Losing your keys is stressful, but the decisions are simpler than they feel in the moment. Here is the calm version.
First: lost, or possibly stolen?
Lost — dropped on a trail, left somewhere with no name attached — is lower risk, and you can usually take your time. Stolen, or lost with something that identifies your address (a wallet, a tagged keychain, keys lost near home), is higher risk. Treat your locks as compromised and change access soon.
The checklist
- Make sure you are not actually locked out right now — there are safe options before anyone drills anything.
- Decide on a deadline. Stolen or address-linked, handle it today or tomorrow. Simply misplaced, you can wait — but do not sit on it for weeks.
- Choose rekey or replace.
- Do not hide a spare under the mat or in a fake rock. If your keys are floating around out there, a predictable hiding spot is the next weak link.
Rekey or replace — the simple rule
Rekey when the locks themselves are fine and you just need the old keys to stop working. A locksmith resets the pins inside your existing locks so a new key works and the lost one does not. It is faster and cheaper, and it is the right call for most lost-key situations. Several locks can even be set to a single new key.
Replace when the locks are old, worn, low quality, or you want an upgrade — a higher-security deadbolt, or a keypad or smart lock so you are not carrying a physical key at all.
Tell Roger whether your keys were lost or possibly stolen and how many doors you need handled, and we will match you to one vetted local locksmith with the price range up front. We cover home and business locks, not car keys.
Describe the problem — Roger matches you to one vetted local pro and books it. $0 to you.
Common questions
- I lost my house keys — should I rekey or replace the locks?
- Rekey if the locks are in good shape and you just need the old keys to stop working — it's faster and cheaper, and several locks can be set to one new key. Replace if the locks are old, worn, or you want a security upgrade.
- Is it safe to keep using my locks after losing my keys?
- If the keys were stolen or lost with anything identifying your address, treat the locks as compromised and rekey or replace them promptly. If simply misplaced with no address link, the risk is lower but it's still worth handling.
- Can several locks be set to the same new key?
- Yes. A locksmith can rekey multiple locks to a single new key in one visit, which is usually cheaper than doing them separately.