Why do spare keys matter so much around the harbor?
Marina del Rey is almost entirely multifamily housing. There are large apartment complexes from the 1960s and 1970s, waterfront condominium towers, and newer rental buildings ringing the harbor basins, with very few single-family homes. In that kind of building, one person usually carries a small ring of keys: the unit door, a deadbolt, a mailbox key, and sometimes a gate or storage key. Spares tend to get made late, in a hurry, or not at all.
The trigger is usually ordinary. A roommate moves in. A partner needs their own key. A cleaner or dog walker needs access while you're at work. A property manager wants a spare on file. Or you only own one key and you've just noticed the edges are worn smooth. Making a spare now is far less trouble than being locked out later. If it's already too late for that, our apartment lockout service is there for it.
Key duplication is the simplest job a locksmith does, but it isn't trivial. A copy is only as good as the original it's cut from and the blank it's cut on. A badly cut key can stick, chew up the pins inside your lock, or snap off in the cylinder. We treat every copy as precision work, whether it's one key or a stack of them.
How does key duplication work at Wilshire Lock & Key?
The process is short, but each step exists for a reason. Here is what happens when you bring a key in or have us come to you.
- We look at the key and, when possible, the lock it belongs to. We identify the brand, the keyway, and whether it is a standard key, a high security key, or a restricted one.
- We choose the correct blank. The blank has to match the keyway's grooves and the shoulder or tip stop of the original. A close match is not good enough, because small differences show up as keys that bind or won't turn.
- We cut the copy on the right machine for that key type, then remove the burrs left from cutting. Burrs are what make a fresh key feel gritty and scratch up the inside of a lock.
- We compare the copy against the original, and we test it in the lock whenever the lock is available. A key that looks identical can still fail, so we don't call it done until it turns smoothly.
- If the original is badly worn, we tell you. Sometimes the honest answer is that a copy cut from a worn key will inherit the wear, and a fresh set of keys through rekeying is the better route.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366What kinds of keys can we copy?
Most keys people bring us fall into a handful of categories. Here is how we think about each one.
- House key copy and spare house key: standard residential keys for entry locks, in the common keyways used on homes and condos.
- Apartment key copy: unit keys, usually with the building's approval where the lease or management requires it.
- Duplicate deadbolt key: deadbolts often use a different keyway than the knob or handle set, so we check both rather than assuming they match.
- Office key duplication and commercial key duplication: suite doors, storage rooms, desk and cabinet keys, and keys for commercial-grade cylinders.
- Mailbox key duplication: individual and shared mailbox keys, subject to the restrictions explained below.
- High security key duplication: keys with dimples, sidebars, or other added features that need specific blanks and machines.
- Restricted key duplication: keys on controlled keyways, which require authorization before anyone legitimate will cut them.
- Mobile key duplication: in many cases we can bring the service to you, depending on the key type. We confirm that when you call.
What's different about restricted and high security keys?
Some keys are built to resist casual copying. A restricted keyway means the manufacturer controls who can buy blanks, usually through a registered owner, an authorization card, or an approved dealer. A stamp reading 'Do Not Duplicate' is a request, not a legal barrier, and it doesn't mean the key can't physically be cut. But we aren't going to copy a key that appears to be controlled without the authorization the system calls for. That protects you, and it protects the building you may be sharing with other tenants.
High security keys are a different story. They are not secret, but they are more demanding. They may use blanks that are harder to source and cutting machines that differ from the standard key machine. If the key is one we can cut, we will. If the correct route runs through the dealer or the manufacturer, we say so plainly and don't pretend otherwise. We confirm what applies by looking at the key in person.
If you're interested in a system where copies are harder for anyone to make, that's a different conversation, and our high security locks page covers it.
What affects the cost of key duplication?
We don't post numbers on a web page, because the real answer depends on the key in front of us. These are the things that move the cost up or down:
- Key type: a standard house key is the lighter-cost option, while high security and restricted keys take more equipment, more time, and harder-to-get blanks.
- Blank availability: some blanks are on the shelf, and some have to be sourced.
- Quantity: cutting several copies at once is usually the more economical route than coming back repeatedly.
- Authorization: restricted keys involve verifying that you're allowed to have copies, which takes extra steps.
- Location: bringing a key to our storefront is different from having a van come to you, and the hour of the day matters too.
- Condition of the original: a worn or damaged key may need extra work or a different approach.
- System keys: copies for an office with a master key system are handled more carefully because they open more than one door.
- We give you the cost when you call or when we see the key, before we cut anything.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366How do salt air and dense buildings change key duplication in Marina del Rey?
Right on the water, hardware corrodes. Exterior deadbolts, gate latches, hinges and padlocks wear out faster here than inland, and the marine layer keeps metal damp on many mornings. That matters for keys more than most people expect. A key that has lived in a corroded deadbolt picks up roughness, and a copy cut from a rough key carries that roughness forward. If a key has started to feel stiff or gritty in the lock, copying it isn't the first step. We look at the lock too, because the problem may be the hardware and not the key.
