Frequently asked questions

Sometimes. Many auto policies, motor clubs and new-car roadside programs cover lockout service, either by sending their own provider or by reimbursing you afterward, so check before paying if time allows. Homeowner and renter policies rarely cover a simple lockout, but lock repair after a covered burglary may be part of the claim. Whatever the source, ask for an itemized receipt that separates entry, rekeying and hardware, because adjusters look for exactly that breakdown.

Yes, and it's worth calling promptly, since the engine keeps burning fuel and an idling car with nobody around attracts attention. The entry method is the same as for any vehicle lockout. Push-button cars usually refuse to lock with the fob inside, so when it happens anyway we check the fob battery and the car's lock settings after opening it. If a child or pet is inside, call 911 first, even with the air conditioning on, because an engine can stall.

Not in the usual sense. Vehicles that use a phone, key card or fob paired through the manufacturer's own system keep those credentials in the automaker's account, and we don't issue or pair them. The owner's app, a spare key card and the manufacturer's roadside service are the right route. If such a car loses its low-voltage battery power, the automaker's emergency procedures apply too. We can still help with conventional keyed vehicles in the same household.

Partly. If the problem is the opener, a broken spring or a door off its tracks, that's work for a garage door company, and broken torsion springs are dangerous to handle without training. If you simply can't get into the house to reach the opener, or the side door to the garage is locked, a locksmith can open that. Once inside, pulling the emergency release lets you raise a door with intact springs by hand during a power outage.

Yes, when the person requesting it has a right to be inside. California licenses locksmith companies through the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services under the Locksmith Act, and a licensed locksmith opening a home for its resident is doing ordinary, lawful work. The responsibility lies in verification: confirming identity and residence, documenting the job on a signed work order, and declining when the connection to the property can't be confirmed or is disputed.

Then a responsible locksmith won't open the door, and that's the outcome you'd want if someone else were standing at your house. Options at that point include reaching a landlord, co-owner or family member who can confirm by phone, pulling up digital records such as a utility account or lease, or waiting for someone with a key. In disputes over who may live in a home, the police or courts sort it out, not a locksmith.

Nearly any lock can be opened one way or another, but not every lock can be opened without damage. Standard pin tumbler deadbolts and knobs usually yield to picking or bypass. Patented high-security cylinders, locks with broken internal parts and keyless smart locks with failed electronics may require drilling or removal. A trustworthy locksmith tells you which category your lock falls into before starting, rather than discovering it with a drill in hand.

Some policies, home warranty plans, credit card benefits and membership programs include limited lockout reimbursement, while many don't cover it at all. Read your coverage documents or call the provider before assuming either way. If a plan does reimburse lockouts, it typically wants an itemized receipt showing the date, address and work performed, which a licensed locksmith's signed work order and invoice provide. Ask for both before the technician leaves.

Sometimes, but the risk sits with you. Bargain kits often skip the protective sleeve, the bladder inflates unevenly, and the rod has a bare metal tip that scuffs plastic and leather. The common results are a door frame sprung out of shape, which shows up later as wind noise or a leak, and chipped paint along the top edge. Frameless glass and double-locking doors are especially poor candidates for a first attempt. If you try anyway, inflate slowly, stop at the smallest gap that works, and quit the moment the glass starts to flex.

It shouldn't. A properly handled wedge entry flexes the door frame within its normal range and leaves it exactly where it was, and picking only moves the wafers inside the cylinder. Before we leave, we close the door, check that the gap and weatherstrip line up, and confirm the locks respond to your key and fob. If we notice an existing problem, such as a failing lock actuator or a door that already sat out of alignment, we'll point it out so you're not left wondering whether it was there before.

Usually. The driver's door is the most common entry point, but it isn't the only one. We can work from the front passenger door, a rear door or, on some pickups, the sliding rear window, as long as the reach rod can get to a control from that side. Home garages with tight walls and carports with narrow stalls are routine. If every side is blocked by something, picking whichever cylinder we can physically reach is usually the answer.

Yes, and they're often simpler to open, though they deserve extra care. Many older cars have vertical lock posts on the windowsill that a loop tool can lift, and their door locks usually pick readily. The catch is age: original weatherstrip turns brittle, chrome trim and vent windows bend easily, and decades-old paint chips at a touch. We use smaller gaps, more padding and a slower pace on these cars. If the trim or glass looks too fragile for a wedge, we'll pick the lock instead.

