Lost my mailbox key. Who do I call to get a new one?

The mailbox key is the one nobody has a spare of. It goes missing with a keyring, or it was never handed over when you moved in, and now the mail is piling up behind a small door you cannot open. The fix is usually simple. The only real question is who is allowed to change that lock, and that depends on who owns the box.

This guide covers home, apartment, and business mailboxes only. Roger does not handle vehicles of any kind.

Step one: work out what kind of mailbox you have

• A locking mailbox at your own house. A post-mounted or wall-mounted box that belongs to you, with a small cam lock on the door. You own the lock, and you can have it changed.
• A cluster box. The metal unit at the end of the street or in the neighborhood with a block of numbered doors and a few larger parcel lockers. Depending on the neighborhood, it is owned and maintained by the postal service, the builder, or the HOA.
• A wall bank of boxes in an apartment, condo, or office building. These usually belong to the building, and the property manager handles keys and locks.
• A post office box inside a post office. That one is handled at the counter, and nobody else changes it.

Who to call for each

Your own locking mailbox: call a locksmith. Changing a mailbox cam lock is a small, common job, and the locksmith can usually match the lock to the box or fit a new one. If you want, the new key can be cut to match nothing else you own, so a lost mailbox key never puts the house at risk.

A cluster box: start with your local post office. Ask who maintains the unit on your street. They will tell you whether they change the lock themselves or whether the owner, often the HOA, handles it and wants a locksmith to do the work. Practice varies by area, so ask instead of guessing.

An apartment or office wall bank: call the property manager or the building office first. Many keep spare keys or have a locksmith they use, and some leases say tenants may not change the lock themselves. If the manager tells you to arrange it, a locksmith can change your compartment lock.

A post office box: go to the counter where you rent it. Bring ID.

What to bring, whoever you call

Expect to be asked for this. A locksmith or a post office that will not open a mailbox without proof you live there is doing the job right. Mailboxes hold checks, cards, and documents, and opening one that is not yours is a federal crime. Proof of address protects you as much as anyone.

• A photo ID with your address, or a lease, utility bill, or other mail in your name if the ID shows an old address.
• Your box number and, for a cluster box or wall bank, the unit or building address.
• For a rental, the property manager's name and a quick note or email saying you are cleared to have the lock changed.

What a mailbox lock change actually involves

On most residential and cluster mailboxes, each customer door has a small cam lock held by a nut or a clip on the inside. The locksmith opens the door without wrecking it, removes the old lock, and fits a new lock with new keys. On many boxes the whole visit is short. Older or rusted boxes, or a door that was forced, can take longer and sometimes need a new door or a new box.

Ask for two or three keys and put one somewhere other than your main keyring. That is the step most people skip, and it is why mailbox keys go missing for good.

What not to do

• Do not pry the door or drill the lock yourself. A bent mailbox door often will not close or lock again, and on a cluster box it can turn a small lock change into a door replacement that someone else has to approve.
• Do not touch the master door or the carrier's lock on a cluster box or wall bank. That lock belongs to the postal service and only the carrier opens it. A legitimate locksmith will not touch it either.
• Do not have a neighbor's key copied to try in your lock, and do not let anyone open a box for you without checking your proof of address.

What moves the price

A mailbox lock change sits at the small end of locksmith work. What moves the price is the type of box, whether the lock has to be picked or drilled out, whether the door or box is damaged, how many keys you want, and whether it is after hours. You see a qualitative range up front, and the locksmith confirms the price in person after seeing the box.

If you are also missing house keys, say so. Rekeying the front door in the same visit is usually more sensible than two separate calls.

Booking a locksmith through Roger

Describe the mailbox: your own box at the house, a cluster box, or a wall bank, plus whether the post office or property manager has already cleared the lock change. A photo of the box door helps. Roger books one vetted local locksmith and confirms the appointment, so you know which company is coming. Home and business only.

You can describe the problem on rogerrepair.com and get one locksmith booked.