Institutional Locksmith Certification Program
Co-Chair – John Hubel, CML, ICML, M.Ed.
Co-Chair – Tom Ripp, CJIL
The Institutional Locksmith Certification Program (ILCP) is a series of exams that focuses on the unique character of institutional locksmithing.
The ILCP consists of three levels of certification:
- Level 1: Certified Institutional Locksmith (CIL)
- Level 2: Certified Journeyman Institutional Locksmith (CJIL)
- Level 3: Certified Master Institutional Locksmith (CMIL)
Each test is $75.00 for currently paid ILA Members. For all others each test is $175.00. There will be a $25.00 re-scheduling fee if the test date or time is not met by the participant.
There is a Study Guide available for purchase. Each ILA Chapter should have some. The Study Guide is $35.00.
It contains the information needed for the CIL level certification as well as information on the electives needed for the CJIL and CMIL levels. It contains the Professional Locksmith Dictionary from the Lock Industry Standards and Training Council. It is well arranged and broken down by focus areas to make the study more focused.
Each test will be proctored by your Supervisor or someone at a level above yours. ILA Officers can also proctor the test. A 75% minimum passing score is required.
You are not permitted to use outside reference materials or accept advice from others during the test.
You will need to bring a pen or pencil and paper for figuring. A calculator can be used, but not the one on your phone or tablet.
Certified Institutional Locksmith (CIL)
- The participant must pass a mandatory exam of 250 questions that will measure a participant’s knowledge of general locksmithing. Some of the subject areas include lockset functions and finishes, lock by-pass methods, life safety codes, basic master keying, ADA, OSHA Warning Signage, key ID and key codes. There are not any manufacturer “brand-specific” questions on the CIL exam.
- This test has a maximum time limit of 4 hours for the test itself. The clock will stop at any break periods taken so the time allotted will be more than 4 hours.
- The CJIL and the CMIL are advanced levels. They will require the participant to have a specific amount of “years of experience” as an institutional locksmith or related field.
Certified Journeyman Institutional Locksmith (CJIL)
- The participant must pass an “advanced” mandatory exam of 103 questions and Six (6) elective exams that cover in-depth, manufacturer specific (e.g. Schlage, Corbin Russwin, Yale) subjects and institutional environment (e.g. university, hospital, detention) issues. These exams reflect the security products and occupational circumstances that institutional locksmiths encounter on a regular or daily basis.
- The mandatory section of this test has a maximum time limit of 1 hour and 26 minutes. Each elective has a specific time limit between 21 minutes to 30 minutes. The maximum time limit for all tests is 4 hours. The clock will stop at any break periods taken so the time allotted will be more than 4 hours.
Certified Master Institutional Locksmith (CMIL)
- The participant will have to pass up to an additional 12 elective exams not taken to earn the CJIL.
- Each elective has a specific time limit between 21 minutes to 30 minutes. The maximum time limit for all tests is 4 hours. The clock will stop at any break periods taken so the time allotted will be more than 4 hours.
Last Update 6/23/22
Key Documents Needed to Register for Certification Programs
Persons taking the CJIL level test must choose electives and supply proof of years in industry documents, for the CMIL level test choose additional electives only. The ILA Instructions are part of this document or available at the ILA web site (ilanational.org). There is a Study Guide available.
Scan and Email Completed Form to ILCPChair@ilnational.org
ILA Certification Program Application
The CJIL requires an examinee to have 1) at least 5 years of locksmithing industry experience, 2) select six electives from the current list and 3) at least one a pinning/cylinder/core elective and one a product/line elective. Four remaining electives are selected from the surrent list (More are constantly being developed). A second mandatory section of the CJIL includes many of the less common terms from the LIST Council Locksmith Dictionary that an experienced journeyman should be familiar with, plus some of the less common ANSI/BHMA finishes.
An additional 12 electives must be passed for the CMIL Level. Obviously, this will typically require study and research as well as hands-on preparation.
Tests are typically administered at locksmith related functions. ILA membership reduces the costs of each test level by the annual ILA Regular Member’s dues. There is an ILCP Study Guide available.
Show the industry and your facility you are a professional. Become a CIL, then a CJIL, then a CMIL.