Yes, when the person asking is the lawful occupant and can show it. A licensed locksmith doesn't need the landlord on site to open a door for a verified tenant, because opening the door doesn't alter the owner's lock. What does involve the landlord is changing, rekeying or replacing that lock, which most leases restrict. Our practice is to verify tenancy carefully, open the door without damage, and leave hardware changes to you and your property manager. If management wants to confirm you by phone first, we welcome the call.

Yes. Civil Code section 1941.3 requires an operable deadbolt on each main swinging entry door of a rental unit, along with locking devices on windows designed to open, subject to some exceptions in the statute. Tenants are expected to report a broken device, and the landlord's duty to repair generally begins once they have notice. If your deadbolt binds, spins or won't fully extend, send a written maintenance request. A bolt that barely works today is often the reason someone ends up locked out tomorrow.

In most cases, only with your landlord's permission. Leases commonly bar tenants from adding or changing locks, and the landlord generally needs a way to enter with proper notice. Many managers will approve a smart lock if you provide a code or key, store the original hardware and reinstall it when you move out. Get that approval in writing. Once you have it, we can install the lock, bag the original deadbolt parts for safekeeping and set up a code for management.

California Civil Code sections 1941.5 and 1941.6 let a tenant protected by a qualifying restraining order or police report ask the landlord to change the locks, and the landlord generally has 24 hours to do it. If the landlord doesn't act in time, the tenant may change the locks under the conditions those statutes describe. We can do that work promptly during our hours. Bring the paperwork, and we'll keep the details confidential. If you're in immediate danger, call 911 before anyone else.

Usually not on their own. Until the sale transfers possession, the seller generally still controls the premises, so we need the seller, or one of the seller's officers or managers, to approve the opening. If the purchase agreement already gives the buyer early access, bring a copy along with photo ID and have the seller confirm by phone. After closing, the new owner can authorize entry directly, and that's a smart moment to rekey every exterior lock, since nobody knows how many keys the previous owner handed out.

Not reliably. The stamp tells honest key cutters what the owner wants, but it doesn't change the key itself, and plenty of counters will copy it anyway. If copy control matters, use a restricted or patented keyway, where blanks are sold only through authorized dealers who check a signature card or authorization list before cutting. After a lockout caused by an unreturned key, that's often the upgrade worth discussing, especially for exterior doors, cash rooms and records storage.

Generally not from outside without damaging it. Exit-only doors are designed so nothing on the exterior can operate the latch, which is exactly what you want on a rear door at night. We'll open a door that does have exterior hardware, then release the exit-only door from inside. If your crew regularly needs to come in that way, we can talk about adding night-latch or lever trim with a cylinder while keeping the exit device compliant for egress.

An email from the owner's known business address, a call we place to a number we look up independently, or a signed authorization letter your managers keep on file all help. Time zones are the usual snag, so start reaching the owner before you call us. If the owner can't be reached at all and no other officer or property manager can confirm, we'll wait rather than open. A standing letter naming approved managers prevents that dead end the next time.

Yes. After we confirm you live at or own the home, the cylinder can usually be picked, removed and re-pinned to a brand-new key. If a lock can't be picked, we may take it apart from the inside of a door that's already open, or replace just the cylinder. Kwikset SmartKey locks can't use their reset tool without a working key, so we disassemble and rebuild those by hand. Either way, you finish with fresh keys cut to the new combination and the old ones useless.

Often it is. Solid brass mortise locks, older Schlage and Baldwin pieces and other well-built hardware were made to be serviced, and a new spring, retractor or cylinder can give them many more years. Thin builder-grade sets with cracked cast housings are a different story, because the parts may cost nearly as much as a better replacement. We'll open the lock, show you what's worn and give you both prices so you can judge the value yourself.

It refers to BHMA's residential certification, which grades a lock on three separate qualities: security, durability and finish. Each gets an A, B or C, with A the best. A lock marked AAA scored at the top level on all three, while something like BAB is weaker on security and finish. The older Grade 1, 2 and 3 system still appears on many packages too. For a main entry, aim for the higher rating in security first.

Physically, a quality smart deadbolt is about as strong as a conventional one, because the bolt, strike and frame do the real work. The added risks are digital and practical: weak or shared codes, an app account without two-factor login, outdated firmware or a cheap model with a poorly made mechanical cylinder. Choose an established brand, update it, use unique codes and reinforce the strike. Most forced entries still go through the frame, not the electronics.

For main entrances, rear doors and any opening with steady traffic, ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 is the standard to aim for. Grade 2 hardware can be reasonable on lightly used interior doors, like a private office or a storage closet that opens a few times a day. Residential Grade 3 locks don't belong on business doors at all. Grade and fit matter more than brand, and staying with the brand already on your doors usually keeps keying simpler.

