What Locks Cannot Be Rekeyed?

Published October 15, 2026

By Ezra

We get this question on rekey calls all over the valley, usually after a hardware store or a handyman said the job could not be done. Here is the short version before the details.

• No keyhole, no rekeyA keypad or combination lock has no key to change, so you reset the code instead.
• Broken locks get replacedNew pins will not save a lock that sticks, wobbles or was pried in a break in.
• Cam locks are usually swappedFor a small cabinet or display lock, a new lock often costs less than the labor to take the old one apart.
• Smart locks often can beSchlage says its cylinder locks, mechanical or smart, can be rekeyed.
• Some locks need a dealerPatented high security keys and pins are sold only to authorized parties.
• Our starting priceOur residential rekeys start at $79.99, and you hear the full price before we drive out.

What Makes a Lock Rekeyable

Rekeying works on the cylinder, which is the small part your key slides into, and inside it sits a row of pins cut to match your key. A locksmith takes the cylinder apart, swaps those pins for a new set, and puts it back, so the old keys stop working and a new key takes over, while the lock body, the bolt and the handle all stay on the door.

So the real test is simple, because if a lock has a keyed cylinder that can come out and be repinned, it can usually be rekeyed. Schlage says it plainly on its own keyed alike page, where it states that any of its locks with a cylinder, whether a mechanical lock or a smart lock, can be keyed alike or rekeyed.

That covers most of the hardware on a typical Las Vegas home, since the front door knob, the deadbolt above it, and the door from the garage into the house are almost always fair game. The chart below sorts eight common locks by what we can actually do with each one.

The Locks That Cannot Be Rekeyed

The first group is any lock with no keyhole at all, because a keypad deadbolt with no key cylinder or a combination padlock has nothing to repin, so the fix is to change the code. If the keypad has a backup keyhole, that cylinder can usually be rekeyed like any other standard cylinder.

The second group is the lock that is already failing. A rekey changes who has a key, not the health of the lock. If the key drags, the bolt sticks, or the door was kicked or pried open, the new pins simply go into a lock body that is still broken and will keep getting worse. Mobile Locksmith, a Minnesota shop, makes the same point in a guide dated March 25, 2026, warning that heavy wear or internal damage can make a rekey fail.

The third group is cheap locks built without a removable cylinder. That same Minnesota guide notes that some older or lower quality locks have no removable cylinder, which makes a standard rekey impossible. You see this most on budget padlocks, mailbox locks and the small cam locks on desks and cabinets.

Cam locks are worth a closer look, because we service a lot of them in retail stores on the Strip. A patent for a rekeyable cabinet lock, filed in 1988, opens by admitting the old problem, which was that replacing a whole drawer or cabinet lock cost less than the labor to take one apart and repin it. That is still true for most inexpensive cam locks today, so we usually quote a new lock and key them alike if you have a row of cases.

Locks That Need a Special Route

Some locks can be rekeyed, but not the usual way, and this is where most bad advice comes from.

Kwikset SmartKey locks are the first case, and Kwikset says the owner can rekey one in a few seconds with three things in hand, which are the working key, the SmartKey tool and the new key. If the working key is lost, Kwikset tells you to call a locksmith, and it also says SmartKey works only with Kwikset products and cannot be master keyed, so it will not join a mixed brand key plan.

Interchangeable core locks are the second case, and you find them on many commercial buildings. Locksmith Ledger explains that a special control key turns about 15 degrees and frees the core, which then slides out so it can be repinned or traded for another core. Without that control key the job gets much harder and more expensive, so ask whoever installed the system for the control key first.

Patented high security cylinders are the third case. Doorways Plus, a hardware supplier, wrote on June 26, 2026 that locksmiths can supply duplicate keys for patented keyways only to authorized parties, and that blanks ship only with a signed authorization. It lists the Medeco M4 patent running to 2040 and the X4 to 2030. These locks can absolutely be rekeyed, but only through the authorized dealer and the paperwork, never at a hardware store key kiosk. Our high security lock page covers how that works for a business.

Storefront mortise locks look intimidating, but they are actually friendly to rekey, because the cylinder screws out of the lock case, gets repinned or swapped, and goes back in, so the heavy lock body never leaves the door.

What the Top Answers Get Wrong

The page that ranks near the top for this question, from a locksmith in Toledo dated May 10, 2024, lists electronic and smart locks as locks that may not be rekeyable. That is half right, because a smart lock with no keyhole has nothing to rekey, but many smart deadbolts sold for homes still carry a backup key cylinder, and Schlage says that cylinder can be rekeyed.

The other common mistake is the brand myth, where people hear that one brand cannot be rekeyed to match another and then assume the lock cannot be rekeyed at all. A rekey changes the pins, not the keyway, which is the shape of the slot. Two locks with different keyways cannot share one key after a rekey, but each one can still be rekeyed to its own new key, and the usual fix is to replace one cylinder so the whole house runs on one key.

If you are weighing a rekey against new locks on price, our guide on whether it is cheaper to rekey or replace walks through the math with a worked example.

How to Tell Before You Call

You can sort most locks yourself in about a minute with these checks.

First, look for a keyhole, because no keyhole means you reset a code rather than a lock. Second, try the key, and if it turns smoothly and the bolt throws all the way, the lock is a good rekey candidate. If it sticks or grinds, plan on replacing that particular lock. Third, read the face of the lock. A Kwikset SmartKey cylinder has a small slot for the SmartKey tool beside the keyhole. Fourth, count the locks you want on one key and note any odd brand in the mix.

Then call us with that list, and we can tell you on the phone which locks we will rekey, which ones need a new cylinder, and what the visit will cost. Rekeys for homes start at $79.99, and veterans get 10% off new locks if replacement turns out to be the better answer. Our residential locksmith page lists the rest of our home services.

Questions We Get Asked

Not sure which of your locks can be rekeyed? See our residential locksmith services, what a rekey costs against new locks and our move in rekey checklist, or call (725) 280-5051 any hour and we will sort it out on the phone before we drive out.

Sources

• Schlage, Can Schlage Door Locks Be Keyed Alike?
• Kwikset, SmartKey Security
• Locksmith Ledger, Interchangeable Core Basics (August 1, 2007)
• Doorways Plus, Patented Keyway Systems Explained (June 26, 2026)
• US Patent 4,920,774, Self Aligning Rekeyable Pin Tumbler Cabinet Door Lock (filed 1988)
• Mobile Locksmith, Can All Locks Be Rekeyed? (March 25, 2026)
• Toledo Lock and Key, Can All Locks Be Rekeyed? (May 10, 2024)