ILA Certifcation Exam Instructions
For questions specific to this form contact ILA National Treasurer
Jim Swift
Institutional Locksmiths’ Association
P.O. Box 84, Butler, WI – 53007
treasurer@ilanational.org
ILCP Designations Earned
The following individuals have met the requirements for the ILCP designations indicated
Brian Adkins, CIL
Robert J. Akin, Jr., CIL
Vincent Alfonso, CIL
Joshua Armbruster, CMIL
Jerry J. Arnette, CIL
Michael Ashmore, CIL
Robert B. Ayers Jr., CMIL
Walter Bailey, CIL
Dennis Baker, CIL
Randall K. Barrett, CIL
Glenn K. Bechtel, CIL
Theodore J. Birren, CIL
Richard Blair, CIL
Robert Blaisdell, CIL
Mark Blum, CMIL
Dale L. Bowman, CJIL
Larry D. Bowman, CIL
Jonathan G. Bradfield, CIL
John D. Bradshaw, CIL
David B. Brandt, CIL
Paul Brazeau, CIL
Donald Richard Brazil, CIL
Karen J. Brice, CMIL
Gregory Brockway, CIL
Tim N. Buchanan, CIL
James C. Butman, CIL, CMKA, CMKC
Terry M. Campagne, CIL
Eduardo Castillo, CIL
Steven H. Champagne, CIL
Barry Clark, CIL
Lee R. Clayton,CIL
Daryl T. Clayton, CIL
David Cook, CIL
Michael Cote, CIL
Richard Crnich, CIL
John Crowley, CIL
Ryan Cruzan, CIL
C. Allen Cudd, CIL
John Cutts, CMKA
Chad Davison, CIL
Carl Dean, CIL
Albert Delatorre, CIL
Thomas R. Demont, CMIL
Michael Dianno, CIL
Chad M. Diemel, CIL
Peter E. Dinschel, CIL
Paul Doerre, CMIL
Robert Druge, CIL
William Duggan, CIL
Richard Duskiewicz, CJIL
Thomas Eatmon, CIL
Steven B. Engen, CJIL
Daniel S. Enriquez, CIL
Michael Erickson, CIL
Ronnie Eubanks, CIL
Joseph D. Falkenstien, CIL
Don A. Fernandez, CIL
Pedro Fernandez, CIL
Anthony Ferrazzi CIL
Kyle Finsel, CIL
Ken Flade, CIL
Alexander Fradkin, CIL
James Fragassi, CIL
Ronald G. Frei, CJIL
Jackie Fuller, CIL
Ralph Fuller, CIL
Rick Funari, CIL
Roe Gammon, CIL
Richard Gelman, CIL
Tom J. Gillespie, CIL
Tom Gillingham, CIL
Michael G. Gnad, Jr., CIL
Howard Goldstein, CIL
Wayne Goodwin, CIL
Svetozar Grba, CIL
Robert C. Gress, CJIL
David C. Grunlee, CIL
Tom Hall, CIL, CRL
Russell Halloran, CIL
James Handschuh, CIL
Dennis Harmon, CIL
James G. Harper, CIL
Paul Hefton, CIL
Joshua J.F. Higgins, CIL
Dale Himmelberg, CIL
Leonard M. Hoffman, CIL
Thomas H. Hojnacki, CIL
Michael N. Homan, CIL
Gary L. Hoodenpyle, CIL
John Hubel, CMIL
Edmond S. Jarman, Jr., CIL
Andrew Paul Jasiewicz, CIL
Daniel C. Johnson, CIL
Thomas Joiner, CIL
Byron D. Jones, CIL, CMKA
Michael K. Jones, CIL
William Jones, CIL
Michael Kalhorn, CIL
Yair Kalush, CIL
Mark A. Kandray, CIL
Vernon Kelley, CMIL
William Kelly, CIL
Scott Kelso, CIL
Elizabeth J. Kendrick, CIL
Matthew King, CIL
Thomas W. Kirk, Jr., CIL
Kurt Kloeckner, CJIL
Gregory R. Koonce, CJIL
Owen E. Kroening, CIL
Lonnie L. Kylander, CIL
William Lampert, CIL
