Smart locks
House lockouts
Re-keying
Deadbolt upgrades
Schlage
Kwikset
Car keys & fobsNon-destructive entry first, always - and we re-key Schlage, Kwikset, and Baldwin locks on the spot while you watch
You get a price before we start. It does not change when we arrive. No surprises.
Get your free estimateLocksmith in Hollywood, CA
Rekey Locks is the service Hollywood calls True Blue Locksmith for more than any other, and the reason comes down to how this city actually works. In 90028, tenants move in and out of courtyard apartments and short-term rentals constantly, which means doors need fresh keys regularly and fast. We handle everything from a single Kwikset rekey in a walk-up on Wilton Place to a full building keyed alike on Hollywood Blvd. Call us at (877) 358-5506 and you will get an honest quote before we dispatch anyone.
Why Hollywood Homes Are Different
Hollywood’s housing stock skews old and dense. Much of 90028 is mid-century apartment buildings and courtyard complexes, many still running their original mortise locks, hollow-core doors, and worn strike plates. Those were built for a different era, and they do not hold up well under constant tenant turnover. A rekey on a 1950s mortise lock off Franklin Avenue is not the same job as a rekey on a newer condo near the Boulevard, and we plan the work accordingly. Some older units need hardware reinforcement or full replacement rather than a simple cylinder swap, and we will tell you that plainly in the quote.
The climate is the second factor. Hollywood’s dry, warm weather sounds easy on locks, but the seasonal Santa Ana winds push dust and grit into exterior deadbolts and keyways. That grit acts like sandpaper on pins and springs, which is why we see more seized or sticky locks here than in humid coastal neighborhoods. Weather-resistant exterior hardware and proper lubrication matter more in 90028 than most people expect. Combine old hardware with gritty conditions and you get a city where rekeys are steady work year-round, not a once-a-decade task.
Styles & brands we work with
Our Main Hollywood Services
Most Hollywood residents call us for one of two things: they have lost a car key or fob, or they are locked out and need an emergency locksmith right now. Both are services we handle start to finish with the same honest-pricing approach as our rekey work.
Car Key Replacement in Hollywood
Losing a car key in Hollywood is a special kind of headache, since street parking off Hollywood Blvd means your car sits exposed and your schedule stops cold. We cut and program replacement keys, including transponder and fob keys, for most makes and models without towing the car anywhere. Much of the work happens right at the curb. If you need a car key replaced today, see our dedicated page for the full breakdown: Car Key Replacement in Hollywood.
Emergency Locksmith in Hollywood
A late-night lockout in a Hollywood apartment or office is not the time to gamble on an unknown locksmith who quotes one price on the phone and another at the door. Our emergency service runs outside standard business hours, and the price we quote before dispatch is the price on the invoice. This matters in a rental-heavy zip like 90028, where lockouts spike on move-in and move-out days. Get the full story here: Emergency Locksmith in Hollywood.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees — you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Rekey Locks in Hollywood
Rekey Locks in Hollywood is the core of what we do, and the demand here tracks turnover. When a new tenant moves into a courtyard unit off L Ron Hubbard Way or a short-term rental flips on Wilcox, the key path needs to change immediately. Rekeying changes the pins inside the existing lock cylinder so the old keys stop working and new keys take over, at a fraction of the cost of replacing hardware. It is the fastest way to put a hard stop on key control questions in a 90028 apartment. We have been doing this work since 2017, and the volume in Hollywood has only grown. For the full scope of our Rekey Locks service, that page covers the process in detail.
What makes Hollywood rekeys different from the suburbs is the hardware variety. A single building can hold three lock generations: original mortise bodies, mid-2000s Kwikset knobs on hollow-core doors, and recent smart-lock or keypad installs for short-term rental access. We carry parts for all of them and key them alike where a landlord wants one key for gate, lobby, and unit.
Lock Rekey
Signs you need it
You have moved into a new Hollywood apartment or rental and cannot account for every copy of the old key.
What it costs in Hollywood
A Lock Rekey in Hollywood typically runs $75 to $150 per lock depending on the cylinder type and key blank.
How we do it
We remove the lock cylinder, swap the pins to match a new key, reassemble, and test the old key to confirm it no longer turns.
Keyed Alike
Signs you need it
You carry multiple keys for a single Hollywood property and want one key to open every door without weakening security.
What it costs in Hollywood
Keyed Alike work in Hollywood runs $75 to $150 per lock rekeyed to match, plus the standard per-cylinder service cost.
How we do it
We pin every lock to the same key cuts and test each cylinder individually before we hand you a matched key set.
Locksmith Rekey
Signs you need it
A contractor, housekeeper, or previous short-term guest in your 90028 property still holds a key you would rather not have in circulation.
What it costs in Hollywood
A Locksmith Rekey in Hollywood typically falls between $95 and $190 including the service call, depending on lock count and cylinder condition.
