BS3621 Locks – British Standards Locks and How To Identify Them

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It can be quite a rigorous and painstaking process to choose locks for your doors to ensure the utmost safety in your house.

The following article will give you a detailed account of how you can tell apart British Locks (more commonly known as BS3621 Locks) from other, regular locks.

It will also guide you, as well as give you the pros of having a BS3261 lock attached to your door.

Along with that, it will also introduce various other standards of locks that individuals may not know of.

So What Exactly Is BS3621?

BS3621 is a type of lock standard which complies with the British Standards Institute for burglary-proof and thief-resistant locks.

This is, by far the most popular standard when it comes to locks on doors.

These BS3621 locks can usually be found on the front and back doors of a house to prevent a break-in or entry by force.

These locks are a great way to amp up the security level of your house, and will most definitely prevent you from any thievery or burglary.

Even though it isn’t necessary to have these locks installed in your interior doors, it is considered necessary to get these standard locks installed onto your exterior doors to be on the safer side.

Most insurance companies have policies that require BS3621 British Standard fitted door locks.

The main query that might be on your mind right now is probably – “How do I find out whether the door locks fitted in my house doors follow the standards of BS3621?”

How To Identify If Your Locks Are BS3621 – 2 Simple Steps

It’s quite simple to do this.

One way is to look for a mark on the faceplate of the lock that is on your door.

This mark is known as the British Standard Kitemark (BSI).

To view the faceplate of your lock, all you have to do is open your door, and the British Standard Kitemark should be viewable on the faceplate.

It is usually engraved onto the plate and is of a specific number, for instance, BS3621.

Easy Steps On How To Check For BS3621 Locks

Step 1: Try to find the British Standard Kitemark (BSI) that is stamped onto the lock.

Step 2: Try and find the British Standard Number that is engraved onto the lock.

The number is BS3621 and will usually have the year mentioned in it as well.

For instance, a 2007 version of the lock will have the number ‘BS3621:2007’ engraved onto the faceplate of the lock.

In case any of the two requirements above are missing, it is most probably fake.

The Kitemark needs to be present on the lock to ensure that it is not fake and that it does indeed comply with the British Lock standards.

If you’re still not sure about whether your lock complies with BS3622 standards, you can simply inquire about it from Locksmith London approved locksmith that is close to you or in your vicinity.

These locksmiths usually deal with these kinds of locks daily and will be able to assist you to upgrade from your current locks to BS3621 locks.

Some Information Regarding British Standard Locks

BS3621 Locks are original, and the benchmark for most lock standards. These locks first arrived in the 1960s.

Some main facts regarding these locks are listed as below:

British Standard Locks are usually used for domestic household purposes and are mainly attached to wooden and timber doors; however, it is also possible for them to be attached to metal doors, mostly in commercial premises.

The lock can be opened and exited by using a key – this also gave birth to the term ‘keyed egress.’

It is not possible to open these locks from either side unless you have a key available on hand.

The most recently launched standard version of these locks is BS 3622:2017

This lock is unsuitable for households or properties that only have one exit door.

Advantages

Several benefits come along with having a BS3621 British Standard approved lock fitted into your door.

A few main ones have been listed below:

The locks are burglary resistant and thief-proof. These British Standard locks have been tested against various common burglary techniques such as lock picking and drilling.

BS3621 locks work well with an insurance policy. Most insurance policies require you to have these standard locks fitted into your door, as a bare minimum.

Have BS-3621 Locks Been Insurance Approved?

Most Kitemarked BS3261 Locks may have labels written on them stating that they are “Insurance Approved Locks,” which usually means that more than a few insurance companies need this standard of lock to be fitted. One of the reasons for this could be that this lock may be a part of their insurance policies.

With that being said, it must be mentioned that Insurance Provides have NOT approved these BS-3621 locks. This is because all approval and certifications are solely done by BSI (The British Standards Institute) themselves.

It is possible to find the following door locks in your home that may comply with BS3621 lock standards.

Locks that comply with BS3621:

Mortice Sashlock & Mortice DeadLock
Euro Deadlock & SashLock
Rim Cylinder locks, for instance, Night Latches & Rim Locks

Everything You Need To Know About BS3621 Mortice DeadLock

The DeadLock is designed primarily for entrance doors to prevent break-ins and burglary and is usually a requirement by most insurance policy companies.

These locks have been rigorously tested to comply with the standards that are set by the British Standards Institute.

There are certain features that the mortice locks need to possess to match up to BS3621 standards.

One of these features includes having a minimum of at least 5 levers in the lock, which means that a Mortice lock that contains only 3 levers cannot comply with a British Standard Kitemarked BS3621 lock.

BS3621 Lock – What Does It Look Like?

