Do you have a key on your key ring that says: “Do Not Duplicate”? What does that mean to the average person?
If you bring a key into a professional locksmith, most will honor the Do Not Duplicate notice as best as they can. Most will ask for a driver’s license or some other proof of ID that says you’re the owner of that key and have the right to have duplicates made.
As a Tennessee Licensed Professional Locksmith I have even required written authorization on company letterhead, a brief description saying the person with the key has the right to have extra keys made and a signature.
I’m saddened to say every person with the ability to duplicate a key doesn’t have these ethics.
Many of the keys out in circulation that are stamped Do Not Duplicate are just a generic key. If a local big box type store or a hardware store can match the head of the key up to one they have hanging up in stock, it’s a good bet it will get duplicated.
If this happens, the control you thought you had concerning your keys is gone. The control you thought you had over your property is gone. The security of your business is gone.
But there is a way to really put some teeth in Do Not Duplicate.
Available to Certified Professional Locksmiths are what we call restricted keys or patented keys. What this means is that these types of keys are not available to the general public, hardware store or big box type stores.
Sure, restricted keys or patented keys and locks may initially cost a little bit more, but in the bigger scheme of things, the security of your business is more than worth it.
By having a restricted Do Not Duplicate key, you’re ensured that the professional locksmith that oversees the physical security of and keys for your business, your rental units, your storage units or your home is the only one that will be making duplicate keys and only when you want him to.
This means you have control over the keys used in the security of your business and allows you to sleep well at night knowing that extra keys to your business are not getting made without your knowledge or permission.
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