Key Duplication for Tampa House, Apartment & Mailbox Keys
The Locksmith Shop copies regular house keys at the counter of our walk-in shop at 4556 S Manhattan Ave, Tampa, FL 33611, plus apartment, condo and mailbox keys. Bring the key you want copied, or call (813) 832-4777. High-security keys and car keys work differently, so call ahead about those. Se habla español.
What Keys Can You Copy at the Counter?
We copy regular house keys: the keys to your deadbolts and your front and back doors, plus apartment and condo door keys. We copy mailbox keys, too. Bring the key itself, since that's what the copy is made from. Spares for family, a roommate or a dog walker start there.
Renting? The locks usually belong to the landlord, and your lease may limit extra keys, so check it. For mailbox keys, our guide to lost mailbox keys and cluster-box locks explains who owns which lock.
What Decides Whether a Key Can Be Copied?
Mostly four things: the blank, the wear, how far the key is from the original, and any damage.
- The blank. Each copy is cut on a blank whose profile, the grooves along the blade, matches your key. Kwikset and Schlage house keys use common blanks; an older, imported or less common lock may take one that's hard to find.
- Wear. A key machine follows the cuts on the key you bring, so a worn key passes its wear to the copy. Bring your least-worn key, or a factory key if the lock came with some.
- Copies of copies. Each generation adds a little error, until a key sticks or won't turn. Copy from the original when you can.
- Damage. A bent or cracked key makes a poor pattern. Broken off inside a lock? See broken key extraction first.
If every key you have is worn or several copies deep, a rekey can be the better fix.
Can You Copy a High-Security or Restricted Key?
Not like a standard key: a restricted key is copied under its system's key-control rules, which is the point of having one. Standard blanks are sold wherever keys are cut. Restricted ones aren't: Schlage says a restricted keyway “limits who can buy, sell and cut” its keys, and buyers must show proof of authorization to get blanks. Patented keys add another layer, because the maker controls the blank's design (Schlage).
Each brand adds its own key control. Mul-T-Lock's MTL800 uses a key-cutting control card with a magnetic strip, and Mul-T-Lock says certified key cutting happens only when the original card is presented to an authorized dealer with a KC5 machine (Mul-T-Lock). Medeco, which calls its keys patent-protected, says its products “help prevent unauthorized key duplication” (Medeco).
We install authorized Mul-T-Lock, Medeco and Schlage hardware, bought direct, and on restricted keys we set up, the owner decides who gets another one. Not every Schlage key is restricted: many Schlage house keys use standard blanks, while Primus keys are restricted. Our guide to high-security locks goes deeper on key control.
Do Car Keys Copy Like House Keys?
Usually not. A car key with a plastic head very likely holds a transponder chip, and the car won't start until a chip is programmed to it, so a copy cut to the blade alone can turn the locks without ever starting the car.
Car keys have their own pages: spare and duplicate car keys for copying one that works, transponder key programming for chip keys, key fob replacement for remotes and smart keys, and car key replacement for the rest. Programming needs the car, so bring it if it drives; if not, for most makes we go to the car. New Mercedes-Benz and Sprinter keys from model year 2015 on are dealer-only.
When Is a Rekey Better Than Another Copy?
When the trouble is who already holds a key, or when the key you'd copy from is worn out.
- You don't know who has keys. After a move-in, a lost key, or a roommate, tenant or employee moving on, more copies leave every old key working. A rekey retires them all.
- Your best key is worn or many copies deep. A rekey puts new pins in the lock and comes with freshly cut keys.
- You want one key for several doors. Copies can't do that; a rekey can, for doors that share a keyway.
See lock rekeying for what a visit involves, or rekey vs. replace if a lock also sticks or feels loose.
Where Do I Bring a Key to Be Copied?
Bring it to The Locksmith Shop at 4556 S Manhattan Ave, Tampa, FL 33611. The counter is open from 8am until 8pm, Monday through Saturday, and we're closed Sundays; walk-ins are welcome. Live nearby? See our Ballast Point page.
Bringing a high-security key, a key to an HOA mailbox or a car key? Call ahead, and we'll tell you what to bring.
Family-owned since 2009, bonded and insured, with a military discount (just ask). Se habla español: our team works in English or Spanish.
How It Works
- Step 1
Bring the Key
Walk in to the S Manhattan Ave shop with the key, ideally your least-worn one.
- Step 2
We Match the Blank
We match a blank to your key, or tell you if it's restricted.
- Step 3
We Cut the Copies
Your copies, each cut from your key.
- Step 4
Test Every Copy
Try each copy in all the locks it's meant for before handing it out.
Need a Key Copied?
Walk in with it to our counter on S Manhattan Ave, or call ahead about restricted and car keys.
Call (813) 832-4777Key Duplication Questions
How do I get a house key copied in Tampa?+
Bring it to the shop at 4556 S Manhattan Ave, Tampa, FL 33611, Monday to Saturday between 8am and 8pm (closed Sunday), and we'll copy it at the counter. A key with little wear, or a factory key from the lock, makes the best copy.
Can you copy a Mul-T-Lock, Medeco or Schlage Primus key?+
Not like a standard house key. New keys for those high-security lines are cut under each system's key-control rules, such as Mul-T-Lock's control card or the owner's sign-off. We're authorized for all three brands and buy direct; call (813) 832-4777 with the brand on your key, and we'll explain what it takes.
Do you copy car keys at the counter too?+
Yes for most all-metal car keys with no chip: those are a plain cut. A plastic-head key usually holds a chip, which needs programming with the car on hand, so bring the car if it drives; for most makes we can also go to it.
Can you copy a mailbox key?+
Yes, at our counter. USPS lets customers copy keys to their own compartment in a postal-owned cluster box, at their own expense. For a box run by an HOA, an apartment complex or a landlord, check their rules or your lease first.
Can you make keys at my home or business?+
House key copies are made at our counter on S Manhattan Ave, so bring the key in. For key work at your home or business, call (813) 832-4777: on a rekey, the technician cuts your new keys at the door, and for most makes, car keys can be cut beside the car.
Should I get more copies or rekey my locks?+
Get copies when you trust everyone who already has a key. Rekey when you don't, say after you move in, lose a key, or someone with a key moves out or leaves the job: a rekey makes every old key useless.
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