To figure out what this lock looks like, you have to pay close attention to the details of the Mortice Deadlock, which is BS3621 approved.

The Kitemark, along with the standard number engraved below it, can easily be located and found on the Mortice Deadlock.

It should be mentioned that a few of the 5 levers Mortice Locks also do not comply with the BS3261 standards, and it should be checked beforehand to confirm whether they are BS2621 locks or not.

You can also inquire from your local MLA locksmith on whether the 5 lever lock that you are planning to purchase follows the BS3621 standards or not.

A Mortice lock should be changed if you moved into a new house, as the lock can be operated and unlocked with a different set of keys.

It is possible for Mortice locks to be faulty, and can easily be damaged through attempts of breaking in.

Requirements that must be met by Locks to be BS3621 Approved

To meet the requirements set out for BS3621, a lock must have the following features:

The lock should be a 5-lever lock which includes at least a 1000 key differs
Measures should have been taken to prevent picking the 5 levers that are present within the lock
The lock should be possessing the qualities that most anti-pick locks have
The lock must be secured with hard plates to prevent drilling of the said lock by possible thieves or burglars.
The lock should have a minimum of 20mm bolt throw present into the door frame

The British Standards of the BS3621 Locks

As the years pass by and the trends change, the standards of the BS3621 have to be updated and changed to comply with the ever-progressing world.

Due to this, there are multiple versions of BS3621 locks that are currently available.

The different years in which they were manufactured and introduced can easily be identified on the number, which indicates the date and year when the standard was approved by the British Standards Institute.

The following is the list of the number of versions that your lock could be:

BS 3621:2017 – the newest version that has been introduced thus far
BS 3621:2007+A2:2012
BS 3621:1998
BS 3621:1980
BS 3621:1963 – the very first version that was introduced, and the oldest so far

It should be noted that the year in which the lock was introduced or certified is not very significant. Considering that these are all BS3621 locks, they all conform to the British Standards, and each is as effective as the other.

It is more important to have a BS3621 lock fitted onto your door.

However, it is suggested that the newest and latest version of the locks should be acquired, just to be on the safer side.

And if your locks are of older versions, it is commendable that you upgrade your BS3621 locks to the latest version of the lock that has been introduced thus far.

Do Home Insurer Providers require BS3621 Locks?

Although these locks are not deemed as necessary by most home insurers, some may emphasize the importance of BS3621 and how your locks need to meet BS3621 standards.

Some insurers, on the other hand, do not necessarily require your locks to meet BS3621.

All in all, in the end, it comes down to the individual customer to consult with their home insurer on whether it is better to have BS3621 locks installed, whether necessary or not.

Will A BS3621 Lock Reduce My Insurance?

Usually, as is the case with many home insurers, cheaper or budgeted insurance will not be offered simply because you have BS3621 locks installed, especially considering as this is a standard and minimum requirement in most insurance policies.

Once again, it is recommended to check with your providers and find out whether or not having these types of locks installed will lower down the expense of your insurance.

What Is The Cost Of A BS3621 Lock?

The prices of the B3621 Locks have been estimated and listed below:

Starting from an estimated price of £30 for a Mortice DeadLock that is BS3621 approved
Starting from an estimated price of £32 for a Mortice Sashlock that is BS3621 approved
Starting from an estimated price of £80 for a Night Latch that is BS3621 approved

More Varieties Of British Standard Locks (BS8621 + BS10621)

Two other British standards of the lock are available, which are the BS8621 and the BS10621.

You will often notice and find that these two locks are being mentioned alongside with the BS3621.

However, compared to the BS3621, which is usually used in households, these two varieties will rarely be found being used in domestic homes.

Usage Is More Common In Flats & Apartments

A large contrast from BS3621, BS8621, and BS10621 locks will mostly be found being used in commercial properties, as well as buildings that have a large number of occupants, for example, flats and apartments.

It should be mentioned here that the variety of BS10621 locks is highly uncommon, and the BS8621 locks are more than often used for flats and apartments.

BS8621 British Standard Locks – What Are They?

BS8621 Lock is a typical standard of lock that is mainly used for emergency exits, these exits being used in the event an occurrence of an emergency (such as a fire, an earthquake, and other various natural or man-made disasters).

These types of locks are designed in such a way that a key is not required to escape the building, which proves to be effective during instances of a life-threatening incident.

