FAQ | Locksmith-CA.com

Here on our Frequently Asked Questions page, we will be posting the questions our visitors send to us. On this page we will do our best to respond to your questions. But we will also leave the questions open to visitors of the website to read through and reply with their respones, solutions, and comments. We want to hear from you. We just ask that you read through the FAQ page before sending us new questions. Your question may have already beeen posted and answered in the past. We just want to keep the numbers low on duplicate and similar questions. And remeber to keep the questions related to California based locksmith companies.

Some questions you might see:

1.) Do I have to have a license to be a locksmith in California?

Yes, you have to be licensed to run a locksmith business in the state of California. You can face fines and jail time for practicing without a license.

2.)What is an Auto Jiggler?

An Auto Jiggler is another lock picking tool. It is basically metal cut-outs in the shapes of various styles of car keys. From what I've seen online, one just wiggles the jiggler inside of the car door lock and if they work it the right way, it will open.

3.) What is an Air Wedge?

The Air Wedge is a car lockout tool a locksmith would use on your door to create a gap, so that they could slide in another tool to unlock your door. One would slide the Air Wedge between your door and the door frame. Pumping up the wedge with air cause the door to push away from the door frame, giving the locksmith some space to insert a tool.

4.)Where can I buy locksmith tools?

These tools have varying levels of legality if you are not a locksmith. So check your local laws. You will most likely have to buy all of your tools online.

5.) Should I get my locks Re-Keyed?

This all depends on your situation. If you have a bunch of different locks on your house, carrying all of those keys can be a hassle. If your locks are the same style, you can get them all re-keyed to the same one key. If you've just moved into a new place, you probably want to change the locks or get them re-keyed. You don't know how many people have lived there and how many keys to the place are floating around. So it is just a good safety measure on your part.

6.) What is a lock pick gun?

This is a tool used in combination with a tension wrench. The pick is connected to the gun, which basically vibrates the pins. The theory is that the vibrations will make the pins jump into their correct unlocking positions.

7.) How can I extract a broken key?

There are picks designed specifically for this purpose. You just work them in the lock, until you get the broken key out.

8.)Should I get a cyclinder lock or a mortice lock?

Its a matter of what you prefer and who is doing the labor. Cyclinder locks are easier to install, but a Mortise lock can be more secure since all of the hardware is inside of the door.

9.) What is a Bump Key?

This is a lock picking method that has come into common knowledge over the last few years. Basically you get a key for the style of lock you want to open, and cut it down to the maximum key cutting depth. With this key in the lock, you tap on it with another item. This other item being a screw driver, hammer, etc. The idea is that tapping the key will make the lock pins jump up and set in their unlocking positions. Thus allowing you to open the door.

10.)Can I make my own lock picking tools?

Sure, there are plenty of Do-It-Yourselfers out there who create their own tools. They probably won't be as good as professional tools, but they can work.