Losing the keys to your home, office or car is not a pleasant experience to have. The situation becomes worse when you are locked out and do not have a spare. You start to wonder about getting a duplicate key that leads you to question “what types of keys can a locksmith duplicate”.
You wonder if a professional such as a locksmith can duplicate all types of door keys and if there are any keys that cannot be duplicated.
In this post, we discuss the door types with the types of keys that locksmiths can duplicate efficiently. We include the door keys that cannot be copied with a brief explanation of why.
Different lockable Door Types
If you take a moment to think about how many different door types there are that all have lock and keys to secure people’s valuables, you will not be surprised at the many lock and key types
- Exterior doors of your home
- Interior doors in your house
- Garage doors
- Shed and workshop doors
- Safe doors
- Car doors
- Doors to different business types
- Warehouse doors
You will realize that there are so many keys available in different shapes and sizes for so many different types of locks. This is because keys have been around for thousands of years, going back to the beginning of the wooden pin locks, iron locks with brass keys to modern high-security locks with their matching keys.
It can become confusing for an ordinary person who does not have extensive knowledge of the many locks and key types.However, a skilled locksmith can take one look at the lock, provide you with the proper information about the lock, and assist you with a duplicate for most key types.
Some of the most popular key types
Let us look at some of the most common key types:
1. Four-sided and double-sided keys
These key types are common on most door locks in a residential home. They either have two or four sets of teeth that make picking the locks more difficult.
2. Tubular keys
Also known as a barrel key, these key types have a tubular or cylindrical shape. Commonly found on computers, vending machines, or display cabinet door locks.
3. Paracentric keys
These keys have a unique shape with extremely small teeth on the end of the key and are used to open paracentric locks. These keys and locks are usually on doors or gates that require the need to avoid lock pickings such as prisons and detention centers.
4. Skeleton keys
Almost everyone knows skeleton keys, as they are keys, which open any lock of the same or similar type. This master key type is designed with parts of the serrated edged removed that it can open numerous locks of a similar type.
5. Dimple keys
Instead of teeth, a dimple key has dimples at various depths on the rectangular key that matches the dimples in the lock. These dimples are on both sides of the key so that the key can open the lock from either side.
6. Keycard Key
A keycard for a door lock also belongs to the list of different key types. Although they do not look like the traditional key, they work the same way. Keycard keys have a magnetic strip that will unlock a door when it meets the locking mechanism inside the lock. Commonly found on hotel doors and government buildings.
7. The many different vehicle keys
Over the years, vehicle keys went from the basic traditional metal key to the modern smart key, adding extra safety features each time. Some common vehicle keys are:
- The traditional key on old models of cars without coding
- Master key provided with earlier models of different vehicles for the sole purpose of duplicating
- Transponder key with a chip embedded inside the key that sends out a signal to the vehicle to open and start
- Switchblade key are the keys that fold into the remote itself
- A valet key is a basic key for opening a car door and turning on the engine
- The smart key has a fob that turns the car on when in range
Keys a locksmith can duplicate
From the hundreds of different keys, you may be wondering how many of these types of keys locksmiths make and duplicate. Locksmiths have the skills and equipment to duplicate almost any key type from the existing key. They even have the expertise to create a key from the lock where there is no key to copy.
Locksmiths can use one of two ways to make a key from the lock; one is where they disassemble the lock and study the pins inside the lock to create a matching key. In other circumstances, they will make an impression of the lock and from the impression create a matching key.
You may have come across a key that has “Do Not Duplicate” stamped on the key that leads you to question can and will a locksmith duplicate these key types. You wonder if it is illegal to request a locksmith to make a copy of this key for you.
Let us briefly explain what it means when a key is a Do Not Duplicate key.
These key types commonly used on businesses’ door locks have the “Do Not Duplicate” as a recommendation to the owner of the key. They are a feature to help prevent employees and ex-employees from making copies of the keys. There is no law regarding these keys that is legally binding but many chain stores and some locksmiths that offer a key making service will refuse to duplicate them. Other locksmiths may duplicate these keys with official authorization from the business owner.
Types of keys a locksmith will not duplicate
If a locksmith can duplicate most keys, then what are the keys that cannot be duplicated? Locksmiths will not copy these key types not because they do not have the skills to do so, but because legally they cannot, as they will face a hefty fine or worse.
Locksmiths refer to these high-security keys as “restricted keys” and what this means is that the original manufacturer of the key is the only one that can duplicate these keys.
If a locksmith owns a type of restricted key, then only that specific locksmith can duplicate that key. They are the only ones that have the key blanks for these types of keys, and they will only cut a copy for the person they have on their records as an allowed signatory. This allows for better control of the key system and the number of keys in circulation.
How to identify a “restricted key”
If you study the key, you will see that these keys have a name, a number, and the word restricted imprinted on the key. They are all part of the identification that leads back to the owner or manufacturer of that specific key.
To answer your question for what types of keys can a locksmith duplicate, it would be most types except for restricted keys. Locksmiths have the expertise to duplicate almost all keys you may need for any lock type. The only key types they will stay clear of are the restricted keys. If you need a duplicate of a restricted key, you would need to approach the manufacturer or locksmith that owns the design of the key with the proper authorization.
ASAP Locksmith is well equipped with trained professionals to handle your locksmith needs in New Orleans. We are your go-to locksmith when it comes to key services in New Orleans. Call us today on 504-290-1862 and we would be there to assist you at any point in time.