# Lock Standards Irish Home Insurers Require | Waterford > Irish home insurers often reference lock standards like BS 3621 and IS EN 1303. Learn what they expect, how it affects claims, and how to comply. URL: https://emergencylocksmithwaterford.com/guide/irish-home-insurance-lock-requirements/ Last-Modified: 2026-09-01 # What Lock Standards Do Irish Home Insurers Require? Irish home insurers often reference lock standards like BS 3621 and IS EN 1303. Learn what they expect, how it affects claims, and how to comply. Updated 1 September 2026 · 4 min read ![Homeowner reading insurance policy wording about locks](/images/featured/homeowner-reading-an-insurance-policy-document-at-.webp) ## What insurers actually ask for Home insurance policies in Ireland commonly include a security condition, and it usually refers to lock standards rather than brands. The most frequently referenced are: **British Standard BS 3621** — a standard for thief-resistant locks, generally applied to mortice deadlocks on timber doors. Policies sometimes phrase this as “a five-lever mortice deadlock to BS 3621 on all final exit doors”. **IS EN 1303** — a European and Irish standard covering the performance of cylinders, including durability, key security and resistance to attack. **“Approved” or “insurance-rated” locks** — vaguer wording that generally points at the two above. Some policies also mention key-operated locks on accessible windows, and a few specify anti-snap protection explicitly. ![Standards marking stamped on a lock faceplate](/images/content/close-up-of-a-lock-faceplate-showing-a-british-sta.webp) The critical point: **wording varies between insurers and between policies from the same insurer.** Nothing on this page substitutes for reading your own document. Look for a section headed security conditions, or a general conditions section that mentions locks. ## Why it matters at claim time Insurance conditions exist to be relied on. If a policy states that final exit doors must have locks to a particular standard, and a break-in occurs through a door that doesn’t, an insurer is entitled to ask questions. Depending on the wording and the circumstances, that can affect how a claim is settled. That isn’t a reason for alarm. It is a reason to spend ten minutes checking, because resolving a mismatch in advance costs the price of a lock, and discovering it during a claim costs considerably more. ## How to check your own locks **Timber doors with mortice locks.** Open the door and look at the faceplate on the edge — the metal strip the bolt comes through. A British Standard lock usually carries a kitemark and “BS 3621” stamped into it. No marking generally means it isn’t rated. **UPVC and composite doors with euro cylinders.** Look at the cylinder face and the key. Rated cylinders often carry a star marking (TS 007), a Sold Secure logo, or a reference to IS EN 1303. **Everything else.** Patio doors, side doors, garage doors and accessible windows. Policies frequently refer to “all external doors”, which includes the ones people forget. If you can’t find markings, that’s your answer for practical purposes: assume it isn’t rated and check with a locksmith. ## What to do about a mismatch The fix is usually straightforward and cheaper than people expect, because the labour is the larger part of the cost and it’s the same whichever lock is fitted. - **Timber door, non-standard mortice:** replace with a BS 3621 five-lever deadlock. Typically €150 to €220 fitted. - **UPVC or composite, basic cylinder:** replace with a rated anti-snap cylinder [/anti-snap-high-security-locks/ →](/anti-snap-high-security-locks/) . Typically €100 to €160 fitted. If you’re unsure whether yours qualifies, what anti-snap locks are and whether you need them [/guide/what-are-anti-snap-locks/ →](/guide/what-are-anti-snap-locks/) explains the ratings insurers look for. - **Multiple doors:** doing them together is better value, and they can be keyed alike so one key does the lot. ## Get it in writing ![Written record of lock work handed to a homeowner](/images/content/locksmith-handing-a-written-certificate-of-work-to.webp) Whatever you have fitted, ask for a written record: what was installed, on which doors, to which standard, and on what date. Keep it with your policy documents. That single piece of paper is what turns “I think the locks are fine” into evidence, and it costs nothing to request at the time. It’s the same documentation we provide after break-in work, covered in our guide on meeting insurance requirements after a burglary [/guide/meeting-insurance-requirements-after-a-burglary/ →](/guide/meeting-insurance-requirements-after-a-burglary/) . ## A note on honesty We’re locksmiths, not insurance advisers, and we’re not going to tell you your claim will be refused to sell you a cylinder. What we will do is read your policy wording with you, tell you plainly whether what’s on your doors matches it, and fit what’s needed if it doesn’t. If your locks already comply, we’ll say that and leave them alone. ## Learn more about anti-snap / high-security locks If this is the situation you're in, our anti-snap / high-security locks page explains what the job involves, what it costs, and how quickly we can be with you. Anti-Snap / High-Security Locks in Waterford [/anti-snap-high-security-locks/ →](/anti-snap-high-security-locks/) Call 051 575 008 [tel:+35351575008 →](tel:+35351575008) FAQs ## Questions people also ask ### What lock standards do Irish insurers require? It varies by insurer and policy, but many reference British Standard BS 3621 for mortice locks and IS EN 1303 for cylinders. Some also ask for five-lever locks on final exit doors. The only reliable source is your own policy wording, which will state it under security conditions. ### Could the wrong lock affect a claim? Potentially. If a policy makes compliant locks a condition and a break-in happens through a door that doesn't meet it, an insurer may query or reduce a claim. It's not something to panic about, but it is worth checking and resolving in advance rather than at claim time. ### How do I know whether my locks comply? Look for markings on the lock faceplate or the cylinder. British Standard locks usually carry a kitemark and the standard number. If there are no markings, or you can't tell, we can assess the locks against the wording in your policy and tell you plainly. ### Still have a question? Call and talk it through with a locksmith, not a call centre. We'll tell you what the job involves and what it costs before you commit. Call 051 575 008 [tel:+35351575008 →](tel:+35351575008) ## Related guides ### What Are Anti-Snap Locks and Do You Need Them? Lock snapping is a common burglary method on standard euro cylinders. Learn how anti-snap locks work, who's vulnerable, and whether you need an upgrade. [What Are Anti-Snap Locks and Do You Need Them? →](/guide/what-are-anti-snap-locks/)