Guide
Runcorn Guide to BS 3621, TS 007 and What an Insurance Approved Lock Really Means
Start with one decision. If a door will not lock tonight, or someone has forced it, this is not the moment to study standards: call 01928 611001, because emergency calls are taken 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and the door can be made secure first. If you are checking a policy, buying a lock or weighing a quote, read on.
The correction this guide exists to make is simple. Nobody approves a lock for insurance. "Insurance approved" is not a formal certification at all; it is loose shorthand for a lock that meets a recognised security standard. BSI certifies locks against published standards, and each insurer separately decides what its own policies ask for, so you must check what your policy says about the door in question. Two schemes do most of the work on UK homes: the BS 3621 family for complete lock assemblies, and TS 007 for cylinders and the hardware around them. BS 3621 and TS 007 cover different types of hardware, and which one is relevant depends on the door and the lock fitted to it. This guide, from Runcorn Locksmith, shows which standard may be relevant to your door, how TS 007 star ratings work, and where to find the markings on what is already there.
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Which Standard Applies to Your Door?
The standard that applies is decided by the door and the lock in it, not by the insurer. It also depends on how the door opens from the inside. Find your door in the first column.
| Door | Lock | Scheme that applies | What the mark looks like | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timber door | Mortice lock | BS 3621 family, for the lock assembly | BSI Kitemark with a BS 3621 number | Faceplate in the door edge |
| Timber door | Nightlatch | BS 3621 family, for the lock assembly | BSI Kitemark with a BS number | Faceplate or case |
| uPVC or composite door | Euro cylinder in a multipoint | TS 007, for the cylinder and the handle, not the mechanism | TS 007 star marking | Cylinder face or body; handle separately |
| Flat entrance door onto a shared corridor | Lock that opens from inside by handle or thumbturn | BS 8621 may be relevant | BSI Kitemark with a BS 8621 number | Faceplate |
| Door needing a switchable secure mode | Specialist dual-mode lock | BS 10621, by professional specification | BSI Kitemark with a BS 10621 number | Faceplate |
If you own a uPVC door and have been quoted for a BS 3621 lock, something has been misunderstood along the way. To confirm which lock type you actually have before going further, the lock types guide helps, and for having a lock supplied and fitted, see our installation page.
BS 3621 Is for Lock Assemblies, TS 007 Is for Cylinders
The split fits in one sentence: BS 3621 certifies a whole lock assembly, while TS 007 certifies a cylinder and the hardware that protects it. The BS 3621 family applies to complete single-point lock assemblies, and TS 007 covers replaceable cylinders and protective hardware, including security handles. So a euro cylinder cannot be BS 3621 on its own, and a mortice deadlock does not carry a TS 007 star rating; a listing that claims both for one product is describing two different things. Neither scheme outranks the other. Each answers its own security question about its own components.
What BS 3621 Covers and What It Does Not
The current standard is BS 3621:2017+A1:2024, titled Lock assemblies operated by key from both the inside and outside of the door, published on 26 September 2024. It sets performance requirements and test methods for a thief-resistant, mechanically operated single-point lock assembly on a door that locks from both sides with a key, so the only way out is by key.
- Covers: single-point lock assemblies that are locked and unlocked by key from both sides.
- Does not cover: assemblies that let you out without a key.
- Does not cover: assemblies with a secure mode in which nobody can get out; BSI points readers to BS 8621 and BS 10621 for those.
Read practically, BS 3621 is a whole-lock certification for a door that always takes a key on both sides, which in a UK house usually means a timber front or back door. BSI's product page for the standard is the reference to check. If you want the lock on such a door brought up to a different specification,.
What TS 007 Covers and Who Owns It
TS 007 is a security specification for door cylinders and the hardware around them. It was developed by Secured by Design, the police crime prevention initiative, together with the Door and Hardware Federation and the Glass and Glazing Federation. In substance it covers:
- Replaceable cylinders meant for use with rim and mortice locks, including euro profile, oval and threaded cylinders.
- Cylinder-specific devices, escutcheons and cylinder guards.
- Security handles and associated security hardware.
