Plantation Mobile Locksmith — Frequently Asked Questions
These are the questions people in Plantation ask us most about how we work — rates, hours, ID, licensing and paying. Questions about one particular job, such as a rekey or a car key, are answered on that service's page.
Is a call at 3 a.m. more expensive?
No. A house lockout is still from $99 and a car lockout from $90, whatever the hour. Every price is on the prices page.
My house key broke off in the deadbolt. Can you remove it?
Yes — broken-key extraction in Plantation is priced from $99, the same as a house lockout. Older locks in the original neighborhoods often have worn pins that grab a key; once the piece is out, Charlie D. tells you whether a rekey or a new cylinder is the better fix.
How do you answer the phone?
As "Plantation Mobile Locksmith." The call is answered by us, not a call center that sells the job on. If a number you got from our site is answered with a generic "locksmith services," hang up and dial (954) 656-2127.
Do you take regular work from landlords, property managers or condo boards in Plantation?
Yes: rekeys between tenants, master-key systems, and condo units keyed into the building master after the board approves it in writing. Every job is invoiced on its own at list prices.
How long until you arrive?
Usually about 20 minutes to any street in the city, because Charlie D. is based in the city. Plantation covers about 22.8 square miles (City of Plantation), so he gives you the time for your street when you call.
What ID do you need to open my house?
Government photo ID showing that address works. So does a lease, a deed or a utility bill with your name on it; if those are inside, we look once the door opens.
And for my car?
Your photo ID plus a registration, title or rental contract with the same name.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. Licensed & insured · City of Plantation Business Tax Receipt. We also hold commercial general liability coverage; if your association or property manager wants proof, we email the certificate. More on the about page.
Does a locksmith in Broward need a license?
Not since July 1, 2021. As general background: Broward County ended locksmith licensing and business registration when Florida's HB 735 came into force (Broward County), and the state of Florida doesn't license locksmiths either. What any business here must hold is a local business tax receipt. Our guide on checking a locksmith in Broward covers the questions worth asking.
When and how do I pay?
Only after the job is complete and you've tried every key. Cash and Zelle are fine, and so are cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. No deposit, we never send you to an ATM, and the itemized invoice arrives by text or email.
What if I don't accept the price once you see the lock?
Then you pay nothing. Likewise if the only way in is drilling and you decline it — the opening isn't billed. Cancelling before we get there is always free.
Is the work guaranteed?
Yes, six months on our labor: anything we installed or repaired that stops working properly in that time gets fixed free. New locks also carry the manufacturer's own warranty.
I host a short-term rental in Plantation. Can you help between guests?
Yes. Plantation requires a Short-Term Vacation Rental Certificate for homes rented more than three times a year for stays under 30 days (City of Plantation), and those hosts tend to need the same three things from us: a keypad lock installed, codes changed between guests, and the backup key cylinder rekeyed. When a guest is shut out, we need two things: your OK on the reservation, by phone or text, and the guest's photo ID. For a job with no one home, a person you've authorized in writing — your property manager, cleaner or a neighbor — has to meet us.
Can you get into Hawks Landing or another gated community?
Yes, with your help. Hawks Landing has a manned gate (Wilder Real Estate); call the gate or add us to your guest list before we arrive. See Hawks Landing.
My mail says Fort Lauderdale, but I live in Plantation. Do you come?
Yes. The Postal Service treats "Plantation" as another name for Fort Lauderdale (zip-codes.com), so many addresses here show both. Plantation's ZIPs are 33313, 33317, 33322, 33323, 33324 and 33325, but a few of them also cover streets just over the city line — give us the street name and you'll know within seconds if it's a Plantation address.
I think someone posing as a locksmith came to my door. Who do I tell?
Plantation police take non-emergency reports at 954-797-2100 (City of Plantation); a break-in that's happening now is a 911 call. Our guide to checking a locksmith lists the warning signs.
A condo board says it needs a key to my unit. Is that right?
Often, yes. Florida's condo law gives the association a right to enter units at reasonable hours for repairs to things it maintains (F.S. 718.111), and many condo documents go further and ask owners to leave a key with management (Siegfried Rivera). So after a rekey we cut one more key for the office if your rules call for it, at $5.
Will you change locks on a tenant for a landlord?
No. Under Florida law a landlord can't use a lock change to shut a tenant out (F.S. 83.67). Rekeying after a tenant moves out is routine.
Do you speak Spanish?
Sí. Ask when you call or read the preguntas frecuentes.
Do you have a shop I can come to?
No. We're fully mobile, so the work, including cutting keys, happens at your home, business or car.
Can I text a photo instead of calling?
Yes. Send (954) 656-2127 a picture of the lock from the front and one of the edge of the door, with your ZIP, and we'll reply with a price.
Are you a franchise or a network?
No. One local business, a lead technician, Charlie D., and no dispatcher in between.
- Licensed & insured
- 6-month workmanship warranty
- About 20 min to you
