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(323) 997-8867
Crenshaw Lock

Key Duplication in Los Angeles · 24/7 mobile

Key Duplication in Los Angeles

Crenshaw Lock Company provides mobile key duplication across Los Angeles, cutting copies of house, office, mailbox and restricted keys right at your door. We work 24/7 from a fully equipped van, so you never have to hunt for a hardware store or kiosk. Call (323) 997-8867 to have a technician come to you.

  • Mobile to your Los Angeles location
  • Available 24/7
  • Price quoted before we start
Call (323) 997-8867or tap to call — we answer 24/7
Key cutting machine duplicating a brass key
Open now(323) 997-8867

Most people think of key duplication as a quick errand at a hardware counter. In Los Angeles that errand often runs into trouble. Big-box kiosks frequently can't handle the old bit keys that still open interior doors in 1920s Craftsman bungalows. They also can't legally copy restricted-keyway keys used by many offices and apartment buildings, and they turn out copies that stick in a worn mortise cylinder. Crenshaw Lock Company has been cutting keys for Angelenos since 1987. Owner and lead technician David Shar built the business to bring the cutting machine to the customer instead of the other way around.

We are fully mobile, with no storefront. Our van carries key machines, a broad blank inventory and the tools to test every copy in your actual lock before we leave. That last step matters more than people expect. A key that looks right but binds in a sixty-year-old deadbolt is a key you'll be fighting at night with groceries in your arms. Checking it against the cylinder it was made for lets us adjust or recut on the spot.

This service works for a family in View Park that needs spares for a new babysitter and a property manager in Koreatown handing out keys to a new tenant. It also fits a small office near Downtown that needs controlled copies of a restricted key. In each case we confirm what kind of key you have, explain any authorization requirements, cut the copies and make sure they work. If a lock is too worn for a good copy to work smoothly, we'll tell you plainly and talk through rekeying or replacement. Whether you go ahead with that is up to you.

How it works in Los Angeles

  1. 1

    Call and describe your keys

    When you call (323) 997-8867, tell us what the keys open and roughly how many copies you need. It also helps to mention any stamps on the key, such as 'Do Not Duplicate,' a brand name like Medeco, Mul-T-Lock or Schlage Primus, or a number code. That lets us bring the right blanks and tell you up front if authorization paperwork will be required.

  2. 2

    We come to your location

    Since we are mobile only, a technician drives to your home, office, building lobby or job site anywhere in our Los Angeles service area. We work around your schedule, including evenings, weekends and overnight, because we operate 24/7.

  3. 3

    Identify the key and check authorization

    We examine the original's keyway, cut depth and wear. For restricted or high-security keys, we verify that you are the authorized cardholder or have the property owner's or manager's written approval. That protects you and everyone else who relies on that key system.

  4. 4

    Cut the copies on site

    Using the machines in our van, we cut your duplicates from quality blanks. If your original is badly worn, we can often cut to the lock's intended code rather than copying the wear. The result is a cleaner key that works better than the one you handed us.

  5. 5

    Test every key in the real lock

    Each copy goes into the lock it was made for, whether that's a front deadbolt, a mailbox, a security screen door or an interior skeleton-key door. We turn it fully in both directions. Anything that drags or catches gets dressed or recut before we finish.

  6. 6

    Review options and wrap up

    We hand over the keys and can label them if you like. If we noticed a lock that is failing, a door that's misaligned, or a situation where rekeying makes more sense than copying, we explain it so you can decide. There is no pressure to add work.

Need key duplication in Los Angeles?

24/7 Mobile Locksmith across Greater Los Angeles & Ventura County. We answer 24/7.

Call (323) 997-8867

What affects the price

  • Key type and blank: a standard residential key costs less to produce than a restricted, high-security, or patented-keyway key, which requires special blanks and authorization.
  • Quantity of copies and number of different keys: cutting several copies of one key is simpler than cutting single copies of many different keys.
  • Condition of the original: badly worn or bent keys may need to be cut by code or decoded from the lock, which takes more time than a straight copy.
  • Antique and specialty keys: bit and barrel keys for original 1920s mortise and interior doors often need hand fitting.
  • Time of the visit: overnight, weekend and holiday calls can be priced differently from standard daytime appointments.
  • Additional work found on site: if a lock needs lubrication, adjustment, rekeying or replacement for keys to work properly, that is quoted separately before we do it.

