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What Is a "Do Not Duplicate Key", and Can It Be Copied?
You are standing looking at your key for the first time and noticing a “do not duplicate stamp” on it, right! Now you wonder, “What happens if something goes wrong with the key? Can you copy it, and is it legal? To answer the question for you, Speedy Locksmith in Ottawa is here to help.
We need to break this answer down, as there are two group types of these keys. The first assembly you cannot copy, while the second one needs a bit more effort to achieve the best results.
Here are some tips to help you if ever you do need to have your key copied.
The "DO NOT DUPLICATE" Stamp
First, look for a locksmith company that provides a “key control” protocol.
This is very important.
Now why should you choose the “key control” protocol? It guarantees that you’re using an approved business that has a copy of that key. Doing this ensures your property’s safety and is not done by unethical staff.
The “do not copy stamp” is a cheap way to safeguard your key.
Legitimate locksmiths or licensed companies will not copy that key, but it does not prevent them from not doing it. You may find some of them doing it off the grid.
Looking at Restricted Keys (High Security Keys)
For such a key, you need to get permission to have it duplicated as they typically have patents.
Only an approved business can produce such a key.
For this reason, most companies look at using a high-security key with the restriction that cannot be duplicated.
But there is good news the producer has unique machinery to cut it.
Therefore, only an approved provider can produce such a key, making it a big no-no to duplicate.
However, do not think such a key is guaranteed with the “do not duplicate” stamp.
Looking at Unrestricted Keys
An unrestricted key is standard with most households and has no patent or needs no permission to have it duplicated.
You can find any unrestricted key sold at your local hardware store.
A locksmith can duplicate this key without concerns.
How to get a duplicate of a restricted key
So how do you duplicate a restricted key? The person doing the job needs a document by the licensed locksmith, or sometimes you need to find the original manufacturer.
The reason is that there are times the keys are impossible to duplicate without special instructions or Authorization Card.
What to do if you have a restricted key and dont have the authorization card to make copies.
Contact the Original Key Maker When you do this, you need to provide them with important information:
- Provide them with the locksmith’s name who is going to duplicate the key.
- Inform them what key is going to be replicated.
- Ask them or advise them how many duplicates you want to have made.
- Also, ask for the contact details of the business providing you with the copying permission.
- Another option is to rekey the lock and get new keys with new authorization card.
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How Do You Secure a Key?
Many key manufactures are making it harder to copy their keys, as mentioned above.
Therefore, the business uses special equipment when cutting keys, and they monitor the distribution.
Furthermore, they provide a license to trusted partners to ensure protection and quality.
Yet, when searching YouTube, you may find loads of videos of how someone picks a five-pin lock in seconds without effort.
So now, you can understand why some manufacturers create their locks with more pins, angles, dimples, and tolerance.
They even use durable materials to prevent breakage or the use of brute force.
A Word from Speedy Locksmith in Ottawa
Do you want to protect your property or other assets from unlawful access? We recommend you invest in high-Security keys and locks for the reasons above.
So the next time you look at your key and see the “do not duplicate” engraving come back to this article to remind yourself of it.
Or the other option is to invest in a fingerprint scanner to get access to your property to remove the hassle of having keys duplicated.
Now It’s Your Turn
If you have a question Let me know by leaving a quick comment below right now.