Local locksmiths are sounding the alarm over a 2023 Minnesota state law that restricts the amount of lead allowed in keys, saying it could disrupt their businesses and create problems for consumers.

The law, aimed at reducing lead exposure in products like jewelry, toys and cookware, limits lead content in keys sold in the state to 0.009% of their total weight. Many standard keys, including those for homes, cars, boats and recreational vehicles, contain about 1% lead by weight.

“Anything with a lock or a key that we do work on in Minnesota is affected,” said Todd Ladwig, owner of Curt’s Lock and Key Service in Fargo. “That’s going to be your car, your boat, your ATV, your motorcycle, your house, your apartment.”

Stricter enforcement from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency begins July 1, following a delayed implementation period originally set to last three years.

Ladwig said alternative key materials like aluminum and steel come with major downsides.

“We’ve experimented with aluminum over the years, it’s too brittle and it breaks too easily and steel is too hard to machine, and it rusts,” he said.

The new standard has left locksmiths questioning how manufacturers will comply — especially companies that sell products requiring keys, like snowmobiles.

“I’m not really sure how that’s going to work for Arctic Cat, who recently purchased itself back,” Ladwig said. “What are they going to do with the key for a snowmobile? Are they going to have to ship those out of state and then have a lock put on them out of state?”

State Sen. Rob Kupec, D-Moorhead, supports efforts to reduce lead exposure but said the state may have moved too quickly on this particular restriction.

“Clearly, if you’re going to do something like that, you probably, particularly with the keys, need to give that industry a little bit of time to catch up on that factor and see if there are alternatives available,” Kupec said.

Amendments to remove keys from the regulation were proposed this legislative session but failed to advance beyond committee.

“We just want to make sure that it doesn’t get left behind, that it’s not something that gets ignored or forgotten about,” Ladwig said.