Steven P. Larson, CIL
Jeff Lawrence, CIL
Leslie J. Leaneagh, CIL
Bill Lee, CMIL
Jean-Claude M. Lechantre, CIL
Michael R. Lehnert, CIL
Jerry Levine, CIL
Victor Lewis, CJIL
Gary V. Lieberman, Jr., CIL
James L. Lindquist, CIL
Clifford David Lipscomb, CIL
J. D. Little, CIL
Philip M. Losos, CIL
John P. Lozano, CJIL
William M. Lynk, CMIL
Bruce Lyon, CIL
William W. MacKenzie, CIL
Michael Maldonado, CIL
Gregory J. Manning, CIL
Mark Marlowe, CIL
Ralph D. Matthews, CIL
Ken Maynard, CIL
Steve Macleod, CIL
Philip R. McGee, CIL
Daniel F. McGlynn, CMIL
A. Wesley McKenney, CIL
Stephen McKinney, CIL
Richard McNamara, CIL
Faustino S. Melesio, CIL
Jessey Mercado, CJIL
Phillip Merriman, CIL
Steve A. Meskin, CIL
Art Misiewicz, CIL
Lance Monroe, CIL
Patrick F. Moran, CIL
Thomas E. Mulvihill, CIL
Warren Murphy III CIL
Thomas Negron, CIL
James Neuman, CIL
Wai Kin Ng, CIL
Dean Nickel, CIL
Kenneth R. Nielsen, CIL
Steven E. Nitkowski, CJIL
Ken Olson, CIL
Edward H. I. Ong, CIL
Donald O’Shall, CMIL, CMKA
Joel Pagan, CIL
Raymond R. Panfil II, CIL
Charles H. Park Jr., CJIL
Bill Petley, CIL
Kevin T. Piper, CIL
Brand W. Pletcher, CIL
Michael G. Powell, CIL
Paul Quatrano, CIL
Bruce T. Rahn, CIL
John Rendle, CJIL, CMKA
Lee W. Rink, CJIL, CMKA, CMKC
Eduardo Rios, CIL
Tom Ripp, CMIL, CMKA
Clyde T. Roberson, CIL
Slawomir Rog, CIL
William C Rogers, CIL
E. Frederick Ross Jr, CIL
Steven Ross, CIL
Francis S. Ruk, Jr., CIL
Michael Rumage, CIL
Sarah Russell, CIL
Paul F. Sanders, CIL
Robert Schlegel, CIL
Rick Schroedle, CIL
Joseph K. Schuerman, CIL
Robert J. Schuetrumpf, CJIL
Alexander J. Schulke, CIL
David Sharpe, CIL
Thomas J. Siegfried, CIL
Thomas Simmons, CIL
Ed Siuzdak, CIL
John Slawinski, CIL
Hendrick J (Hank) Smit, CIL
Don Smith, CIL, CMKA, CMKC
Jason T. Smith, CIL
Terry Smith, CIL
Harry G. Snook, CIL
Jay W. Soderland, CIL
John Soderland, CJIL, CMKA
Richard Soto, CIL
James Stefanski, CIL
Karen M. Strohmeyer, CJIL
Frank R. Strope, CIL
James A. Stuerebaut, Jr., CIL
John P. Sullivan, CIL
Michael Sullivan (MA), CIL
James Swanson, CIL
James L. Swift, CIL, CMKA
David Teel, CIL
Robert Thomas, CIL
Scott Thomas, CIL
Tyler J. Thomas, CJIL, CMKA
George E. Thrash, CIL
Angel Toro, CIL
Rodney Trautz, CIL
Kevin Treadway, CIL
John Truempy, CMIL
Branden Tucker, CIL
Vincent Twenter, CIL
Arturo Urbano, CIL
William J. Vollmer, CIL
Rockwell Wagner, CIL
Scott W. Walbert, CIL
Jack A. Walder, CJIL
Tony West, CJIL
Richard G. Wilcox, CIL
Jonathan Williams, CIL
Keith S. Williams, CIL
Tara L. Williams, CJIL
Dan Wills, CJIL
Roger Yost, CIL
Eric C. Zeoli, CIL
Michael Ziaja, CIL
Walter J. Zubik, CIL
Notify ILCP Chair of any errors you believe exist in this List
Contact us at: ilcpchair@ilanational.org