Maybe the only spare to the back door left with a roommate, or a new dog walker needs a key by Monday morning. Copying a standard house key is quick. The trouble starts with worn originals, restricted keys and car keys that carry a chip. Locksmith Near You handles key duplication in Portland from vans fitted with key machines, so each copy is cut and tested at the lock it has to open. Think of it as a mobile key maker: key copies are made at your address instead of at a hardware store counter.
Self-serve kiosks and hardware store machines trace the key you hand them. If the original is worn, the copy picks up that wear, and a key that already drags can turn into one that will not turn at all. Our technicians read the cuts on your key and, when the key can be decoded, cut the copy to the original depths instead of the worn shape. Every new key is tried in your lock before we leave, and if one drags, we adjust it on the spot.
Most cars built since the late 1990s use a key with a transponder chip that the car has to recognize before the engine will start. A working copy needs the blade cut to match and the chip cloned or programmed to the vehicle. We do both at the car, whether it sits in a driveway in Sellwood or a parking garage downtown. Bring every key and remote you have, because some models need a working key present to add another one. If no working key is left, that is a different job, covered on our car key replacement in Portland page.
Some keys are built so they cannot be copied freely. Medeco, Mul-T-Lock and similar high security systems use patented keyways, and the blanks are controlled by the dealer who set up the system, so a copy usually needs the registered key holder or a signed authorization. Keys stamped “Do Not Duplicate” signal that the owner wants copies controlled, so expect to be asked who approved the copy. If your building runs on a master key system, our commercial locksmith service in Portland can add keys to it or set up a new one.
Duplicating keys only adds copies. It does nothing about keys you can no longer account for. After a move, a breakup or a lost key ring, rekeying is the better choice, since it makes every old key useless and you start again with a fresh set. See lock rekeying in Portland for how that works. If you carry a different key for every door, we can often rekey the locks to run on one key, as long as they share the same keyway.
We quote the job on the phone before a technician is dispatched. Locksmith Near You is licensed with the Oregon CCB (#252694), and our labor carries a 90-day warranty. For other work on home locks, see our residential locksmith services.
Call (971) 257-4730, tell us what kind of key you have and how many copies you need, and we will set up a visit anywhere in Portland. You can also reach us through our contact form.
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Usually, yes. With access to the lock, a technician can make a working key from the lock itself by decoding or impressioning the cylinder. For a car with no working key, the job becomes a car key replacement, which we also handle on site.
Only if the chip is copied as well. A key that is cut but not cloned or programmed will open the doors, but the immobilizer will not let the engine start. We cut the blade and program the chip at the car, then check that it starts.
The stamp is a request from the owner, not a feature of the lock. For business and rental keys, copies should come with approval from the owner or property manager. Patented high security keys, such as Medeco, usually have to be ordered through the dealer that holds the system records.
We come to you. The van parks at your home, office or car, the keys are cut there, and each copy is tested in your lock before the technician leaves. There is no storefront to visit.
Rekey first. Copies of the old key still work for anyone who had one, including past owners and contractors. Once the locks are rekeyed, we cut as many copies of the new key as you need on the same visit.
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