How we do it
We inspect each cylinder, replace worn pins if needed, rekey to fresh keys, and give you a written count of every key we hand over.
Rekey Door Lock
Signs you need it
Your door lock in an older Hollywood building has a worn cylinder that is stiff, gritty, or only turns with a wiggle.
What it costs in Hollywood
Rekeying a door lock in Hollywood runs $75 to $150 per lock, and we will flag a failing mortise body before we touch the lock if replacement is the better fix.
How we do it
We pull the cylinder, repin it, lubricate the keyway against Santa Ana grit, and reinstall with fresh screws if the strike plate is loose.
What Rekey Locks Costs in Hollywood
| Item | Typical range in Hollywood |
|---|---|
| Rekey a standard door lock | $75 – $150 per lock |
| Locksmith rekey with service call | $95 – $190 total |
| Keyed alike, multiple locks | $75 – $150 per lock |
Costs climb in Hollywood when we are dealing with non-standard cylinders, mul-t-lock or high-security pins, or the worn mortise bodies common in pre-1960 courtyard buildings. The price we quote on the phone is the price on the invoice, and we will tell you before dispatch if the job looks like hardware replacement rather than a straight rekey. Call (877) 358-5506 for an exact quote.
Can you rekey a lock without the original key?
Yes. We do not need the original key to rekey a lock in Hollywood. We can pick the cylinder open, remove it, and repin it to a brand-new key in one visit, which is how most turnover rekeys get done when the previous tenant never returned keys.
How fast can a Hollywood rekey be finished?
Most single-door rekeys in Hollywood are done in under an hour on site. Multi-unit buildings and keyed-alike jobs take longer because every cylinder gets individually tested. Call (877) 358-5506 to get a time estimate for your property.
Brands We Service in Hollywood
True Blue Locksmith works on the hardware Hollywood actually has, from Schlage and Kwikset in older rentals to Medeco and Abloy in newer high-security setups. We carry pins and common parts for these brands on the truck, so most rekeys happen in a single visit. See our brands for the full list.
Pricing for Locksmith in Hollywood, CA
| Service | Typical range in Hollywood |
|---|---|
| Rekey a standard door lock | $75 – $150 per lock |
| Locksmith rekey with service call | $95 – $190 total |
| Keyed alike, multiple locks | $75 – $150 per lock |
| Car key replacement, transponder | $150 – $400 per key |
| Car key replacement, fob with programming | $250 – $600 per key |
| Emergency lockout, standard door | $85 – $180 per visit |
| Emergency lockout with cylinder replacement | $130 – $260 total |
| Rekey with new cylinder, high-security brand | $150 – $300 per lock |
In Hollywood, worn mortise bodies and weird cylinder brands from decades of patchwork locks are the two things that push a quote up before we even start. The price we give you on the phone covers the full job and there is no add-on fee when we arrive.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Hollywood
True Blue Locksmith has served Hollywood since 2017 and we work across all of 90028, from the apartment blocks along Hollywood Blvd to the quieter courtyard streets north of Franklin. We know which buildings still carry 1940s mortise locks and which newer condos use commercial-grade deadbolts. We are not dispatching from outside the area and guessing at hardware.
- Hollywood Blvd corridor
- Whitley Heights
- Thai Town
- Little Armenia
- Franklin Village
Response inside 90028 is typically quick because our techs are already working nearby through the day. Turnover-heavy blocks near the Boulevard tend to keep us busiest on weekends and the first of the month.
Service Area – Cities Near Hollywood
We also cover the neighborhoods directly around Hollywood for rekeys, lockouts, and car key work. Our service area includes Universal City, CA to the north, West Hollywood, CA to the southwest, Koreatown, CA to the south, and Echo Park, CA to the east. Call and we will tell you straight whether we can get to you same day.
Serving Hollywood, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Hollywood area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Locksmith in Hollywood
Legally you are allowed to rekey a rental, but in Hollywood most landlords require a copy of the new key or arrange the rekey themselves under the lease. We recommend confirming with your property manager first, and we rekey apartments for tenants and owners alike in 90028.
No city permit is required to rekey or replace a lock on a standard apartment or condo door in Hollywood. The only time paperwork comes up is on historically protected buildings with specific hardware requirements, which we can flag if we see one on the job.
Yes. We run emergency locksmith service outside standard hours, and we can schedule rekeys in the evening or on weekends to match your schedule or a tenant move-in date in 90028. Call (877) 358-5506 and we will set up a time.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees — talk to a local locksmith pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you — the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What Hollywood Customers Say
"Programmed a transponder key for a 2014 model that the dealership wanted an absurd amount for. Same key, fraction of the price, took him twenty minutes in my driveway."
— Gilbert Herrera"Key snapped off in the deadbolt. He extracted it without damaging the cylinder, which I did not think was going to be possible."
— Claudia Ramirez"Installed a smart lock and actually set up the app and the codes with me instead of leaving me to figure it out from a leaflet."
— Marcy Thompson