Guide
BS 3621, TS 007 and What an Insurance Approved Lock Really Means
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Which Standard Applies to Your Door?
Read the door’s locking arrangement first, then the policy: hardware and inside release determine a standard’s scope, while insurers decide their own conditions. An “insurance-approved” label describes no formal certification. You must establish both the exact product’s credentials and what the policy says about that entrance.
| Door being checked | Lock present | Applicable scheme to explore | Marking information | Evidence location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timber entrance with a mortice lock | Qualifying complete single-point assembly recessed into the leaf | BS 3621 family | Full assembly standard with certification details | Lock faceplate, case or documentation |
| Timber entrance with a rim lock or nightlatch | Qualifying complete surface-mounted single-point assembly | BS 3621 family | Reference identifying the certified assembly | Inside body, faceplate or product records |
| Door accepting a replaceable cylinder, often uPVC or composite | Euro, oval or threaded cylinder and separately assessed protection | TS 007 | Component’s specification, rating and certification | Cylinder, security handle, escutcheon or accompanying papers |
| Door releasing internally by handle or thumbturn | Complete assembly with an outside key and keyless inside operation | BS 8621 may be relevant | Exact assembly’s standard identification | Assembly marking and product information |
| Door with selectable secure operation alongside normal keyless exit | Specialist dual-mode assembly | BS 10621 may be relevant | Precise model marking and certification particulars | Product, operating instructions and certification documents |
BS 3621 uses keys on both sides and assesses the complete single-point lock. TS 007 covers cylinders and protective hardware, including security handles; it does not assess the entire multipoint strip. That remains true when a euro cylinder operates the multipoint mechanism commonly fitted to uPVC or composite doors. Different BS family numbers indicate different exit arrangements, rather than progressively stronger locks.
Timber alone does not make a mortice lock, nightlatch or another fitted system BS 3621-certified. Exact-product checks matter for every door material. This guide explains which scheme may fit, how TS 007 stars work and where to inspect markings, but cannot determine building-management or fire-safety obligations. A BS 3621 quotation for a uPVC multipoint system is a reason to resolve the hardware description before accepting it.
BS 3621 Is for Lock Assemblies and TS 007 Is for Cylinders
BS 3621 assesses a qualifying complete lock, whereas TS 007 assesses replaceable cylinders and protective fittings. Neither outranks the other. A separate euro cylinder cannot qualify as a BS 3621 assembly; a lever mortice deadlock has no cylinder to receive TS 007 stars. A listing naming both needs explaining component by component.
What BS 3621 Covers, and What It Does Not Cover
BS 3621:2017+A1:2024 is the current reference for mechanically operated, thief-resistant single-point assemblies using keys on both sides. It tests the complete design, not merely its mechanism. Qualifying mortice locks and nightlatches on timber entrances are familiar examples, but either may lack certification. Verify the exact model, maker, full BS 3621 number and assembly certification; counting five levers does not establish compliance.
BS 8621 instead uses an outside key with an inside handle or thumbturn. It may suit a specification needing keyless departure. BS 10621 normally permits keyless exit but adds a separately activated no-exit mode. These describe operating differences, not security grades. Check building and escape needs before changing internal operation; an insurance reference to a British Standard is not, on its own, a reason to replace a thumbturn with a key cylinder only.
TS 007: What It Covers and Who Owns It
TS 007 includes euro-profile, oval and threaded cylinders, plus security handles, escutcheons, guards and surrounds. The Door and Hardware Federation explains its star-rating routes. Check which fitted component carries each rating.
A cylinder’s rating does not certify the multipoint gearbox, strip, door or frame. A replacement cylinder may address cylinder damage or an upgrade, but cannot remedy a failed gearbox, worn strip or misaligned door.
| Check | Assembly route | Cylinder route |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | BS 3621: complete single-point assembly | TS 007: cylinder and separately rated protection |
| Evidence | Full standard reference and certification marking | TS 007 reference, stars and certification particulars |
How to Reach Three Stars Without Buying a Three-Star Cylinder
Two Routes, One Rating
Either a TS 007 three-star cylinder does the whole job by itself, or a Kitemarked one-star cylinder is paired with a TS 007 two-star Kitemarked armoured handle or lock surround and the pair together meets the three-star level.
- Cylinder alone: three stars on the Kitemarked cylinder, with no separately rated handle needed.
- Cylinder plus protection: one star on the cylinder and two on the armoured handle or lock surround, each Kitemarked.
Why the Scheme Accepts a Pair
An attack on a cylinder can come past the handle and escutcheon as well as straight at its face. Make that outer layer strong enough and it carries part of the load, so the scheme assesses what is assembled on the door rather than the cylinder in isolation. You can read both routes in the Door and Hardware Federation’s TS 007 material.
