Abstract: Disclosed is a locking mechanism for use in a piezoelectric lighter. The locking mechanism includes a slider piece and an inverted “L”-shaped latch member. The slider piece is slidably attached to the top of the flame-producing unit of the lighter, and is coplanar with the lighter body. The slider piece is spring-biased normally to its rear locking position in which its lock spacer stays above a slot made at the horizontal-to-vertical transition of the latch member. Depression of the slider piece allows the lock spacer to fall in the slot, so that the flame-producing unit may reach short of the ignition point at which the piezoelectric element can be struck for ignition. The vertical descent extension of the latch member cannot raise an actuator lever to open the gas valve, either. Thus, no ignition can be caused.