We got a call at 4:12 AM on a Tuesday from a woman in a Van Nuys apartment near Victory and Woodman. She’d just asked her partner to leave. The situation was calm but final, and she needed every lock in her unit rekeyed before sunrise. Her kids were asleep in the next room.
That call wasn’t unusual for us. We handle more late-night rekeys than most people would expect — and a large number of them come from domestic situations just like this one. No judgment, no questions beyond what we need to do the job. Just a technician at your door within 25 minutes.
If you ever find yourself needing a , here are some things we want you to know.
1. You Don’t Have to Wait Until Morning
A lot of people assume locksmiths keep business hours. We don’t. Our team operates around the clock — 2 PM or 2 AM, it doesn’t matter. If you’re on Sylvan Street, over by Van Nuys High School, or in one of the apartment complexes along Vanowen near Sepulveda, we can be there fast. We keep technicians positioned across the Valley specifically so response times stay short, even on holidays and weekends.
2. Rekeying Is Faster and Cheaper Than You Think
You don’t always need brand-new locks. Rekeying changes the internal pins so the old keys stop working, and it takes about 10-15 minutes per lock. For a standard two-bedroom apartment — front door, back door, maybe a side gate — you’re looking at under an hour total. We carry the pin kits on our vans, so there’s no waiting on parts.
Full lock replacement makes sense in some cases, especially if your hardware is old or damaged. But for a fast overnight solution, rekeying gets the job done and saves you money.
3. Know What to Tell the Locksmith When You Call
When you phone us, a few details help us arrive prepared:
- How many doors need rekeying
- What type of locks you have (deadbolt, knob lock, smart lock)
- Whether you’re in an apartment, house, or condo
- Your cross streets — “I’m near Sherman Way and Hazeltine” tells us exactly where to route our closest tech
You don’t need to explain your personal situation. We’ve heard every reason and the only one that matters to us is: you need new keys tonight.
4. Make Sure You’re Calling a Real Local Company
This is a big one. Search “24 hour locksmith Van Nuys” at 4 AM and you’ll see a wall of ads. Some of those companies are dispatch centers in other states that send out whoever’s available — sometimes unlicensed, sometimes with a bait-and-switch price. A $35 service call turns into $350 once they’re at your door.
Ask for a California BSIS license number before they show up. Check that they have a real local address. Our full range of Van Nuys locksmith services is tied to a team that actually lives and works in this area. We know the neighborhoods because we’re in them every day.
5. Secure More Than Just the Front Door
People often focus on the main entrance and forget the rest. If someone had a key to your place, they probably had access to everything — the back slider, the garage side door, the gate latch on the alley side. In neighborhoods like Lake Balboa adjacent or the residential blocks south of Oxnard Street, a lot of homes have secondary entry points that get overlooked.
We’ll walk through your property with you and point out every access point. Some might just need a new padlock. Others might benefit from a deadbolt upgrade. We also handle if you have a personal safe you need accessed or re-secured.
6. Keep a Copy of Your New Keys Somewhere Safe
After a rekey, you’ll get a fresh set of keys. Give a spare to someone you trust — a neighbor, a family member, a friend nearby. If you’re near the Van Nuys Civic Center or the shops along Van Nuys Boulevard, you’re surrounded by people during the day, but at night you want to know there’s a backup plan if you ever lock yourself out with the new keys.
We also recommend taking a photo of your lock brand and model number. If you ever need service again, that info speeds things up.
7. You’re Not Alone in This
The woman on Victory and Woodman? She texted us a thank-you the next afternoon. Said she slept better that night than she had in months — just knowing the locks were different.
We don’t pretend to be counselors or social workers. But we understand that a 24 hour locksmith in Van Nuys sometimes plays a small but real role in someone’s safety. That’s a responsibility we take seriously. Every tech on our team knows that the person on the other side of the door might be having the hardest night of their life.
We’re a Phone Call Away
If you’re in Van Nuys and you need your locks handled — tonight, this weekend, right now — the Locksmith HQ team is ready. Give us a call at (818) 398-9391 and we’ll get someone headed your way.
