What Does a Locksmith Do? Services, Skills and When to Call
- Residential work covers lockouts, rekeying, new locks and door hardware.
- Automotive work covers car lockouts and cutting and programming chip keys and fobs.
- Commercial work covers master keys, exit hardware and access control.
- Safe work covers opening, repairing and moving safes.
Home Locksmith Work
This is what most people call a locksmith for.
- Lockouts. Opening a door without damage, usually by picking or a bypass tool. Our guide to being locked out of your house covers what to try first.
- Rekeying. Changing the pins so old keys stop working. Common after a move, a breakup or a lost key ring.
- New locks. Fitting deadbolts, knobs, levers and smart locks. Our deadbolt guide explains grades.
- Repairs. Fixing a latch that will not catch, a key that sticks or a bolt that drags.
- Broken keys. Pulling a snapped key out of a cylinder. See key broke off in the lock.
- Door hardware. Strike plates, door viewers and security upgrades that make a door harder to kick in.
Car Locksmith Work
An automotive locksmith works on vehicle locks and keys, usually from a van at your car.
- Car lockouts. Opening the door without damage. See locked out of your car.
- Key cutting. Cutting blades for standard and high security car keys.
- Programming. Pairing a chip key or fob to the car so it will start. Our lesson on key programming explains how.
- All keys lost. Making a key when there is no key to copy. See lost every car key.
- Ignition repair. Fixing or replacing a worn ignition cylinder.
Not every locksmith does cars, and not every car locksmith can program every make. Ask before they drive out.
Business and Commercial Work
- Master key systems. One key for the owner, others for staff that open only certain doors.
- Exit devices. Panic bars and closers that meet fire codes.
- Access control. Keypads, card readers, electric strikes and the wiring behind them. See our lesson on how a system fits together.
- Key control. Tracking who holds which key, and restricted keys that cannot be copied without approval.
Safe Work
A safe technician opens safes when the code is lost or the lock fails, changes combinations, repairs locks and helps move or bolt down safes. Our post on whether a locksmith can open a safe goes into how that works.
The Tools Behind the Work
Knowing the tools helps you understand the quote. A locksmith van usually carries these.
- Picks and tension tools for opening pin tumbler locks without damage. Our lesson on picking and manipulation explains how they work.
- Bypass tools that slip past a latch or a lever instead of working the pins. See bypass before force.
- Key machines. A duplicator copies a key you have. A code machine cuts a key from numbers, with no original needed. Our lesson on machines and accuracy covers why copies sometimes fail.
- Key blanks and pins for the common brands, so rekeys happen on the spot.
- Car key programmers that talk to the car computer and pair a new chip or fob.
- Drills and scopes for safes and seized locks, used only after gentler methods fail.
Mobile Locksmith or Storefront Shop
Many locksmiths work from a van and come to you. That is what you want for a lockout, a lost car key or a rekey on the door. Others run a shop with a counter. A shop is handy for key copies, buying locks and getting advice without paying for a trip. Some do both. When you search our listings, the services on each page show which kind you are looking at. A shop that also lists mobile service can come to you.
What Locksmiths Do Not Do
A good locksmith will not open a door, car or safe without some proof you have the right to it. Our guide on what a locksmith will ask you to prove lists the usual papers. Most will not help with a tenant lockout a landlord asks for without the legal paperwork. Many will not copy a key marked do not duplicate. Those refusals are signs of an honest shop, not a rude one.
How to Pick the Right Kind of Locksmith
Match the job to the shop. A home lockout needs a mobile residential locksmith. A lost car key needs an automotive locksmith with tools for your make. A store with ten doors needs a commercial locksmith. A safe needs a safe tech.
Then check the basics. In some states locksmiths must hold a license, and our post on how to check a locksmith is licensed shows how. Get a total price before work starts. Our scam guide covers the warning signs.
You can browse automotive, commercial and safe locksmiths, or find one by city.
Common Questions
Can a locksmith make a key without the original?
Often yes. For house locks they can read or decode the lock. For many cars they can cut and program a new key at the vehicle.
Do locksmiths work on cars?
Automotive locksmiths do. They handle car lockouts, key cutting and key programming. Ask if they cover your make before they come out.
Do locksmiths install smart locks?
Many do. They can fit the lock, check the door lines up and set up the key backup.
Will a locksmith open any door I ask?
A reputable one will ask for proof you live there or own the property first. That protects you as much as anyone.