Boat & Aircraft Locksmith in Jacksonville & St. Augustine

For most ignition switches, cabin locks, and locker hardware, yes. Marine keys are often a simpler system than a modern car key, and much of it can be cut to code. Give us the make and model and a photo of the lock for a real answer.

Usually. We extract the broken piece and cut a fresh key. On a boat, the underlying cause is often corrosion inside the switch, so we’ll tell you honestly whether the switch itself is close to done.

Cabin doors, baggage compartments, and aircraft keys on general aviation aircraft, with documented owner or operator authorization. We stay within the lock hardware — anything touching airworthiness is a certificated mechanic’s work, not ours, and we’ll say so clearly.

Vessel registration or documentation, or aircraft registration, plus photo ID that matches. High-value property in a public slip or on an open ramp gets the strict version of this, not the relaxed one.

Salt. It gets into the mechanism, corrodes the internals, and seizes the cylinder, and standard hardware simply isn’t built for it. Marine-grade stainless costs more up front and stops you replacing the same lock every season.

Yes, that’s how this work is done. Tell us the marina, ramp, or field and the slip or hangar number, and check whether their office needs to authorize a contractor on site.

We handle those too. A trailered boat is the easiest version of a boat to steal, and a proper coupler lock is a small cost against a large one.

Quoted after we know the make and the hardware, because this work varies far more than a house or car job. Describe it on the phone, send photos, and you’ll get a realistic figure and an honest statement of what could change it.

Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Nassau, and Baker counties: Jacksonville and its neighborhoods, Julington Creek, Fruit Cove, Nocatee, Ponte Vedra, the CR 210 corridor, St. Johns, St. Augustine, Yulee, Callahan, Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, and Macclenny. If you’re near the edge of that map, call — we’ll give you a straight yes or no.

As fast as the nearest van allows, and you’ll get the honest ETA on the phone. Inside northern St. Johns and south Jacksonville, that’s usually quick; we don’t quote fantasy minutes just to win the call.

You describe the job, we quote it, and that quote is the price you pay. If the job turns out bigger than described, work pauses and you approve the new number first. No trip-fee surprises, no upsell at the door.

Yes — The Keys Maker LLC is a licensed and insured Florida business (St. Johns County Business License No. B.L1101834), and every technician is background-checked. Worth knowing: Florida has no statewide locksmith trade license, which is exactly why you should ask any locksmith what stands behind the word. Ours is above — verify it with St. Johns County yourself.

Yes, for most makes and model years — cut and programmed on site from the vehicle itself, including transponder and proximity keys. No tow to a dealer required.

Rekeying keeps good hardware and changes which key works it — the right move after a move-in or lost keys. Replacement is for worn, damaged, or low-grade locks. We’ll tell you which one your door actually needs, and rekeying is usually the cheaper answer.

Yes — supply, install, and configure, or install one you already bought. We’ll also tell you honestly when a smart lock is the wrong fit for a door or a household.

Check the other doors, then call (904) 827-7496. Don’t break a window — the glass usually costs more than the locksmith. You’ll get a price and an ETA on the same call, at 2 PM or 2 AM.

Warning signs: a $19 or $29 phone quote that triples on arrival, an unmarked car, no company name on the phone, cash-only pressure, and drilling as the first suggestion. A real local shop gives a firm quote, shows up marked, and can prove who they are.

After the work is done, at the quoted price. Card or cash both work. You’ll never be asked to pay before you’re back inside.

No — emergencies are the loud half. The quiet half is scheduled work: rekeys, lock upgrades, smart locks, master key systems, and new-home lock changes, booked at your convenience, evenings and weekends included.

Yes. One key for the owner, limited keys for staff, and a plan for what gets rekeyed when someone leaves. We build it around how your business actually runs.

Usually not. The fragment comes out with extraction tools, the lock gets checked, and in most cases you just need a fresh key. Don’t dig at it with tweezers — that’s how a cheap fix becomes a replacement.

Rarely. Non-destructive entry is always the first approach; drilling is the last resort for certain high-security cylinders, and you’ll approve it — and the replacement cost — before it happens.

He’ll confirm he’s from The Keys Maker and the price you were quoted. Ask for the company name before you open up — any honest tech expects the question. If anything feels off, call us back on (904) 827-7496 and we’ll confirm who’s standing there.

Salt air corrodes pins, springs, and finishes from the inside out — beach-side hardware can age a decade in a few summers. A yearly clean and graphite lubrication helps; when a coastal lock starts grinding, replace it before it seizes on a Sunday night.