A Do Not Duplicate stamp does not stop anyone from copying a key. A restricted keyway does: the blanks are controlled, and new keys are cut only for people on an authorization list we keep. We install restricted and high-security cylinders from Medeco, Mul-T-Lock and Schlage Primus and Everest on homes, rentals, HOAs and businesses across San Diego County, with bump and pick resistance built into the cylinder.
What you get
- Key blanks nobody at a kiosk or hardware store can get
- New keys cut only against your authorization list, every one logged
- Bump, pick and drill resistance from a sidebar or secondary pins
- Paired with Grade 1 or Grade 2 hardware and a reinforced strike
- Keyed alike or master keyed inside the restricted system
What a Do Not Duplicate stamp actually does
Nothing, in practice. The stamp is a request, not a rule. It carries no legal weight on a standard key, and a hardware store, a key kiosk or a mail-order service can copy a stamped Kwikset or Schlage key the same as any other. Most will. The blank is the same blank sold everywhere.
So if you handed a stamped key to a cleaner, a contractor, a tenant or an employee and assumed the number of keys stayed fixed, it did not. General information, not legal advice, but the practical answer is the same either way: a rekey now for any door where the count got away from you, and a keyway that cannot be copied going forward.
If keys are already unaccounted for, start with a lost or stolen keys rekey, then decide which doors deserve restricted keys.
What a restricted keyway does
A restricted keyway is a key profile that is protected, usually by a patent or a contract with the manufacturer, so the blanks are sold only to authorized locksmiths. Nobody at a kiosk has the blank, and a standard blank does not fit the keyway.
The second half is procedure. When we set up a restricted system we record who is allowed to order keys. New keys are cut only for people on that list, against a signature, and each one is logged. You know exactly how many keys exist for each door, which is the whole point.
Patents expire. When one does, blanks for that keyway slowly become available, so we quote keyways that are still protected and tell you roughly how long that protection runs. It is still a large step up from a stamped key on that day, but it is worth knowing.
Need a restricted key system today?
Call or text with your address and door count. You get a firm price before we roll.
Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Schlage Primus and Everest
Each of these hardware families solves the same two problems, key control and attack resistance, in a different way.
- Medeco. Pins that must lift and rotate to the right angle to free a sidebar, driven by angled cuts on the key. Strong drill and pick resistance, with a long commercial track record.
- Mul-T-Lock. A dimple key with telescoping pin-in-pin pins. Cylinders come in most formats, including euro profile for multipoint doors and padlocks.
- Schlage Primus. A conventional Schlage pin stack plus a row of finger pins read from side milling on the key. A Primus key also turns standard Schlage cylinders on the same keyway, an easy upgrade for a building already on Schlage.
- Schlage Everest 29. A patented keyway family with a check pin that rejects standard blanks, protected to 2029. Key control at a lower cost than Primus, with less attack resistance.
Which fits depends on the door hardware and the control you want.
Bump, pick and drill resistance
Key bumping works on standard pin-tumbler cylinders because the pins sit in one straight line and a sharp tap can bounce the driver pins above the shear line for an instant. High-security cylinders defeat it with a second locking element: Medeco's sidebar and rotating pins, Mul-T-Lock's telescoping pins, Primus's finger pins. Bumping the main pin stack achieves nothing while the sidebar holds. Bump resistant is the honest term; nothing is bump proof.
The same features resist picking, and hardened inserts resist drilling. Many high-security cylinders carry a UL 437 listing, which tests those attacks for a set time.
The cylinder is only part of the door. A high-security cylinder in a Grade 3 builder deadbolt with short strike screws is a mismatch. We pair restricted cylinders with Grade 1 or Grade 2 hardware and a reinforced strike, the same standard as our lock replacement work.
Who actually needs restricted keys
Not every door. A home with two adults and no outside key holders is well served by a rekey and a good deadbolt. Restricted keys earn their cost where keys leave your hands:
- Rentals and property managers with staff, vendor and maintenance keys, and any building with a master key. Put the master on a restricted keyway even if tenant keys stay standard.
- Businesses in Kearny Mesa, Mission Valley and downtown with opening and closing staff, stock rooms and server closets.
- HOAs with pool gates, clubhouses and utility rooms that vendors and board members hold keys to across years of turnover.