On a uPVC or composite door, then, the cylinder and the handle are the parts a standard can be claimed for, and the multipoint strip behind them is not what TS 007 rates. The rating shows as a star marking on the cylinder, usually on its face or stamped on its body. The Door and Hardware Federation's TS 007 page is the reference source.
| Comparison | BS 3621 | TS 007 |
|---|---|---|
| What it assesses | One complete single-point lock assembly | Replaceable cylinders and the hardware that guards them |
| Typical hardware | Mortice and rim lock assemblies | Euro, oval and threaded cylinders, security handles, cylinder protection |
| How it is identified | Full BS number and certification marking | TS 007 marking, star rating and certification details |
| Not covered on its own | A separate cylinder outside the certified assembly | The whole multipoint mechanism, the door or the frame |
The Three British Standards, Named by How You Get Out
All three standards in the family describe a thief-resistant lock. What separates them is how you leave from the inside, not how strong the lock is. In one line each: BS 3621 needs a key from both sides; BS 8621 needs a key outside and a handle or thumbturn inside; BS 10621 normally works like BS 8621 but can be switched to a secure mode in which there is no way out. BSI's own scope note says the latter two differ enough in what they offer for means of escape from fire and for security that BS 3621 does not cover them. This is general information rather than fire safety advice, and it does not tell you what your building needs; why a flat entrance door takes a different lock is touched on in our area pages.
BS 3621 Against BS 8621
The short version is that BS 3621 needs a key to get out and BS 8621 does not. BS 8621:2017+A1:2024 is titled Lock assemblies operated by key from the outside of the door and by handle or thumb turn from the inside.
| BS 3621 | BS 8621 |
|---|---|
| Key needed on both sides | Key outside, handle or thumbturn inside |
| Suits a house door where everyone carries a key and deadlocking both ways is the point | Suits a door on an escape route, where hunting for a key to leave is the hazard |
The flat entrance door onto a shared corridor is the obvious example for BS 8621, though it is not automatically required for every flat entrance door. One lock cannot be both, so if a policy names one standard and the building calls for the other, that is a conflict to raise in writing with your insurer and your building manager, not something to settle by buying a lock; how a replacement lock is chosen and fitted comes after that answer. The quick check is on the inside of your door: a thumbturn tells you which family you are in.
BS 10621 and the Secure Mode
BS 10621 covers a specialist dual-mode lock assembly. In normal use it lets you out without a key; a separate action switches it into a secure mode that stops anyone leaving from inside. This is not a stronger version of BS 8621. It is a different operating arrangement.
- The BS 10621 secure-mode standard applies to lock assemblies intended for dwellings where an alternative escape route is available.
- Whether it suits a particular property depends on the building, its use and its escape arrangements, so it needs professional specification before anyone chooses it.
BS 10621 should not be treated as a general recommendation for homes, shops or offices. Most homeowners will not need to choose between these standards without advice; BS 10621 is here so the family is complete and nobody reads the numbers as a ranking.
Reaching Three Stars Without Buying a Three-Star Cylinder
TS 007 uses star ratings for lock cylinders and the hardware designed to protect them, and the stars show the security rating a cylinder or protective component achieved under TS 007. One star can be carried by a qualifying cylinder, two stars by qualifying protective hardware, and three stars by a cylinder that delivers the full rating by itself. There are two recognised routes to three-star protection:
| Route 1 | Route 2 |
|---|---|
| A TS 007 Kitemarked three-star cylinder | A TS 007 Kitemarked one-star cylinder combined with a TS 007 Kitemarked two-star armoured handle or lock surround |
The second route exists because a cylinder can be attacked through the handle and escutcheon as well as head-on, so the scheme rates the assembled defence rather than the cylinder alone. Hardening the surround does the same job as hardening the cylinder. For the combination to count, three things must be true:
- Both parts carry their star markings on Kitemarked products.
- Both parts are TS 007 rated.
- The pair is fitted together on the same door: a two-star handle over an unrated cylinder is not a three-star door.
The rating belongs to the assessed components. It does not automatically cover the door, frame, multipoint mechanism or installation. When you get a quote, ask the supplier or locksmith which route it is and whether both parts are Kitemarked; changing a cylinder on a uPVC or composite door explains the fitting side.
What Insurance Approved Actually Means
No organisation approves locks for insurance. BSI certifies a lock against a published standard, and each insurer decides separately what its policies ask for, and those conditions can differ by property, policy and door type. "Insurance approved" is trade shorthand for a lock certified to a standard that insurers commonly name; it is not a certification in its own right. Some policies specify BS 3621 for certain external doors, and requirements vary by insurer, door type and policy. If a door has already been forced, start with securing a property after a break-in.
Who Certifies What
Three separate things get blurred together, so take them in turn.
- The standard is the document, written and published by BSI, setting what a lock must withstand.
- The mark is the evidence. Product marking displays information such as a BS number, Kitemark or TS 007 star rating on products that have been tested.