A few interesting facts about the BS8621 Locks are:

BS8621 British Standard Lock is relatively newer, and its first lock was introduced in the year 2004
A key is not required to open and access the lock. It can be unlocked by simply turning your thumb to open it
BS8621 British Standard Lock can only be locked from the outside, that too by using a key
This type of lock is suitable for and is usually fitted in commercial and domestic properties, e.g., rented accommodation, flats, or areas that have a large number of occupants.
This lock is only installed on external doors, and not on the internal doors
The newest and most recent standard version of this lock is BS8621:2017

Advantages Of BS8621 Locks

The advantages that usually come with having a BS8621 Lock are listed as follows:

In case someone is required to exit the building in a dire situation hurriedly, they do not have to go through the hassle of searching for keys to exit from the compound
One main advantage of this lock is that an individual cannot be locked inside of the building

Locks That Comply With BS8621:

Mortice SashLock & Mortice DeadLock
Euro Deadlock & Sashlock
Rim Cylinder locks such as Night Latches & Rim Locks

It should be mentioned with great importance that this standard of lock should not be confused with a fire escape, it is ideal for dire and life-threatening situations but should not be used only for that purpose.

How To Identify If You Have A BS8621 Lock

To figure out whether you already have a BS8621 lock installed onto your door, the following 2 steps can be taken:

Step 1: Try to find the British Standard Kitemark that is engraved onto the lock.

Step 2: Try to find the number “BS8621 that is stamped onto the lock, followed by the version of the year it was made in.

For instance, if this version of the lock was manufactured in 2017, the number will be ‘BS8621:2017.’

The Different Versions Of BS8621 Locks:

Listed below are all the version of BS 8621 Kitemarked locks that are currently available for use:

BS 8621:2017 – the most recent version of the lock that was recently introduced
BS 8621:2007+A2:2012
BS 8621:2004 – the first version of the lock that was introduced, and the oldest by far

BS10621 British Standard Locks – What Are They?

BS10621 British Standard locks have features of both BS8621 and BS3621 Locks.

This lock is a mixture of both keyed and keyless egress (meaning that it has a dual-mode) and is, by far, one of the least popular standards of the lock.

They are not as widely available and are quite common, as most individuals prefer to use the other standards of the locks.

Some interesting facts regarding the BS10621 Lock are listed as below:

The very first lock of the BS10621 standard was first introduced in the year of 2007 and is relatively newer as compared to the other standards of the British Standard locks.
The same testing criteria that were used for BS3621 and BS8621 were also used on BS10621
This standard of lock is fairly common and is rarely ever found being used by individuals
This standard of lock contains the functions of both BS3621 and BS8621, meaning that it is both keyed and keyless
It is only possible to lock this standard of the lock from the outside, and that too by using a key
Even though it is rarely used, this standard of the lock is usually accommodated in commercial and domestic properties such as rented places, flats, or areas that may have multiple occupants.
The newest and latest version of this lock standard was released in BS10621:2017

It must be stressed upon the fact that it is recommended to not use this standard of the lock in places where there are only single exit dwellings, as there is a possibility of getting trapped inside of the building itself.

Locks that comply with BS10621:

Mortice SashLock & Mortice DeadLock
Euro Deadlock & Sashlock
Rim Cylinder locks, for instance, Night Latches & Rim Locks

How to Figure Out If You Have a BS10621 Lock

You can tell if you have a BS10261 Lock, and it is quite easy to do so, by simply using the following two steps:

Step 1 – Try to find the British Standard Kitemark that is engraved onto the lock

Step 2 – Try to find the Number ‘BS10621’ that is stamped onto the lock, which will be followed by the year the standard version was manufactured in. For instance, if the version was manufactured in the year, the number stamped onto the lock will be ‘BS10621:2017’.

The Different Versions of BS10621 Locks

Listed below are all the different versions of BS 10621 Kitemarked locks that are currently available:

BS 10621:2017 – the newest version of this lock that has been introduced
BS 10621:2007+A2:2012 – the first version of this lock that has been introduced, as well as the oldest one by far.

A Summary on British Standard BS3621 Locks

BS3621 British Standard made to fit locks are designed for doors to ensure that they are thief resistant and to prevent any burglaries from occurring.

Owners need to know about such locks to ensure their safety, as these locks usually end up being a requirement for your home insurance, and may or may not end up giving you savings on your insurance policy.

The standard of these locks is suitable for exit doors such as the front and back doors, which are most prone when it comes to breaking in.

Although not required for interior doors, in some circumstances, this standard may be deemed necessary.

A British Standard Mortice lock needs to have at least 5 levers to offer a decent level of security, and this number of levers are usually required according to British Standards.

Approved British Standard BS3621 Locks will usually have the trademarked kite mark etched onto the lock.

In most cases, the mark can be located on the place near the place where the bolt comes out of the door when it is locked.

They also have the lock standard number that is stamped onto the faceplate of the lock.

To upgrade your locks to give yourself a maximum level of security, it is best to switch over to BS3621 locks and consult a local locksmith regarding this matter.