Get Quotes from Top Locksmiths in Honolulu, HI

Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Lock Smith or Pop a Lock in Honolulu

One in 16 Americans loses their car or house keys yearly. Honolulu has over 154,000 houses, over 10,000 businesses, and over 220,000 vehicles. That equates to many missing keys. Luckily, over 60 locksmiths in the Honolulu area are ready to help replace lost keys, repair broken locks, open faulty safes, upgrade to smart locks, or duplicate new ones at a moment's notice.

However, before you hire a professional locksmith service in Honolulu, it is recommended you get answers to the following questions:

What Do I Need to Know Before Hiring a Locksmith in Honolulu?

You need the services of a professional locksmith to handle the following problems:

  • You are locked out of your own home
  • Your house has been robbed
  • You have a broken key or lock
  • You forgot the combination to your safe
  • You need a duplicate key

Locksmiths in Honolulu do not need a license to provide their services to the public. However, some professional locksmiths in the city obtain voluntary certifications from professional associations near them. Before choosing a locksmith to work with, consider whether the individual is certified. Other factors that should be considered when choosing a locksmith in Honolulu include:

  • The prospective locksmith's current location and availability
  • The urgency of the situation
  • The locksmith's rates

In addition, find out if the locksmith specializes in providing the service you need. Depending on the nature of the service, you will need a traditional locksmith or an auto locksmith. Traditional locksmiths focus on buildings (whether residential, commercial, or industrial), while auto locksmiths focus on vehicles.

Are You Licensed as a Locksmith in Honolulu?

There are no occupation-specific licenses for locksmiths in Honolulu. However, reputable locksmiths in the city undergo training and obtain voluntary locksmith certifications from professional associations such as Aloa Security Professional Association, Inc. and the North American Locksmith Association. Locksmiths in Honolulu can obtain various professional certifications ranging from master locksmith certification and automotive locksmith certification to electronic locksmithing certification.

When hiring a locksmith in Honolulu, confirming whether they are certified by a professional association is one way to guarantee you are hiring a competent and reliable professional. Always verify any claim of certification by your prospective locksmith. You can do this by requesting proof of certification and contacting the association involved for confirmation.

What Rates Do You Charge for Your Locksmith Services in Honolulu?

Professional locksmiths in Honolulu charge between $29 and $33 per hour. Alternatively, some locksmiths in the city charge a flat fee for the visit or a fee per lock. A typical locksmith job in Honolulu costs an average of $70 - $300, depending on the nature of the service (whether house, car, or safe-related). Other factors that may influence the cost of a locksmith job include:

  • The urgency of the situation
  • The time of day
  • Your location
  • Trip fees
  • The lock type
  • The complexity of the task

These factors influence each locksmith's cost differently. An effective way to find the average cost for your service and make an informed decision is to compare estimates from at least three different locksmiths in the city.

What Kind of Locksmith Services Do You Offer?

Professional locksmiths in Honolulu offer various services, ranging from key copying and replacement to installing, servicing, and replacing security locks in residential and commercial buildings. Listed below are commonly requested locksmith services in Honolulu and the average price range for these services:

Key duplication:
$5 - $25
House/building lockout:
$50 - $200
Door lock repair:
$45 - $200
Door lock installation:
$90 - $350
Deadbolt installation:
$70 - $300
Electronic lock installation:
$200 - $550
Smart lock installation:
$100 - $650
Key extraction:
$50 - $200
Key replacement:
$50 - $125
Rekeying house locks:
$70 - $165
Safe opening:
$100 - $450
Changing locks:
$100 - $555
Filing cabinet lock replacement:
$50 - $85
Mailbox key replacement:
$50 - $80
Auto locksmith services:
$20 - $375
Emergency services (in addition to regular charges):
$100 - $300

Before signing any contract, confirm your prospective locksmith's area of specialization and what they charge for the service you need. Ensure the agreed fee and any other guarantees the locksmith makes are included in your service contract.

Do You Provide Auto Locksmith Services in Honolulu?

A professional auto locksmith offers various car lockout services, ranging from unlocking vehicles and replacing or duplicating car keys to extracting broken keys from automobiles. A skilled auto locksmith may perform advanced services like key fob programming, ignition repair, and door actuator replacement.

Remember that while automotive locksmiths provide many locksmith services, some lack the necessary training to assist with motorcycle lock-related issues. Before you contact anyone to provide a locksmith service for your motorcycle, you should ensure the individual is a skilled, experienced, and well-equipped motorcycle locksmith on staff. This is because motorcycle keys have a different coding system from other keys, requiring specialized equipment to cut new keys, even if you still have the original one.