It depends on your lease, so read the lock and alterations clauses first. Many leases let a tenant rekey as long as the landlord receives a key and any building master system stays intact. Others require written approval or the landlord's own vendor. Hardware attached to the door is often treated as the landlord's fixture, even when the tenant paid for it. Before rekeying a leased suite, we confirm the tenant's authority and suggest a quick call to the property manager.

The terms describe what an electrified lock does when it loses power. Fail-secure hardware stays locked from the outside, which is why most electric strikes on exterior doors are set that way; people inside can still leave because the mechanical lever or exit device works without power. Fail-safe hardware releases when power is cut. Magnetic locks only work fail-safe, so they need code-required release devices. Picking the wrong mode can leave a door open during an outage or trap people behind it.

We handle the locking side: slide bolts, padlocks and hasps, cylinder locks on roll-up doors, gate latches, keyed gate locks and keypad gate hardware. Springs, cables, tracks, operators and motors belong to an overhead door or gate company, and wound springs are dangerous to work on without the right training. When a job needs both trades, we'll secure the opening and tell you exactly what the door company should look at.

It depends on the vehicle and whether you still have a working key. Duplicating a transponder key for a common domestic or Japanese car is often a short job once we arrive, since cutting and OBD-II programming are both quick. All-keys-lost jobs take longer because the cuts must be decoded, and some vehicles impose security waiting periods or need an online authorization. European models with module-based systems take the most time. We'll give you a realistic estimate on the phone.

Quality aftermarket keys work well on many vehicles, and they cost less. They use compatible chips and transmitters, and the better ones feel close to the original. Differences can show up in button feel, range and how the shell holds up over the years. Some vehicles accept only factory fobs, and some owners simply prefer OEM. We explain the tradeoffs for your specific car and carry both where it makes sense.

The VIN helps but rarely does the whole job. Key codes tied to the VIN are released through secure manufacturer channels, and access requires documented ownership. Even with a code, the new key still has to be programmed to the car's immobilizer, which needs the vehicle present. When a code isn't available, we decode the cuts from a door or ignition lock instead. Either way, you'll need ID and the registration or title.

That's your choice, within what the vehicle allows. On many cars, adding a key leaves existing keys working. When keys are lost or stolen, we usually erase every stored key and then re-enroll the ones you still have plus the new one, so missing keys can't start the vehicle. Some systems erase all keys automatically during programming, so bring every key you want to keep using to the appointment.

Not by itself. The federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act generally prevents a manufacturer from voiding your warranty simply because you used an independent shop or non-original parts, unless the part or work actually caused the problem being claimed. Adding a properly programmed key doesn't modify the vehicle beyond registering one more key in its list. If a key or immobilizer part is itself covered by your warranty or by a recall, though, the dealer may replace it at no charge, so it's worth checking first.

Yes. Every immobilizer has a fixed number of key slots, and the limit varies by manufacturer and system. Most households never come close. Fleet vehicles and cars with a long string of previous owners sometimes do, and a car with every slot taken by old or missing keys can usually be cleaned up by erasing the keys that aren't present and reprogramming the ones you actually have. We can check the stored key count during programming.

Yes, once you can show it's yours. In California the seller signs the title over to you at the sale, and that signed title together with a bill of sale and your photo ID is generally enough for us to proceed, even before the DMV issues new registration in your name. If the seller handed over only one key, this is the right moment to add a second. On many vehicles we can also see how many keys are stored and erase any you don't have.

A valet key starts the car and opens the doors but, on many models, won't open the trunk or glove box, so you can hand it to a parking attendant without giving access to everything. Older Toyota and Lexus vehicles used gray-headed valet keys alongside black-headed master keys, and some other makes offered similar setups. Many smart-key cars now use a valet mode in the settings instead. A non-remote transponder key also makes a useful, lower-cost spare for new drivers.

There's no fixed schedule for a home where keys have stayed inside the household. Many people rekey when life changes: a move, a relationship ending, a caregiver or contractor arrangement closing, a child heading off to college with a key. Businesses with steady staff turnover benefit from rekeying on a regular cycle or adopting restricted keys so they need to rekey less often. The practical rule is to rekey whenever you can no longer say with confidence who holds every key.

Yes. Standard pin tumbler locks can be re-pinned many times, since the work replaces small pins and springs rather than wearing down the lock body. The plug and housing do wear slowly with ordinary use, and after many years a cylinder may develop enough play that replacement becomes the better choice. Kwikset SmartKey cylinders also reset repeatedly as long as a working key is available. High-security cylinders can be rekeyed again too, with parts that come through authorized channels.

