Is there a way to check if the iOS device is locked/unlocked?

I solved it like this:

//call back
static void displayStatusChanged(CFNotificationCenterRef center, void *observer, CFStringRef name, const void *object, CFDictionaryRef userInfo)
{
    // the "com.apple.springboard.lockcomplete" notification will always come after the "com.apple.springboard.lockstate" notification
    CFStringRef nameCFString = (CFStringRef)name;
    NSString *lockState = (NSString*)nameCFString;
    NSLog(@"Darwin notification NAME = %@",name);
    
    if([lockState isEqualToString:@"com.apple.springboard.lockcomplete"])
    {
        NSLog(@"DEVICE LOCKED");
        //Logic to disable the GPS
    }
    else
    {
        NSLog(@"LOCK STATUS CHANGED");
        //Logic to enable the GPS
    }
}

-(void)registerforDeviceLockNotif
{
    //Screen lock notifications
    CFNotificationCenterAddObserver(CFNotificationCenterGetDarwinNotifyCenter(), //center
                                    NULL, // observer
                                    displayStatusChanged, // callback
                                    CFSTR("com.apple.springboard.lockcomplete"), // event name
                                    NULL, // object
                                    CFNotificationSuspensionBehaviorDeliverImmediately);
    
    CFNotificationCenterAddObserver(CFNotificationCenterGetDarwinNotifyCenter(), //center
                                    NULL, // observer
                                    displayStatusChanged, // callback
                                    CFSTR("com.apple.springboard.lockstate"), // event name
                                    NULL, // object
                                    CFNotificationSuspensionBehaviorDeliverImmediately);
}

Note: the “com.apple.springboard.lockcomplete” notification will always come after the “com.apple.springboard.lockstate” notification

Update

The order of the two notifications can no longer be relied upon, as of recent versions of iOS