- The policy condition is a commercial term in the contract between you and your insurer. It may name a standard, may name a lock type, or may say nothing specific.
For example, a mortice lock may carry BS 3621 certification. It does not prove that every insurer will accept it for every entrance, and a TS 007 rating works in the same way. A BS 3621-family marking relates to a qualifying complete lock assembly, and BS 3621 does not usually apply to the cylinder-operated multipoint systems commonly fitted to uPVC doors. TS 007 may be relevant to the replaceable cylinder and protective hardware, but it does not certify the complete door or multipoint mechanism. Because the systems are independent, a lock can be certified and still fail a policy condition, and a policy can be satisfied by a lock with no mark at all.
What to Check in Your Own Policy
Look in the full policy wording, not the summary or the certificate, which may leave conditions out. The section is usually headed something like security conditions, minimum security requirements, door and window locks, or theft conditions. This is general consumer information rather than insurance advice. Look for:
- Whether the wording names a particular British Standard.
- Whether it applies to every external door or only a final exit door.
- Whether it says anything about locks being in use, since some wordings expect doors locked to a stated level when the property is empty.
Two related points: PAS 24 covers the enhanced security performance of a complete doorset, which is a different thing from a lock standard, and BS 8621 is not automatically required for every flat entrance door. A lock that meets a British Standard does not automatically satisfy every insurance policy either. If the wording is unclear, ask your insurer in writing what would satisfy it for your type of door, and keep the reply. An answer in writing before a claim is worth far more than an argument after one. If you are already past that point, see what to do in the days after a break-in.
How to Tell What You Already Have
The lock usually tells you itself, and you will not need to take anything apart.
- Open the door and look at the faceplate on a mortice lock or nightlatch. A certified lock carries a BSI Kitemark and a number beginning BS 3621 engraved there.
- On a uPVC or composite door, look at the cylinder instead, on its face and along its body, for a TS 007 star marking.
- Check the handle separately, because it carries its own rating.
- Photograph the faceplate, the cylinder, the handles and the whole door before you ring anyone.
A missing mark does not prove the lock failed a test, because plenty of locks were never submitted. It does mean no certification can be claimed for it. Remember too that BS 3621 relates to qualifying complete lock assemblies while TS 007 covers cylinders and protective hardware, and that BS 8621 and BS 10621 address different inside-opening arrangements. Your insurer must confirm whether a particular lock satisfies its policy conditions. When you get in touch, the door material, whether it is external, internal or a flat entrance, and close photographs of the markings usually tell a locksmith enough to narrow things down.
Talk to Us About What Your Door Takes
We will look at the door, tell you what is fitted and what your options are, and give you a price before any work starts. Have ready the door material, a photograph of the faceplate or cylinder, and the exact wording of any standard your policy names.
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- Emergency calls taken 24 hours a day, every day of the year
- [PROVIDER PACK: DBS check evidence for technicians]
- [PROVIDER PACK: insurance held and evidence]
- A price on the call from what you describe
- [CLIENT TO CONFIRM: whether British Standard or TS 007 rated products are stocked and fitted]
Ask What Your Door Takes: call or message Runcorn Locksmith on 01928 611001.
British Standard Lock Questions
Is there such a thing as an insurance approved lock?
Not as a certification. The phrase is informal and usually refers to a lock that may meet a standard mentioned in some policies. A certified lock does not automatically satisfy every policy, because each insurer sets its own conditions.
Does a five-lever lock meet BS 3621?
No, a five-lever lock does not automatically meet BS 3621. Five lever describes part of the mechanism, while the whole assembly has to pass the standard's tests and carry markings you can verify.
Does BS 3621 apply to my uPVC door?
BS 3621 does not usually apply to the cylinder-operated multipoint systems commonly fitted to uPVC doors. TS 007 may be relevant to the cylinder and protective hardware on such a door.
How do I get three-star protection on a uPVC door?
You can fit a TS 007 Kitemarked three-star cylinder, or combine a TS 007 Kitemarked one-star cylinder with TS 007 Kitemarked two-star protective hardware. Either route works; there is not just one.
Does "anti-snap" mean the cylinder is three-star?
No, an anti-snap description alone does not prove that a cylinder has achieved a TS 007 three-star rating. Check for the marking on the product, its packaging or its paperwork, and do not assume certification you cannot verify.
Will changing my cylinder make the whole door compliant?
No. Changing the cylinder changes one component. It does not alter the door, the frame or the multipoint mechanism behind it.