Think about how this plays out around the harbor. In the large complexes along the Via Marina corridor and the Admiralty Way corridor, a tenant often has a unit key, a mailbox key and a gate or garage credential. In places like Villa Marina and Mariners Village, a shared building may mean several tenants need copies at move-in, and a manager may want a copy kept on file. In the Fisherman's Village area, you also have people who work around the water and want a spare for a boat locker or a dock gate. All of these are 90292 addresses, and it's roughly nine miles from our Westwood storefront.
Mailbox keys deserve a particular mention. Controlled-access buildings with shared mailbox rooms are common here. Some mailbox keys are controlled by the postal service or the property manager, and those we may not be able to copy. When a mailbox lock is worn out, corroded, or the key is lost, a copy won't fix it, and you're better served by mailbox lock replacement. We'll tell you which situation you're in.
For dock gates and dry-storage areas, we suggest weather-resistant padlocks and latches, and we cut keys for them the same way. Marina Peninsula and the Oxford Triangle sit right next to Marina del Rey, though they fall in the City of LA, and we help people there too.
Can we bring key duplication to you?
Wilshire Lock & Key is a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood plus mobile service vans. For many keys, you can drive over and have a copy cut while you wait. When you can't leave a building, an office, or a unit, we may be able to come to you instead. Our mobile locksmith service is how that works.
Whether the van can cut your particular key on the spot depends on the key type. Standard keys are the easiest. Restricted and some high security keys may need the storefront, or a different process entirely. We tell you which applies when you call, not after we arrive.
This is especially useful for property managers and small offices, where someone needs ten copies of an office key, or keys for a handful of rooms, and the work is better done at the building than by passing keys back and forth. Bring the original keys, and let us know how many copies you need and who is authorized to request them.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for spare keys?
Plain reasons, nothing fancy:
- We've been in business since 1987, so we've cut keys for a long time and seen most of the odd ones.
- We have a real storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd and mobile vans, so you aren't dealing with a phone bank.
- We are one company. There is no dispatch middleman reselling your job to someone you've never heard of.
- David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work.
- The phone at (213) 577-1366 is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year.
Should you copy the key, or change the lock instead?
Copying is the right move when you simply want another working key to a lock you still trust. It is not always the right move. If a key was lost, a tenant has moved out, a roommate has left on bad terms, or you've just moved into a place and don't know who has copies, a new copy only adds to the keys in circulation. In those cases, lock rekeying is usually the better step, because it makes the old keys stop working while you keep the hardware.
If a key has snapped in the lock, that's a separate problem, and broken key extraction comes first. If your issue is a car key, with a chip or a remote, that's a different process and a different set of tools, and you'd want car key replacement. We'll point you in the right direction whichever way it goes, even when that means we make less money on the call.
Frequently asked questions
Can you copy a key stamped 'Do Not Duplicate'?
Sometimes, but not automatically. The stamp is a request, not a law. If the key is on a restricted keyway, we need proper authorization first. If it's a standard key with a stamp on it, we'll still ask who you are and why you need copies, particularly on keys that belong to a building or a business.
Do I need to bring my lock along for key duplication?
No, the key is usually enough. But testing a copy in the actual lock is the best check, so if the lock is nearby, we like to test it there. If we can't, we compare the copy against the original and tell you if anything looks questionable.
Can you copy my apartment key in Marina del Rey?
Often yes, but check your lease first. Many buildings require management approval for copies, and some apartment keys are on restricted keyways. We ask a few questions, look at the key, and tell you whether we can cut it.
Can you duplicate a mailbox key?
It depends on whose lock it is. Some mailbox keys belong to the property manager or the postal service, and we may not be able to copy them. If the mailbox lock is worn or lost, a replacement lock is usually the right fix. We tell you which category yours falls into.
Can you copy a deadbolt key as well as a regular house key?
Yes. Deadbolts often use a different keyway from the knob or handle set, so we check each key separately rather than assuming one fits both.
Why does my new copy stick or feel rough?
A few possible reasons: the blank may be wrong, burrs may be left from cutting, the original may be worn, or the lock itself may be corroded. Salt air is hard on exterior hardware near the water. Bring the copy back along with the original, and we'll work out whether the key or the lock is the issue.
Can you make high security or restricted keys?
Some, yes. High security keys often need specific blanks and machines, and restricted keys need authorization. In some cases the only route is the dealer or manufacturer. We confirm what applies once we see the key, and we say so when we can't do it.
Can you come to my building to cut keys?
We have mobile service vans, and in many cases we can. Whether the key can be cut at your location depends on its type. Call (213) 577-1366, tell us what you have, and we'll say whether the van or the storefront is the better choice.
Can you copy a car key?
Plain metal car keys can be cut like any other key. Keys with chips or remotes involve programming and a different process, and we handle those as car key services. We confirm by VIN or in person, not from guesswork.
More locksmith help in Marina del Rey
Key Duplication near Marina del Rey
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.