Rekeying sets a cylinder to work with one new key. Master keying sets it to work with two or more keys at once: an individual key for that door and a master key that opens a group of doors. Master keying adds extra pins to each stack and depends on careful bitting calculations and records. It's common in businesses, apartment buildings and larger homes with staff, and it's often set up during the same visit as a rekey.

Often, yes, when the existing key shares a brand and keyway with the locks you want changed. We decode the cuts on your key and pin the cylinders to match it, so a new shed padlock or a second property's deadbolt works with the key already on your ring. High-security or restricted keys can only be matched within the system they belong to, and some pairings aren't possible when the keyways differ.

Swapping a lockset into existing, matching prep is a reasonable DIY task if you're handy and patient. The jobs that benefit from a locksmith are the ones where mistakes are permanent or costly: boring a new or expensive door, cutting a mortise pocket, converting from one lock style to another, setting strikes on a sagging door, or keying several locks alike. Commercial doors with fire labels or specific functions also deserve a professional, since errors there can fail inspection.

Most modern residential and commercial cylindrical locks use a 2-1/8 inch cross bore through the face of the door and a 1 inch edge bore, with the cross bore centered at a 2-3/8 or 2-3/4 inch backset. A deadbolt uses the same sizes, typically placed above the lockset. Mortise locks, narrow-stile storefront locks and some decorative hardware use entirely different preparations, so we confirm the lock's own template before cutting.

Not automatically. Price often reflects finish, materials and design as much as strength. A mid-range Grade 2 or Grade 1 deadbolt mounted with a reinforced strike and long screws into the framing will usually resist force better than a premium decorative lock held by short screws in a thin jamb. If you're budgeting, put money into a sound grade and proper strike work first, then choose the look you like within that range.

Look for a label, usually a small metal plate or embossed mark on the hinge edge of the door, and a matching label in the frame's hinge jamb. Rated doors are common between corridors and units in multifamily buildings, on stairwells, and on many commercial doors. Painted-over labels are frequent, so check carefully. If a door is rated, hardware changes need to respect that listing, and we'll factor it into which locks are appropriate.

For many households, yes. A keypad-only deadbolt has fewer parts that can fail, longer battery life, no online account to secure, and nothing that changes when you replace your router. You give up remote locking, entry notifications and the ability to send a code from afar. If those features would change how you live, a connected lock earns its complexity. If you mainly want to stop carrying keys and stop hiding a spare, a quality standalone keypad deadbolt is hard to beat.

Any connected device carries some exposure, and security researchers have found flaws in smart locks over the years, usually fixed through firmware updates. In practice, the realistic threats are weak passwords, admin rights left with the wrong people, old codes and an override cylinder nobody rekeyed, not radio attacks. Buy from a manufacturer with a record of patching, keep firmware current, use a unique password with two-factor sign-in, and review users regularly. Those steps close the gaps most people actually leave open.

It depends on the gap between the main door and the screen door, and on how far the lock's exterior housing projects. Keypad housings are thicker than a standard deadbolt, and some security screen doors sit close enough that the housing hits the screen frame or the keypad becomes awkward to reach. We measure that clearance before recommending a lock. A slimmer keypad, a retrofit unit that keeps the original exterior cylinder, or moving keyless entry to another door are common solutions.

Usually not for basic use. Most locks let you open with a code or app, manage users and see recent activity without paying. Some brands reserve longer log history, advanced scheduling or property-management tools for paid plans, and those terms can change over time. Locks controlled locally through Z-Wave, Zigbee or Matter sidestep most subscription questions. Check the manufacturer's current terms before buying, especially if you manage rentals and depend on automated code features.

A smart lock is usually a single residential-style device managed through a consumer app, built for homes and short-term rentals. Commercial access control is designed for multiple doors, multiple administrators and business rules: user groups, schedules, audit trails, egress compliance and integration with alarms or cameras. Some products blur the line, and a commercial-grade standalone lock can serve a small office well. The deciding factors are how many doors you manage, how many people use them and whether you need dependable records.

Often, yes, if the platforms support each other. Common integrations link door events to video, so you can pull up footage of a forced-door alert, or arm and disarm an intrusion alarm when an authorized user badges in or out. Integration depends on brands, software versions and licenses, so we confirm compatibility before recommending hardware. If you plan to add cameras later, choosing an access platform with open integrations now avoids replacing it down the road.

Sometimes. If your current cards use a common format and the new readers support it, they can be enrolled in the new system directly. If you're moving away from unencrypted proximity cards for security reasons, multi-technology readers let old and new credentials work side by side during the transition. We identify your card format and facility code during the site walk, so the plan accounts for every credential already in people's pockets.