- Homes with staff: house cleaners, nannies, dog walkers and remodel crews, common in La Jolla and Rancho Santa Fe, where the owner wants the key count fixed.
Managers can see how this fits a portfolio on the property managers page, boards on the HOA page, and master systems on their own page.
Standard vs restricted vs high-security
A restricted keyway buys key control. High-security adds attack resistance on top. Some doors need only the first.
| Standard | Restricted | High-security | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key copying | Anywhere | Only by the issuing locksmith, against a record | Same, on a patented blank |
| Bump and pick resistance | Basic | Usually a standard pin stack, so basic | Sidebar or secondary pins, drill inserts, often UL 437 |
| Examples | Conventional Kwikset and Schlage | Schlage Everest 29 and other patented keyways | Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Schlage Primus |
| Cost | Standard | More than standard, quoted per door | The most, quoted per door |
| Best for | Most homes | Key control on a budget, master keys | Doors where control and attack resistance both matter |
If you are unsure whether the lock itself needs replacing, rekey vs. change locks covers the rest of the decision.
Cost, smart locks and keyed alike in a restricted system
Cost. Restricted and high-security cylinders cost more than standard hardware and are quoted per door after we see the locks, because the cylinder format changes the part: deadbolt, key-in-lever, mortise, rim or euro profile. There is no kiosk price for keys either; each one is cut by us against the record. Starting points are on our pricing page.
Smart locks. The key override on most smart locks is a small standard cylinder built into the lock, and only a few models accept a restricted or high-security cylinder. We confirm per model before promising anything. A common compromise is a smart lock on the door you use most and restricted cylinders on the doors keys get handed out for.
Keyed alike. Within one restricted system you can still have one key for every door, or a master over change keys. The control is in the blank, not the pinning.
High-Security & Restricted Keys: common questions
Does a Do Not Duplicate key stop people from copying it?
No. The stamp is a request with no legal weight on a standard key, and hardware stores, kiosks and mail-order services copy stamped keys routinely because the blank is an ordinary one. If the number of keys matters, the only reliable answer is a restricted keyway, where the blank itself is unavailable outside authorized locksmiths.
What is a restricted keyway?
A key profile whose blanks are sold only to authorized locksmiths, usually under a patent or a manufacturer agreement, so no standard blank fits the lock. We keep an authorization list for each system and cut new keys only for people on it, with a record of every key issued. That gives you a known, fixed key count.
Are high-security locks bump proof?
Bump resistant, which is the honest term. Medeco, Mul-T-Lock and Schlage Primus cylinders add a second locking element, a sidebar or secondary pins, that a bump key cannot move, and hardened inserts that resist drilling. Many carry a UL 437 listing for those attacks. Pair the cylinder with a Grade 1 or Grade 2 lock and a reinforced strike or the door remains the weak point.
Can I put a restricted key on my smart lock?
Sometimes. The key override on most smart locks is a small standard cylinder that is part of the lock, and only certain models accept a restricted or high-security cylinder. Tell us the exact model and we confirm before quoting. Where it is not possible, many owners put the smart lock on the main door and restricted cylinders on the doors that get keys handed out.
Can restricted locks be keyed alike?
Yes. Key control comes from the restricted blank, not from how the cylinders are pinned, so a restricted system can be keyed alike across a house, or master keyed across a building with change keys per door. We set the pinning to match how you use the doors and the blank stays controlled either way.
How much more do high-security locks cost?
More than standard hardware, and it varies with the cylinder format, so we quote per door after seeing the locks. A deadbolt cylinder, a lever cylinder and a mortise cylinder are different parts at different prices. Keys are cut by us rather than at a kiosk. Starting labor rates are on our pricing page and hardware is quoted up front.
More answers on the FAQ page. Not sure what your door has? Send us a photo and we will tell you.
Where we do this
We do this everywhere in San Diego County, same day in most cases. Some of the places we cover:
Related guides
- Rekey vs. Change Locks: Which Do You Actually Need? – Rekeying keeps your locks and kills old keys. Replacing swaps the hardware. Decide in two minutes with costs, timing and San Diego examples.
- Rekeying Between Tenants in California: What Landlords Should Know – California has no statewide law forcing landlords to rekey between tenants, but deadbolt rules, liability and cost point the same way. A San Diego guide.
Ready to get it done today?
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