Why does an accurate key copy matter?
Most key trouble starts with a bad copy. A duplicate is only as good as the key it was cut from and the machine that cut it. If the cut is off by even a small fraction of a millimeter, you end up with a key that mostly works: it needs a jiggle, a lift, or a firm shove before the deadbolt turns. Every one of those turns adds wear to the pins inside the lock and to the key itself.
The second problem is copying a worn key. If your only house key is already rounded off from years in a pocket, a copy of it inherits that wear, and a copy of that copy gets worse. When we duplicate a key, we look at the original first. If it is too worn to copy well, we say so and talk through other options, such as cutting a fresh key to the lock itself or working from the better of your existing keys.
This page covers key duplication for Valley Glen: house and spare house keys, apartment key copies, office and commercial keys, mailbox keys, and the restricted or high security keys that a self-serve kiosk usually can't or shouldn't copy.
How does key duplication work with us, step by step?
The process is short, but each step is there for a reason. It is the same whether you bring the key to our Westwood storefront or we come to you.
- Tell us what the key opens: a front door, a duplicate deadbolt key, an office door, a mailbox, a padlock, a gate. You can describe it, send a photo, or hand us the key. We identify the keyway by looking at it.
- We inspect the original in good light for wear, bends, hairline cracks, and stamped markings such as Do Not Duplicate or a restricted-keyway name.
- We pick the correct blank. A blank that looks similar but is slightly wrong in the shoulder or the grooves will bind in the lock, so matching it properly matters as much as the cut.
- We cut the copy and deburr it so rough edges don't chew up the lock or your pocket.
- We test the copy in the actual lock, turning the bolt or cylinder fully a few times, rather than just comparing it to the original by eye. If it drags, we fix it before it leaves our hands.
- If the key is restricted, we explain what authorization is needed before we cut anything, and tell you plainly if the key has to be ordered or handled by the dealer.
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 duplicate?
Most keys people bring us are ordinary, but the details differ enough that it helps to know what each type involves.
- House key copy and spare house key: front, back, and side doors, cut to match your working key.
- Duplicate deadbolt key: a deadbolt often takes a different key than the knob below it, so we confirm which lock each key belongs to.
- Apartment key copy: for tenants and property managers, with management approval where the key is marked or the building requires it.
- Office key duplication and commercial key duplication: single-door keys, suite keys, and keys for cabinets, desks, and back-of-house doors.
- Mailbox key duplication: for private or building-owned mailbox locks. If the lock is controlled by the postal service rather than the property, we tell you honestly and point you to the right channel.
- High security key duplication and restricted key duplication: covered in the next paragraph, because these work differently.
Can high security and restricted keys be copied?
Sometimes, yes, but not the way a standard key is copied. Restricted keyways use protected blanks and a controlled list of who may order copies. We can duplicate one only when the person asking is authorized, usually through a registered card, identification on file, or sign-off from the property manager or business owner. In some cases the key must be ordered through the manufacturer or a dealer, which takes longer than a same-day cut, and a few systems are dealer-only. We will tell you which situation you are in rather than imply every key can be copied on the spot.
If you are weighing whether a restricted system makes sense for your home or business at all, our page on high security locks in Valley Glen explains how those systems control who can copy a key.
What affects the cost of key duplication in Valley Glen?
We don't quote numbers on a web page because the real figure depends on the key in your hand. These are the factors that move it:
The first is the type of key. A standard brass house key is the simple end of the range. Keys with unusual profiles, high security designs, and restricted keyways involve harder-to-source blanks, more careful cutting, and sometimes ordering through a manufacturer.
Next is quantity. Cutting one spare is a different job from cutting a full set for a rental, an office, or a family. Then there is where the work happens. Bringing a key to our Westwood storefront is usually the more economical route when you are not in a hurry, because there is no travel involved. A mobile visit makes sense when you can't leave or when many keys need testing in place, and it includes the cost of getting a van to Valley Glen.
Finally, condition and timing matter. A badly worn original may need extra work or a different approach, and calls outside normal business hours are handled differently from daytime visits. Call (213) 577-1366 and describe the key; we will explain what applies to your situation before any work begins.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Can you come to me for mobile key duplication?
Yes. Our vans cover Valley Glen, which is roughly 13 miles from our Westwood base. Our mobile locksmith service in Valley Glen is useful when you can't step away from a workplace, when a property manager needs copies made and tested at several doors, or when you would simply rather have the key tested in the lock it belongs to.
The vans carry cutting equipment and a range of common blanks. Less common blanks may need to be sourced, and we say so up front instead of promising a same-visit result we can't deliver. Testing on site is a real advantage: if a copy drags in the cylinder, we know right away and correct it while we are standing there.
What does key duplication look like around Valley Glen?