Cost estimates for commonly requested auto locksmith services in Honolulu are provided below:

Key duplication:
$7 - $50
Rekeying:
$30 - $130
Car lockout:
$80 - $150
Key extraction:
$40 - $200
Door lock repair:
$40 - $160
Car ignition repair:
$130 - $350
Changing locks:
$50 - $175
Transponder key reprogramming:
$50 - $220
Keyless fob replacement:
$120 - $300
Key replacement:
$70 - $275
Bike lock change:
$60 - $150
Motorcycle key replacement:
$70 - $120
Car door and trunk lock repair:
$40 - $250
Motorcycle seat lock repair/replacement:
$10 - $40
Motorcycle steering/wheel lock repair/replacement:
$15 - $50
Motorcycle gas cap lock repair/replacement:
$10 - $25
Mobile services (in addition to regular charges):
$90 - $250

Do You Provide Emergency or 24-hour Locksmith Services?

Residents of Honolulu may require emergency locksmith services for many reasons, including:

  • Keys are locked inside the house or car
  • Keys have been misplaced or stolen
  • The home was robbed
  • The homeowner forgot their safe combination
  • The access control system is malfunctioning
  • The homeowner is afraid that someone has access to home security

When faced with these emergencies, contacting a professional locksmith to handle the problem is essential. It is equally essential to discuss the availability of the prospective locksmith and how soon they can arrive at your location. Hiring a locksmith on short notice may incur additional fees. We recommend contacting a reliable mobile locksmith to save costs. These locksmiths operate out of mobile workshops and offer benefits like:

  • Faster response times
  • 24/7 availability
  • Better accessibility to remote locations
  • Little to no towing fees for auto emergencies

While lock emergencies are not uncommon, you reduce their occurrence by taking the following preventive measures:

  • Get spare keys
  • Use lockboxes
  • Install smart locks

Another effective way to reduce the occurrence of lock emergencies is to sign up with self-service locksmith brands like KeyMe and MinuteKey. These brands provide digital key copying and duplication services. (this has downsides, like data breaches and limited availability of self-service kiosks for immediate key duplication).

Do You Conduct Background Checks on Your Employees?

Reputable locksmith companies in Honolulu conduct a compulsory background check on all the individuals they hire to avoid sending a dishonest individual to a client's home. Locksmith companies in the city conduct various background checks on prospective employees, including:

  • Criminal history checks
  • Civil record checks
  • Credit checks
  • Random drug screenings
  • Driving record checks
  • Previous employment verifications

Before allowing anyone to work on your home's lock, ask the locksmith company you hired to prove the necessary background checks were conducted on the individual they sent to your house. Always get the name and description of the locksmith heading to you and ensure they provide a corresponding ID before granting them access to your home or vehicle.

Do You Offer Any Warranties on Your Locksmith Services?

Professional locksmiths in Honolulu assure residents of the quality of their services by offering warranties. Before choosing a locksmith to work with, confirm you will be offered a warranty. Professional locksmiths in Honolulu offer two types of warranties:

  • A manufacturer's warranty that covers any defects and issues with the actual locks (usually valid for about a year)
  • A workmanship warranty that covers defects or errors caused by the locksmith

The specific terms and conditions of these warranties vary by product and locksmith. We recommend reading a copy of the warranty offered to determine its terms and conditions. Note that locksmith warranties generally do not cover damages caused by:

  • Improper lock installation
  • Misuse, negligence, or vandalism
  • Unauthorized repairs
  • Natural disasters

How Do I Resolve Any Issue I Have with a Locksmith's Services in Honolulu?

While there are reputable locksmiths in Honolulu, city residents should be alert to scam warning signs from locksmiths during hiring.

Some common tactics that fraudulent locksmiths use to scam Honolulu homeowners include the following:

  • Insistence on upfront payment
  • Deliberately inflating the cost of the service
  • Always making excuses for not providing documents showing their qualification to do the job
  • Downplaying the importance of references
  • Making use of high-pressure sales tactics to get you to pay for unnecessary services
  • Downplaying the importance of being listed on reputable sites like BBB and Yelp

Residents of Honolulu can report fraudulent locksmiths and also resolve any other issues they have with their locksmith by contacting the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Professional & Vocational Licensing Division online, by completing an online complaint form or submitting a printable complaint form via mail to:

Office of Consumer Protection
235 South
Beretania Street
Room 801
Honolulu, HI 96813

Lastly, if your locksmith threatens you, contact the Honolulu Police Department.