What Must Be True
- The stars sit on Kitemarked products, not just on packaging artwork.
- Both the cylinder and the handle or surround are rated under TS 007.
- Neither part is unrated, since a two-star handle over an unrated cylinder is not a three-star door.
Whichever way you go, the rating covers the cylinder and its protection only, not the gearbox, the locking strip, the frame or the quality of the fitting. Ask the supplier or locksmith which route they have in mind and whether each of the two parts has a Kitemark.
Three British Standards, Named for How You Get Out
The difference is the exit method, not which standard has the largest number. These thief-resistant single-point arrangements work as follows:
BS 10621: The Secure Mode
BS 10621 addresses specialist dual-mode lock assemblies for dwellings with an alternative escape route available. It does not denote a stronger BS 8621 arrangement. Suitability rests on the building, intended use and escape provisions, and should be professionally specified. Avoid treating it as a general recommendation for homes, shops or offices. The starting point is the existing internal release.
Keep TS 007 Evidence Component-Specific
TS 007 stars state the security achieved by an assessed cylinder or protective fitting. Their scope does not automatically cover installation, door, frame or multipoint mechanism. The relevant Kitemark should accompany the stars. An advertising claim, including “anti-snap”, cannot establish the rating.
Door and Hardware Federation guidance supports two routes:
- Three-star certification on a TS 007 Kitemarked cylinder, without depending on rated handle protection.
- A TS 007 Kitemarked one-star cylinder used alongside an armoured handle or lock surround Kitemarked to TS 007 at two stars.
The paired products must be recognised together, compatible and correctly installed, with ratings belonging to the fitted parts. Neither an isolated one-star cylinder nor two-star hardware over an unrated cylinder meets that combination. Check the cylinder’s length and profile against the mechanism.
- BS 3621 needs keys on the exterior and interior.
- BS 8621 combines an exterior key with an interior thumbturn or handle.
- BS 10621 has everyday keyless exit and a separately selected secure mode in which internal exit is prevented.
How to Check What You Already Have
The door edge is the first place to look for the lock’s own identification. Keep the door open and controlled during the check.
Find the assembly evidence.
Examine a mortice lock’s edge plate, also called the forend, or a nightlatch’s visible inside body. Copy complete references and certification marks, including maker and model. BS 3621 applies to qualifying complete lock assemblies, not merely a five-lever description.
Read cylinder protection separately.
TS 007 covers cylinders and their protective hardware. On uPVC or composite doors, look at the accessible cylinder face or end for stars beside a Kitemark, then inspect handles and escutcheons independently. Avoid removing parts to expose hidden markings.
Describe the door’s operation.
Record the material, entrance type and whether a key, thumbturn or handle releases it internally. Include any separate secure mode. BS 8621 and BS 10621 concern different inside-opening arrangements; operation helps identification but does not prove certification.
Prepare the enquiry.
Photograph the faceplate, cylinder, handles and complete door. Send a qualified locksmith the readable markings and full insurance wording. Some models need inspection or measurements. The insurer must confirm policy suitability, while the responsible building manager should confirm door and escape conditions before inside release changes.
Note: An absent mark is not evidence of a failed test. Certification may be recorded elsewhere, so seek product documentation without dismantling the lock. Brand, stars alone and “insurance-approved” wording cannot settle the answer. A marking concerns its product, rather than confirming the complete door meets insurance or building conditions.
Insurance Approved: What It Actually Means
“Insurance approved” cannot replace either product certification or policy checks. No organisation approves locks universally for insurance: BSI certifies against standards, while insurers write separate conditions. On certain external doors, a policy may name BS 3621 specifically. The answer varies with the insurer, the policy and the door type.
Who Certifies Which Products
A standard specifies technical requirements and testing. Certification concerns an identified assessed product. Markings communicate details such as a BS number, Kitemark or TS 007 stars. A policy condition expresses what the insurer expects. One does not establish what every insurer will accept.
A mortice lock may be certified to BS 3621 as a qualifying complete single-point assembly; a five-lever marking is insufficient evidence. TS 007 usually rates replaceable cylinders or separate protection, rather than the complete entrance or multipoint mechanism. BS 3621 does not generally cover uPVC cylinder-operated multipoint systems. PAS 24 concerns enhanced security of an entire doorset. BS 8621 concerns keyless-exit assemblies and is not automatically applicable across all flat entrances.
