What is a restricted or high-security key?
A regular house key uses a common blank that any key shop can buy. A restricted key uses a blank with a groove pattern (the keyway) that the manufacturer only sells through chosen dealers. A patented key goes further: the keyway design is protected by a patent, so other companies can't legally make blanks for it while the patent is in force.
Many high-security locks also add features a normal key doesn't have:
- Angled cuts that make the pins rotate as well as lift (Medeco is known for this)
- Pins inside pins, so each position has two heights (Mul-T-Lock)
- Rotating discs instead of pins (Abloy)
- A sidebar or extra row of cuts along the side of the key (ASSA and others)
These features make the lock much harder to pick and the key much harder to copy. That's the whole point, and it's also why getting a spare isn't a five-minute job.
Why won't the hardware store copy my security key?
Because they don't have the blank, and in many cases they aren't allowed to get one. Even a store with a high-end key machine can't cut a key it has no blank for. Some stores will try a near-match blank, which tends to give you a key that doesn't go in, or that goes in and breaks.
| What's on your key | What it usually means | Who can copy it |
|---|---|---|
| Brand name only, no numbers | Could be a standard keyway from a premium brand | Often a mobile locksmith. Call and read us the brand |
| "Do Not Duplicate" stamp only | No real restriction on its own | Most key cutters. See key cutting |
| Brand plus a stamped number or code | Often a registered restricted system | The dealer that holds the records, with the owner's authorization |
| You were given a key card when the lock was installed | Registered key control | The original dealer, after they check your card or ID |
Look on both sides of the key and the bow (the part you hold). Read us every letter and number you see. It's often enough for us to tell you on the phone whether we can help.
Need high-security & restricted keys now? A real person answers 24/7.
Call (647) 367-8113Do I need a key card to copy a high-security key?
For a registered restricted system, usually yes. When the system was set up, the dealer recorded who is allowed to order keys. That might be you, a landlord, a property manager or a named person at a company. To get a copy, that person shows the key control card or ID, or signs off with the dealer.
If you're a tenant or employee, you'll normally need to ask the owner or manager. That rule is there to protect you too. It's what stops a former tenant or ex-staff member from walking into a shop and getting a key to your door.
Can any locksmith cut Medeco or Mul-T-Lock keys?
No, and we want to be upfront about this. We are not an authorized dealer for Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Abloy, ASSA or any other brand. Some high-security keys are not on a registered system, or use an older keyway that is no longer restricted, and we can often cut those. Others can only be duplicated by the dealer that set up the system, or by the manufacturer.
If yours is one of those, we'll say so on the phone and point you in the right direction instead of sending a van for nothing. If nobody can find the original dealer or the key records are lost, we can talk about replacing the cylinders with a new system so you're back in control of who has keys.
Should landlords and offices switch to a restricted key system?
If keys keep going missing, or you've had to rekey after every tenant or staff change, a restricted keyway is worth looking at. Copies can only be ordered by the people you name, so a key that walks out the door can't quietly turn into five more.
- Landlords with several units or a rooming house who want to stop unapproved copies
- Offices and shops with staff turnover and a back door onto a laneway
- Condo boards controlling keys for service rooms, storage and roof access
Restricted keyways also work well with a master key plan, where each person's key opens only the doors they need. See master key systems for how that's set up. We'll tell you on the phone which product lines we can supply and install, and where a brand's own dealer has to be involved.
What happens when you call?
Read us the key
Brand name, any numbers or letters stamped on it, and whether you have a key card or paperwork from the install.
Honest answer on the phone
We tell you if we can cut it, if it needs the owner's authorization, or if only the original dealer can do it.
Price before anything else
If it's a job we can do, dispatch confirms the price before the van heads out. No call-out fee.
Cut, test, or plan an upgrade
We cut and test the key in your lock, or walk you through moving to a new restricted system.
Page reviewed October 2026 by the LocksmithGT team.