Why Los Angeles chooses us

  • Fully mobile since 1987: we cut keys at your door with machines carried in our van, so there's no store trip and no waiting at a kiosk.
  • Every key is tested in the actual lock before we leave, not just compared side by side with the original.
  • We handle the old keys big-box machines usually can't, including bit keys for original mortise locks and interior doors common in Leimert Park, West Adams and Baldwin Hills homes.
  • Restricted and high-security keys are duplicated only with proper authorization, which keeps your building's key control intact.
  • Owner-operated: David Shar is the lead technician, and the business has served South LA and the wider region for decades.
  • Available 24/7 for urgent copies, such as a tenant handoff, a new hire's first day or a lost spare.

Key Duplication across Los Angeles

Our home base is in the 90008 ZIP code, near Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza and Leimert Park Village. That puts many of our key duplication calls in the surrounding neighborhoods. Leimert Park's village-planned homes, the View Park-Windsor Hills historic district and the Spanish Colonial Revival and Craftsman bungalows along Crenshaw Blvd and Martin Luther King Jr Blvd still have plenty of original hardware. It's common for us to cut a modern deadbolt key, a wrought-iron security screen door key and a skeleton key for a bedroom door, all at the same house. We also see a lot of duplex and courtyard apartment owners in 90016, 90018 and 90043 who need tenant sets after a move-out.

We travel well beyond the Crenshaw corridor. West Adams (90018, 90007) has historic homes and student rentals near Exposition Park and USC, where landlords need several copies at once. In Koreatown (90006, 90019) and Hollywood (90027, 90046), dingbat and mid-century apartment buildings often run restricted keyways, so authorization matters. Downtown offices and lofts around Union Station and Walt Disney Concert Hall (90012) frequently need controlled copies for staff.

Getting around Los Angeles means working with the I-10, I-110, I-405, La Brea Ave and Slauson Ave. We plan routes accordingly and will give you an honest picture of our schedule when you call. Whether you're near Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area or up by Griffith Observatory, the service is the same: we come to you, cut the keys and make sure they work.

Locked out or need a locksmith now?

24/7 Mobile Locksmith across Greater Los Angeles & Ventura County. We answer 24/7.

Call (323) 997-8867

Other Los Angeles locksmith services

See all of our Los Angeles services, or our citywide key duplication page.

Key Duplication in Los Angeles — FAQs

Do you have a shop in Los Angeles where I can drop off keys?
No. Crenshaw Lock Company is fully mobile, with no storefront. We bring the key-cutting equipment to your home or business. Call (323) 997-8867 to arrange a visit.
Can you copy a key stamped 'Do Not Duplicate'?
That stamp alone isn't legally binding. We still use judgment and may ask for confirmation that you're authorized, especially for a business or apartment building. Keys on true restricted or patented systems require the registered owner's authorization, and we follow that requirement.
My 1920s Craftsman in Leimert Park has old skeleton-key interior doors. Can you copy those keys?
Usually, yes. We carry bit-key blanks and can hand fit copies to original mortise locks. If the original key is missing, we can often make one from the lock itself. Call (323) 997-8867 and describe the doors.
Why do hardware store copies sometimes not work in my lock?
Kiosks copy the original key exactly, wear included, and nobody tests the result in your lock. Older locks around West Adams and Baldwin Hills are also often worn themselves. We test each copy in the actual cylinder and recut it if needed.
Can you duplicate mailbox keys for my apartment building?
We can duplicate many tenant mailbox keys. Keys for USPS-controlled master locks (arrow locks) can only be handled by the Postal Service, so we'll let you know if your box falls into that category.
Are you available for key copies at night or on weekends?
Yes. We operate 24/7 throughout our Los Angeles service area, which helps with late tenant move-ins or urgent staff handoffs. After-hours visits may be priced differently, and we'll explain that when you call (323) 997-8867.
How much does key duplication cost?
It depends on the key type, how many copies you need, the original's condition, whether authorization or special blanks are involved, and the time of the visit. We'll go over those factors with you before cutting anything.
Should I copy keys or rekey after a tenant moves out?
If a previous tenant may still have keys, rekeying is the safer choice, because copying only adds more working keys. We can rekey the locks and then cut a fresh set during the same visit.
DS

Reviewed by David Shar — Owner & Lead Technician

Crenshaw Lock Company has served Greater Los Angeles & Ventura County since 1987.

Last updated 2026-10-12.

Call (323) 997-8867 · Open 24/7