Valley Glen spans the ZIP codes 91401, 91405, and 91606, and the housing is mostly postwar 1940s and 50s single-family tracts, with apartment buildings concentrated along Victory and Vanowen. The neighborhood was carved out of Van Nuys and North Hollywood in the late 1990s, so the hardware here tends to look like what you find in those older postwar areas. In a house of that age, it is worth checking whether the knob and the deadbolt take the same key. If the locks were changed at different times, they often don't, and a spare ring should carry a labeled copy of each.
Around the Los Angeles Valley College district, student rentals are a common reason to think about spares. When roommates move in and out, keys wander. Cutting a labeled spare ahead of time is far easier than a lockout later, and if you are already locked out of an apartment, our apartment lockout service is the page to read.
Along the Victory Boulevard corridor, landlords and tenants deal with building keys, mailbox keys, and unit keys, and the same applies in the Burbank Boulevard and Oxnard Street corridors. For properties backing the Tujunga Wash Greenway, gate and padlock keys are the ones people forget to copy until the only one is lost. Whether you are in the Fulton Avenue area or near the park, call (213) 577-1366 and tell us the street and key type.
How does Valley Glen's summer heat affect your keys?
The central valley floor gets hot, dry summers, and the main seasonal lock issue here is heat-driven expansion of doors and weatherstripping. A door that swells slightly in the heat can bind against the strike plate, so the latch or deadbolt turns with resistance. People respond by forcing the key, and a key that is already worn is the one that bends or snaps.
That is a good argument for making a spare while your current key is still in decent shape. If a key does break in the lock, our broken key extraction service can handle it, but a fresh copy made early is far less trouble. If a door sticks badly enough that forcing the key is a regular habit, mention it when you call, because the fix may be in the door or strike plate, not the key.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366When is a copy not the right answer?
Sometimes copying keys is the wrong move, and we would rather say so than cut more keys than you need.
If you just bought a postwar tract home, or you have lost keys or had a former tenant leave without returning them, you don't know who else holds a working key. Copying only spreads access further. In that case, lock rekeying changes the lock so old keys stop working, and then we cut new copies to the new key.
If an office or building has many doors and many people, a pile of individual copies becomes hard to track. A master key system may serve you better.
Car keys are a separate job. Some are plain cut metal, but many contain a transponder chip that has to be programmed, and whether a specific vehicle needs that, and whether we can do it or only a dealer can, is something we confirm by VIN and in person instead of guessing. Our page on car key replacement covers that.
Why call Wilshire Lock & Key?
We have been in business since 1987, working from a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood with mobile service vans that reach 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. When you call, you reach our own company, not a dispatch middleman who passes your job to whoever is free. David, our owner and lead technician, oversees how the work is done.
California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, and you should ask any locksmith for it and verify it with the state before work begins. That applies to us too. Our phone line, (213) 577-1366, is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round.
Frequently asked questions
Can you copy a key that says Do Not Duplicate?
That stamp is a request, not a legal lock, so it doesn't always stop a copy. But we ask who the key belongs to and whether you are authorized to copy it. If it belongs to a landlord, employer, or building, we may need their approval first.
How much does key duplication cost in Valley Glen?
It depends on the key type, how many copies you need, whether the blank is common or special-order, and whether you come to our Westwood storefront or we travel to you. Call (213) 577-1366 and describe the key, and we'll explain what applies before we cut anything.
Can you duplicate a high security or restricted key?
Often yes, if you are authorized. We verify that first, and some systems require ordering through the manufacturer or a dealer, which takes longer. A few are dealer-only, and we will tell you plainly if yours is one of them.
Do you offer mobile key duplication in Valley Glen?
Yes. Our vans come to you, and we test each copy in the lock it belongs to. For unusual keys, we may need to source the blank first, and we tell you that when you call.
Can I get a spare apartment key without asking my landlord?
That depends on your lease and the key. Many ordinary apartment keys can be copied, but a restricted or marked key usually needs management approval. Check your lease or ask your manager first, because unauthorized copies can cause problems later.
Can you copy a mailbox key?
For most private or building-owned mailbox locks, yes. If the lock belongs to the postal service instead of the property, we will say so and point you toward the proper channel. For a broken or worn-out lock, see our mailbox lock replacement service.
Should I rekey the locks or just copy the keys after buying a house?
If you don't know who has keys to the house, rekeying comes first. A copy only spreads access of the old key. Once the locks are rekeyed, we can cut as many new copies as you need.
Is a copy made from a worn key reliable?
Not always. A worn original passes its wear to the copy. We inspect the key before cutting, and if it is too worn, we will suggest a better approach, such as cutting a fresh key to the lock rather than copying the old one.
More locksmith help in Valley Glen
Key Duplication near Valley Glen
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.