Emergency Locksmith: What To Do When You Lose Both Master And Spare Keys

If you can’t find your house keys, don’t lose your head over this emergency. Sam, an expert from West Coast Locksmith in Santa Monica shares some of his experiences and safety advice to individuals who have misplaced their master and spare keys or if these keys have been stolen.

It is quite common to misplace items, and keys are among the most frequently misplaced items in a household, next to the TV remotes and phones. It doesn’t help at all that they’re small and can be hard to locate.

The first thing that we need to do is to try to locate the keys. If this seems to be an impossible feat, don’t stress yourself too much. You can call a locksmith to help with the lockout situation and with rekeying.

A Locksmith Can Unlock Your Door

Sam shares that the best locksmiths can unlock almost any lock available. They have been trained to handle various locks and they also have specialized tools. There are some locks that are harder to unlock, and high-security locks that will need to be drilled. For the most part, Sam shares that they don’t need to drill and they use this as a last resort because drilling might cause cosmetic damage to the lock.

He strongly discourages people from attempting to pick their locks. You don’t know what damage you may cause in such attempts. This may, in some cases, make some parts loose and may make it easier for thieves to break in. This may also dislocate some pins and cause the lock to get jammed.

Once you gain entry to your house, the next thing you’ll want to do is rekey this lock for your safety. Rekeying involves changing the pins and springs in your lock so that no one will be able to use your old keys anymore. Locksmiths usually offer rekeying over replacement so that homeowners won’t need to spend money in buying a new lock.

A Locksmith Can Replace Lost Keys

If your door is not locked and you’re just looking into creating copies, you can call a locksmith who knows how to cut keys.

Can a locksmith issue a key replacement without a master or spare key to duplicate? The good thing is that they can.

Locksmiths can duplicate almost any key. We say “almost any key” because there are restricted keys that locksmiths are prohibited from duplicating. These are high security, patented keys marked “Restricted” or “Do Not Duplicate” that are covered by US patent laws. Aside from the fact that they are hard to copy because of their unique design, it is illegal to copy them, and the penalty for circumventing this law can be up to $10,000.

If it’s a common key, they can impression this by using a blank key. Key impressioning is a method used by locksmiths when the original key is not available. They won’t need to dismantle the lock. They just need to insert a blank key into the lock, move this around so that they get the marks from the pins inside the lock. They will then use the markings as reference when they file the key.

Replacing Restricted Keys

What if yours was a restricted key?

While locksmiths are unable to replace restricted keys, they can point you to the approved manufacturers of these keys who can replace them for you. This is legal; the law allows them to make copies. These authorized locksmiths will need to verify that you have obtained the permission of the owner of the lock to create a replacement or a duplicate. Make sure to bring your identification when you go to these authorized centers, as well as any proof that shows you’re authorized by the owner to secure a copy or replacement.

These days, most locksmith companies offer 24-hour locksmith services. They will be able to help you gain access to your house, rekey your locks, and create duplicate keys in a jiffy at any time of the day. They’re available during emergency situations, which is a relief. If you lose your master and spare keys, don’t worry because the locksmith in your area can definitely assist you.