Checking Your Own Policy
Avoid recording only “British Standard”, since different references describe different internal release methods. Check the faceplate, lock case, packaging or documents for BS 3621. TS 007 information may be visible on the cylinder or protection. Photograph the exact reference, stars, Kitemark or other certification marking and model, noting the component concerned.
For TS 007 three-star protection, the alternatives are a Kitemarked three-star cylinder or Kitemarked one-star cylinder with Kitemarked two-star protective hardware. An “anti-snap” description does not establish certification. Nor does a hidden Kitemark establish that a lock is unsuitable; documentation may provide the evidence.
Read all policy terms and endorsements for that entrance. Obtain written insurer clarification where unclear. A qualified locksmith can identify hardware, but policy interpretation rests with the insurer. Check escape-route and managed-building conditions before changing inside operation.
Talk to Us About What Your Door Takes
Homeowners and tenants in Chester can ask us to look at a door, say what lock or cylinder is fitted, run through the options and quote before work begins.
Get three things together first: the door’s material, a photograph of its cylinder or faceplate, and the precise standard your policy refers to.
There is no charge for the call-out itself. Calls are answered 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and we give you a price on the phone from your description. Work is done by DBS-checked technicians, with public liability insurance held.
Ask What Your Door Takes: 01244 557061
You can also call or message Safe Locksmiths Chester from the contact page.
British Standard Lock Questions
Does a five-lever lock automatically meet BS 3621?
No, identifying five levers leaves the certification question open. BS 3621 assesses tested performance across the complete assembly, and the lever count does not provide that evidence. The key lifts the five internal levers into their required positions before moving the bolt. This is one design feature, alongside others that vary between five-lever models. Where BS 3621 is specified, confirm the exact product and its verifiable standard and certification markings. Its faceplate, key shape, bolt length or recognisable manufacturer cannot replace those checks.
Does BS 3621 apply to locks on uPVC doors?
For a typical uPVC multipoint system operated by a cylinder, generally no. BS 3621 does not usually apply to that arrangement. The replaceable cylinder, together with protective hardware, may fall within TS 007. That specification concerns those components; it provides no certification for the door as a whole or its multipoint mechanism.
Is a three-star cylinder the only way to achieve the TS 007 three-star security level?
No. TS 007 recognises two ways to reach the three-star security level. One uses a three-star cylinder bearing the TS 007 Kitemark. The other pairs a one-star cylinder with two-star protective hardware, with both components Kitemarked to TS 007. The cylinder's rating alone therefore does not describe every recognised route.
Is an anti-snap lock the same as a TS 007 three-star cylinder?
No. First verify the Kitemark and its star rating if a TS 007 three-star cylinder is required. The term anti-snap does not supply that proof. Certification cannot be established by considering only a seller's product name or the wording of a claim on the packaging.
What does it mean if my lock has no visible Kitemark?
An unseen Kitemark does not, by itself, establish that the lock is unsuitable or has failed testing. Check other product surfaces, the packaging and original documents. Photographs and a product reference may help identification without dismantling. Certification needs a verifiable standard and marking, not assumptions based on appearance, brand, key shape, lever count or a seller's description. An unverified 'insurance approved' claim is insufficient too. If the marking remains unconfirmed, record the lock as unidentified rather than certified.
Will changing the cylinder make my entire door compliant?
No, whole-entrance compliance needs more than a cylinder change. The replacement affects a single component and certifies neither the multipoint mechanism nor the frame, handles, installation or door. Depending on the applicable security, building or insurance requirements, a complete assessment of the entrance may be required.
Is PAS 24 the same as BS 3621 or TS 007?
No. The distinction is what undergoes assessment. TS 007 concerns a replaceable cylinder and associated protective hardware; BS 3621 applies to a qualifying lock assembly operating at one point. PAS 24 examines the enhanced security performance of a doorset in its entirety, so these specifications are not equivalent.
Does a British Standard lock automatically satisfy my home insurance policy?
No, compliance must be considered against the actual policy. The fact that a lock meets a British Standard does not answer every insurance requirement. Different insurers, policies and entrances can have different conditions. Check all the policy wording and ask for written clarification wherever the required standard is ambiguous.
Does every flat entrance door need a BS 8621 lock?
The requirement is not automatically the same for every flat entrance. BS 8621 applies to qualifying assemblies that lock at one point and allow someone inside to leave without a key. What is appropriate depends on the complete doorset and applicable building, fire and property-management requirements.
Where can I find the BS 3621 or TS 007 marking?
Check several possible locations because marking positions depend on the lock and its maker. Its case or faceplate may show BS 3621 information, as can packaging or documentation. A TS 007 mark can appear on the cylinder or related protective hardware. Read the standard number and certification mark together with the stars.