What do I need to show before the door is opened?

Government-issued photo identification, plus something connecting you to the premises — a lease, a deed, a utility bill, or confirmation from the property manager or landlord. The locksmith documents this on the work order. If entitlement cannot be reasonably established, the job is declined.

Are locksmiths licensed in Florida?

Florida does not issue a statewide locksmith license and there is no state locksmith licensing board. The trade is regulated at the county or municipal level, and requirements vary, so verify current rules with the county or city consumer protection or licensing office where the work is performed. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Florida Department of State handle general business registration and consumer complaints.

My key turns hard in the door every summer. Is that normal in Orlando?

It is common here. Prolonged heat and humidity swell wood doors and frames so deadbolts bind against the strike plate, and moisture corrodes exterior cylinders. A stiff lock is worth having looked at before it stops turning entirely.

An employee left and still has a key. What can be done?

The locks can be rekeyed or replaced, or a master-key system set up so staff hold different levels of access. Keypads and access control are another option, since a code is quicker to change than a lock when people come and go.

Can the panic bar just be locked or chained shut?

No. Panic and fire-exit hardware has to keep working as an exit, so it is never chained or disabled to fix a lock problem. Faulty exit hardware is repaired or replaced instead.

Stop using the door

Locked out of business premises in Orlando, FL

You are standing at your own shop, office or unit and the door will not open. Maybe the key is inside, maybe a staff member has the only copy, maybe the cylinder has stopped turning and nothing you do changes that. Either way, the business is shut and you need it open. Call (866) 690-5848 and we will arrange a locksmith to come to you.

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Phones answered around the clock · free estimate

Commercial doors in Orlando work hard in a rough climate. Central Florida humidity sits high nearly all year, and heavy summer rain from the afternoon storms between June and September drives moisture into exterior hardware. Across Florida, that constant moisture is the main enemy of locks — it corrodes cylinders, pits brass and steel, and seizes padlocks and gate locks left outdoors. Prolonged heat and humidity also swell wood doors and frames, so a deadbolt binds against the strike plate and a key that worked last week now will not turn.

While you wait — please don't

Do not chain or block a fire exit. Panic and fire-exit hardware has to keep working as an exit at all times, so it is never chained or disabled to solve a lock problem.
Do not force the key. A key that is already stiff in a corroded or swollen commercial door can snap off in the cylinder, which turns a lockout into a bigger repair.
Do not break glass to reach the inside. A broken shopfront pane usually costs more than the lock work and leaves the premises open until it is boarded.
Do not wait outside alone in a storm. Orlando is among the most lightning-prone parts of the country, so sit in your vehicle or somewhere covered while the locksmith is on the way.

What the technician does

Authority to enter is confirmed firstBefore anything is opened, the locksmith asks for identification and proof that you are entitled to enter the premises. Standard practice in Florida is government-issued photo ID plus something tying you to the address, such as a lease, deed or utility bill, or confirmation from the property manager or landlord.
You get the price before work startsThe estimate is free. The locksmith tells you the price first and you approve it before any work begins.
The door is openedOnce entitlement is established, the locksmith opens the door and you get back into the unit. Then the cause is looked at, not just the symptom.
Commercial locks repaired or replacedCommercial cylinders, mortice locks and panic hardware can be repaired or replaced. Exit hardware is put back in working order as an exit, never bypassed or tied off.
Master-key systems set upIf you need staff holding different levels of access — front door only, stockroom, office — a master-key system can be set up so one set of locks handles all of it.
Access control and keypads fittedKeypads and access control can be fitted where handing out metal keys no longer suits how the business runs. Codes are easier to change than locks when people come and go.

Why this happens in Orlando, FL

Orlando has a large downtown-adjacent mix of small commercial space, along with the condo, townhome and apartment share near downtown and the tourist corridor, and steady new construction on the south and east sides around Lake Nona. A lot of that newer stock went up at the same time, which means near-identical builder-grade openings reaching the same age together. Whether your unit sits in Mills 50, SoDo, College Park or a newer plaza out east, the hardware faces the same humidity, UV and heavy rain that drive rust into exterior cylinders here. Hard freezes are rare and brief in Orlando, so a frozen cylinder is almost never the cause — moisture and grit are.

The other common reason an Orlando business calls is not a lockout at all. Staff turnover, not burglary, is the usual reason a business needs its locks changed, and turnover runs high through the hot summer moving and rental season and again with the winter influx of seasonal residents and visitors. Hurricane and tropical-storm season runs June 1 to November 30, and wind-driven rain pushes water into openings well inland, so securing doors and getting stiff hardware sorted before the season gets busy is worth doing. We arrange locksmith work across Orlando and the surrounding area, including Winter Park, Maitland, Altamonte Springs, Kissimmee, Apopka, Winter Garden, Ocoee and Sanford.

Questions people ask

What do I need to show before the door is opened?: Government-issued photo identification, plus something connecting you to the premises — a lease, a deed, a utility bill, or confirmation from the property manager or landlord. The locksmith documents this on the work order. If entitlement cannot be reasonably established, the job is declined.
Are locksmiths licensed in Florida?: Florida does not issue a statewide locksmith license and there is no state locksmith licensing board. The trade is regulated at the county or municipal level, and requirements vary, so verify current rules with the county or city consumer protection or licensing office where the work is performed. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Florida Department of State handle general business registration and consumer complaints.
My key turns hard in the door every summer. Is that normal in Orlando?: It is common here. Prolonged heat and humidity swell wood doors and frames so deadbolts bind against the strike plate, and moisture corrodes exterior cylinders. A stiff lock is worth having looked at before it stops turning entirely.
An employee left and still has a key. What can be done?: The locks can be rekeyed or replaced, or a master-key system set up so staff hold different levels of access. Keypads and access control are another option, since a code is quicker to change than a lock when people come and go.
Can the panic bar just be locked or chained shut?: No. Panic and fire-exit hardware has to keep working as an exit, so it is never chained or disabled to fix a lock problem. Faulty exit hardware is repaired or replaced instead.

One call

One Call Locksmiths is a referral and scheduling service that arranges locksmith work with independent locksmiths across all fifty states — we are not the locksmith and we do not perform the work. Call (866) 690-5848 for a free estimate, and the locksmith gives you the price before any work starts, for you to approve first.

Call now · (866) 690-5848

Something else in this area

One Call Locksmiths arranges the visit; the technician does the work and gives you the price.