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Crenshaw Lock

Key Duplication in North Hollywood · 24/7 mobile

Key Duplication in North Hollywood, California

Crenshaw Lock Company provides mobile key duplication in North Hollywood, California, cutting house, office, mailbox and restricted keys at your door. We are available 24/7 and fully mobile, with no storefront to visit. Call (323) 997-8867 to describe your key and your lock.

  • Mobile to your North Hollywood 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
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Most people think of key duplication as a quick errand: take a key to a hardware counter, wait, pay, leave. In North Hollywood, that errand is often less simple. A 1930s bungalow may use original mortise hardware, a 1970s dingbat apartment may have a tired wafer lock that chews up fresh copies, and a newer building near the Metro station may rely on fobs and multipoint locks that a kiosk cannot copy. Crenshaw Lock Company brings the cutting equipment to you, so the copy is made and tested in the lock it is meant to operate.

We have served Greater Los Angeles and Ventura County since 1987, and owner and lead technician David Shar built the business around being fully mobile. That matters for duplication. A copy cut at a counter is often tested only against the machine's idea of the original. A copy cut on location can be tried in the actual door, the actual mailbox, the actual padlock, and adjusted if it binds or sticks.

This page explains how on-site duplication works here, what affects the cost, which keys we can and cannot copy, and what to expect whether you live near the NoHo Arts District, in North Hollywood West, or in Toluca Woods. If you are unsure what kind of key you are holding, call (323) 997-8867 and we will help you work it out.

How it works in North Hollywood

  1. 1

    Tell us about the key and the lock

    When you call, we ask what the key opens, whether it is stamped with markings such as Do Not Duplicate, and how many copies you need. Photos of the key and the door hardware help us bring the right blanks and decide whether this is a simple copy or something that needs extra steps.

  2. 2

    We come to you

    We are 24/7 and fully mobile, so there is no shop trip. The technician arrives with a van stocked with key blanks, cutting machines and tools for the common residential, office and mailbox keys found around North Hollywood.

  3. 3

    Identify the key and check authorization

    We confirm the key type and keyway. For restricted or patent-protected keys, we verify that you are an authorized holder, which may mean ID, a property or business association, or an authorization card, before we cut anything.

  4. 4

    Cut the copy on location

    We cut the new key from the original, or by code or impression when appropriate. We deburr it and remove metal shavings so it does not carry debris into your lock or wear the pins.

  5. 5

    Test it in the actual lock

    Every copy is tried in the lock it belongs to, many times over, to check it turns smoothly, retracts the bolt fully and does not catch. If the lock itself is worn, we tell you plainly and discuss whether a rekey or replacement is a better fix.

  6. 6

    Hand off and advise

    You receive the originals and the copies, with practical suggestions: mark spares discreetly, keep one off-site, and consider rekeying if you are unsure who has held older copies.

Need key duplication in North Hollywood?

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

Call (323) 997-8867

What affects the price

  • The type of key: a basic house key is a different job from a high-security, dimple, tubular or restricted key that needs special blanks and cutting equipment.
  • How many copies you need, and whether they are cut from a working original or must be made from a code or by impression.
  • The condition of the original key and lock, since a badly worn original can produce a poor copy and may call for a rekey instead.
  • Whether the work is done during regular daytime hours or on an after-hours, overnight or weekend call, since we are available 24/7.
  • Your location within North Hollywood and the surrounding area, along with the time and travel involved in reaching you.
  • Any authorization steps and special blanks required for restricted keys, which can affect both the process and the materials.

Why North Hollywood chooses us

  • Fully mobile since 1987: we cut keys at your door, test them in your actual lock and fix problems on the spot rather than sending you back to a counter.
  • Experience with North Hollywood's mixed housing, from 1920s-40s bungalows with original mortise locks to dingbat apartments with worn wafer locks and newer mid-rise buildings with multipoint hardware.
  • We copy restricted keys only for authorized holders. It can feel like an extra step, but it protects your property and your tenants or employees.
  • Honest advice about worn hardware: if a copy will not work well because the lock is failing, we say so and explain whether rekeying or replacing is the better option.
  • No storefront, so no counter wait. Call (323) 997-8867 at any hour and we explain how we can help.
  • We tell you what we cannot do. Some fobs, cards and restricted systems need the original issuer, and we will say so rather than promise a result.

Key Duplication across North Hollywood

North Hollywood has a wide mix of door hardware, and duplication needs vary block by block. In North Hollywood West and Toluca Woods, many homes are 1920s-40s Spanish and California bungalows. Some still have original mortise locks and skeleton-key interior doors, which call for careful cutting and sometimes a rekey instead of a simple copy. A homeowner near Magnolia Boulevard in ZIP code 91601 or 91606 might want spare keys for a new tenant or a house sitter, and we can cut them on the porch and test them in the door.

Around Vineland Avenue and Victory Boulevard, you will find many 1960s-70s dingbat apartments with aluminum entry doors and aging wafer or entry locks. Those locks wear quickly, and a new copy of an old key can bind or even snap. We can cut copies, check how the lock responds and, if the lock is tired, recommend a rekey before something breaks. Property managers in ZIP codes 91605 and 91606 often call us for batches of keys for turnover.

In the NoHo Arts District and along Lankershim Boulevard, ZIP code 91601 and 91602 include aluminum-storefront retail, restaurants and offices near the El Portal Theatre and the Television Academy. Businesses here often need extra keys for staff changes, back-of-house doors or mailboxes, and sometimes restricted keys that require authorization. Newer transit-oriented buildings near the North Hollywood Metro Station use fobs and multipoint locks, so we will tell you honestly which parts of the system we can copy and which belong to the building's access provider. Wherever you are, from US-101 to SR-170, we come to you.

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 North Hollywood locksmith services

See all of our North Hollywood services, or our citywide key duplication page.

Key Duplication in North Hollywood — FAQs

Can you duplicate keys at my home in North Hollywood?
Yes. We are fully mobile, so we bring the cutting equipment to your door, whether you are in a bungalow in Toluca Woods or an apartment near Vineland Avenue. Call (323) 997-8867 to describe your key.
Do you have a shop I can visit?
No. Crenshaw Lock Company is mobile only, with no storefront. We come to your home, office or business, and we are available 24/7.
Can you copy a key marked Do Not Duplicate?
That marking is not always legally binding, but we take it seriously. For restricted or patent-protected keys, we need to confirm you are an authorized holder before cutting. Call (323) 997-8867 and we will explain what we need.
My old key is worn. Will the copy work?
Sometimes a copy of a very worn key works poorly because it reproduces the wear. We test every copy in your lock and tell you if the lock or key is the real problem, in which case a rekey may be better.
Can you copy skeleton keys or keys for old mortise locks?
Often yes. Many North Hollywood bungalows from the 1920s-40s have original mortise hardware. We can usually cut a matching key or rekey the lock, depending on its condition. Call (323) 997-8867 with photos if you can.
Can you copy a fob or key card for my building?
It depends. Some fobs and cards can be cloned, but many in newer buildings near the Metro station are controlled by the property or access provider. We will tell you honestly whether we can help or whether you need the building management.
Can you cut mailbox or office keys?
Yes, we can cut many mailbox, desk, cabinet and office keys on location. Some mailbox keys are controlled by the postal service or building owner, so we may need to verify authorization first.
Is key duplication available after hours?
Yes. We are available 24/7. After-hours calls may be priced differently from daytime ones, but we will talk through it before we start. Call (323) 997-8867 any time.
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