Is rekeying different from fitting new locks?

Yes. Rekeying changes the existing lock so it accepts a new key and rejects the old ones, keeping the hardware you already have. New locks are fitted when the existing hardware is worn out or mismatched, and the locksmith will say which applies to each door before starting.

Will the old keys really stop working?

That is the point of the job. Once a cylinder is rekeyed, every key cut to the old pattern is useless on that lock, no matter who holds it.

Can I get everything on one key?

Usually, yes. Front door, back door, garage side door, gate and shed can normally be brought onto a single new key, and the locksmith will flag anything that cannot be matched.

Do I need to prove the house is mine?

Yes. The locksmith asks for identification and proof you are entitled to the property before opening or changing anything — in Florida that normally means government-issued photo ID plus a deed, lease, utility bill or confirmation from a property manager.

When should I book a rekey in Tallahassee?

As early as you can after closing or signing. Summer is the moving and rental turnover season here and that is when this work stacks up, so it is worth booking rather than leaving.

Are locksmiths licensed in Florida?

Florida does not issue a statewide locksmith licence and there is no state locksmith board. The trade is regulated at county or municipal level, and requirements vary, so check current rules with the county or city consumer protection or licensing office where the work is done.

Rekey a new home in Tallahassee, FL

You have the keys the seller, the agent or the landlord handed over. What you do not have is any way to know how many other copies exist. A previous owner, a contractor who worked on the place, a former tenant, a letting agent — any of them may still hold a key that works. That number is unknowable, and that is the whole reason people rekey.

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Rekeying changes what the existing locks accept. The old keys stop working. You get one new key that opens every exterior door, and copies cut for everyone in the household. In Tallahassee that usually means the front and back doors, the garage side door, and any gate or shed lock out in the yard. Where hardware is worn out or mismatched — common in the mid-century brick ranches near the core, where original exterior hardware is still hanging on after decades of humid summers — replacing the lock makes more sense than rekeying it, and the locksmith will tell you which is which before anything is touched.

While you wait — please don't

Do not assume the handover keys are the only ones. Keys get copied over the years and nobody keeps a list, so the only way to be sure is to make the old ones useless.
Do not skip the back of the house. Garage side doors, gates and shed locks are the ones people forget, and they are exterior entry points like any other.
Do not force a stiff lock to prove it works. Florida's heat and humidity swell wood doors and frames so deadbolts bind against the strike plate, and leaning on the key can snap it off in the cylinder.
Do not leave it until the week you move. Summer moving season is when this work stacks up across Tallahassee, so booking it is easier than chasing it.

What the technician does

Identification and entitlement firstBefore any lock is opened or changed, the locksmith asks for identification and proof that you are entitled to the property — standard practice in Florida is photo ID plus a deed, lease, utility bill or confirmation from the property manager.
A walk around every exterior lockThe locksmith looks at each door that leads outside, plus the garage side door and any gate or shed lock. That count is what the price is based on.
The price is given before work startsYou get an estimate covering what will be rekeyed, what should be replaced, and how many keys you need. Nothing begins until you approve it.
Locks rekeyed to one new keyEach cylinder is changed to accept a single new key across the house. Every old key stops working at that point.
Worn or mismatched hardware replacedWhere a lock is too worn to rekey, or the house has a mix of unrelated brands, new hardware goes on instead so the whole place still runs on one key.
Keys cut for the householdYou say how many people need a key and that many get cut. Keep a note of who has one from day one.

Why this happens in Tallahassee, FL

Tallahassee's housing stock splits roughly two ways, and both see this work. Near the core, mid-century brick ranches often still carry their original exterior hardware, and decades of very humid summers and heavy rain take a toll on cylinders and weatherstripping. North and southeast, the large 1970s to 2000s subdivisions — Killearn Estates, Killearn Lakes Plantation, Bradfordville, Ox Bottom, Southwood, Buck Lake — tend to have attached or detached garages, which means a garage side door that needs to be on the same key as the front. HOA-governed and gated developments are concentrated in those newer north-side and Southwood-area communities, so check with management if a shared gate or amenity lock is involved.

There is also a large apartment, duplex and condo market here serving Florida State, FAMU and TCC, and that market turns over. If you have just taken on a rental or a condo, speak to the landlord or property manager before arranging a rekey, since management often controls those locks. Across Florida, lock work runs year-round rather than spiking with a first freeze, but volume rises through the summer moving and rental turnover season. Tallahassee does get multiple freezes and hard frosts each winter, which stresses gate actuators and lock cylinders, so a gate lock that already drags is worth sorting out while the locksmith is there.

Questions people ask

Is rekeying different from fitting new locks?: Yes. Rekeying changes the existing lock so it accepts a new key and rejects the old ones, keeping the hardware you already have. New locks are fitted when the existing hardware is worn out or mismatched, and the locksmith will say which applies to each door before starting.
Will the old keys really stop working?: That is the point of the job. Once a cylinder is rekeyed, every key cut to the old pattern is useless on that lock, no matter who holds it.
Can I get everything on one key?: Usually, yes. Front door, back door, garage side door, gate and shed can normally be brought onto a single new key, and the locksmith will flag anything that cannot be matched.
Do I need to prove the house is mine?: Yes. The locksmith asks for identification and proof you are entitled to the property before opening or changing anything — in Florida that normally means government-issued photo ID plus a deed, lease, utility bill or confirmation from a property manager.
When should I book a rekey in Tallahassee?: As early as you can after closing or signing. Summer is the moving and rental turnover season here and that is when this work stacks up, so it is worth booking rather than leaving.
Are locksmiths licensed in Florida?: Florida does not issue a statewide locksmith licence and there is no state locksmith board. The trade is regulated at county or municipal level, and requirements vary, so check current rules with the county or city consumer protection or licensing office where the work is done.

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; the locksmith gives you the price before any work starts, and you approve it first.

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