Many current entry systems support it, through an app, a call placed to the panel, or Bluetooth credentials. Phone access cuts fob costs and simplifies move-ins and move-outs, but it relies on residents keeping their phones charged and on the panel having a dependable cellular or internet connection. Most communities keep fobs or keypad codes available for residents who prefer them and for guests, vendors and emergency responders.

Yes, or an authorized agent with written permission and documentation must be. We confirm identity and ownership at the start of the job, and the person who authorizes the opening should be there when the door swings open, so contents are never handled without the owner's knowledge. Businesses typically send an owner or manager; estates send the executor, administrator or trustee, or someone they've authorized in writing.

Not at a customer's request. Safe deposit boxes are opened through the bank's own procedure, which may involve a locksmith the bank contracts with, bank staff as witnesses and the bank's own documentation requirements. If you've lost your box key or are handling a deceased relative's box, start with the branch. Our work focuses on safes in homes and businesses, not bank vaults or deposit boxes.

Most quality electronic safe locks store codes in memory that holds them without power, so replacing a dead battery normally brings the lock back with the same codes. Some budget safes behave differently, and a few reset to factory settings or drop user codes. Check your manual, and after any battery change, test the code with the door open before relying on it again.

Each has strengths. Mechanical dials need no batteries, tolerate heat and can last for decades, but they're slower to open and can't track users. Electronic locks open quickly, allow several codes, support time delay and audit trails, and make code changes easy, but they depend on batteries and electronics. Garage gun safes often suit dials, while busy business safes usually benefit from keypads. Redundant locks offer both.

The stamp itself is a request from the property owner, not a federal restriction. Compartment keys aren't postal keys, so copying them isn't covered by the laws that protect postal locks. Still, on apartment and HOA mailboxes the stamp usually reflects a key-control policy, and a careful locksmith will ask for the owner's authorization before cutting a copy. Truly restricted keys use patented keyways and blanks that only authorized dealers can cut, which is a different system altogether.

Start with the paperwork. Developer turnover packets, reserve studies and maintenance records often list cluster units as association assets, and the CC&Rs may assign mailbox responsibilities. If the documents are silent, ask the post office that delivers to the community; it can say whether the units are postal property. Once ownership is settled, write it into the association's rules so residents know where to go when they lose a key, and so the board isn't paying for work that belonged to someone else.

On a private mailbox, yes, provided you can identify the right lock: body length, cam shape, rotation and mounting style. On association or rental property you'll need the owner's permission, and many managers prefer to handle it themselves to keep key records accurate. On Postal Service-owned units, no; that request goes through the post office. The most common DIY failure is a lock with the wrong cam length, which turns without securing the door. Describe the box to a locksmith before ordering parts.

Most standard compartment locks are replaced rather than rekeyed. They're inexpensive, their wafers or pins wear with daily use, and a new lock brings a fresh mechanism along with new keys. Some higher-grade compartment locks can be re-pinned, which can make sense for a building that wants to keep one consistent lock series. Either way the goal is identical: every old key stops working, and you leave with a key code on record for future copies.

Open the door and operate the lock while it's standing open. Turn the knob or lever, work the deadbolt with the key and the thumbturn. If everything moves smoothly, the lock is probably fine and the problem lies in how the door meets the frame: sag, swelling, a shifted strike or a shallow bolt hole. If the lock is stiff, gritty or won't retract even with the door open, the lockset itself needs attention. That simple test saves a lot of people from buying a lock they don't need.

It depends on what caused the problem. When we fix the root cause, such as replacing stripped hinge screws with long screws into the framing, the repair usually holds for years. Doors exposed to strong sun, heavy traffic or wind may need small closer or strike adjustments as seasons change. Buildings that are still settling, or doors that get hit by carts and equipment, will need attention again sooner. We tell you what to watch so you can call before a small drift turns into a bigger repair.

Lock replacement swaps out a lockset for a new one. Door hardware repair looks at everything that makes the door work, including hinges, strikes, closers, exit devices and the latch, and fixes whatever actually failed. Sometimes that does mean a new lock, but often the lock is fine and the door has moved. Repairing the opening first means any new lock you buy will work properly instead of struggling against the same misalignment that ruined the old one.

No. Automatic sliding entrances and power-assisted swing door operators are serviced by automatic door specialists, and overhead garage doors, their springs and openers belong to garage door companies. We do repair the hardware on manual doors nearby, such as the man door into a garage, the lock on a manual storefront door next to an automatic entrance, or the closer and latch on a door that has a separate push-button operator added.