Locksmith Guides
What we tell customers on the phone, written down. Practical answers for San Diego homes, businesses and cars, by Mark Hanna, owner of Action Locksmith San Diego.
Quick answer
These guides cover the questions we get most: what to do when you've lost your car keys, whether to rekey or replace, which smart locks survive beach air, how to verify a California locksmith license, how to avoid lockout scams, and what to do after a break-in. Every guide is written by a licensed San Diego locksmith and links to the service page and typical price for the job.
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Rekey vs. Replace Locks: Which Do You Actually Need?
Rekey or replace your locks? A San Diego locksmith explains what each does, what it costs, and the situations where...
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Moving In? The San Diego New Home Lock Checklist
Bought a house or moved into a rental in San Diego? The first-week lock checklist: rekey every door, reset the...
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Locked Out of Your House? What to Do (and Not Do)
Locked out of your San Diego home? What to try first, what not to do to your door, what a locksmith will ask for,...
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Salt Air and Your Locks: Coastal San Diego Guide
Why locks fail fast near the beach in Ocean Beach, Point Loma, Mission Beach and La Jolla, which materials survive...
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Lost Car Keys in San Diego: What to Do, Step by Step
Lost every key to your car in San Diego? What to check first, what a locksmith needs from you, what it costs, and...
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Car Key Fob Not Working? Causes and Fixes
Key fob stopped locking, unlocking or starting the car? The five causes in order of likelihood, two-minute checks to...
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Business
Safety
How to Verify a California Locksmith License
Every California locksmith must be licensed by BSIS. How to look up a license in two minutes, what LCO and LCE mean,...
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Locksmith Scams in San Diego: 7 Warning Signs
The $15 locksmith ad, the unmarked car, the drill that comes out first. How lockout scams work in San Diego, seven...
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After a Break-In: Securing Your San Diego Home
What to do in the first 24 hours after a break-in: safety, the police report, what a locksmith fixes the same day,...
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Every guide above links to the service page and typical price for the job. Or start here:
Residential Locksmith
Home lockouts, rekeying, deadbolts, smart locks and lock repair for houses, condos and rentals.
Residential detailsCommercial Locksmith
Storefronts, offices, restaurants and property managers. Master keys, panic bars, rekeys and keypad entry.
Commercial detailsAutomotive Locksmith
Car lockouts, replacement keys, transponder and key fob programming, ignition repair, wherever your car is parked.
Automotive detailsEmergency Locksmith
Locked out of your home, business or car? Fast mobile response anywhere in San Diego, day or night.
Emergency detailsMost requested jobs
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