customers opinions on this issue. Please go to this survey and voice your opinion on this MN law resticting key blank sales. SAVE OUR KEYS SURVEY
Download and Share
We’ve prepared an informational sheet about this issue. DOWNLOAD THE PDF HERE and share with your customers and friends in the Security Industry.
We appreciate your help and we’re working hard to get this issue resolved.