Lock Re-Keying Kits Illegal in Florida?!

Aren't Kwikset locks basically just "keep honest people honest" locks? I've heard that they're pretty easy to defeat. They certainly

nate

Let me tell you, Bubba. If a pro wants to get into your house, there is NOTHING you can do. All these other locks are to keep the gang bangers and opportunists at bay, although most of them know that they can get into a house quicker by throwing a piece of lawn furniture through a window than "defeating" a lock. My referral to the SmartKey locks by Kwikset are just an observation that has come from years of having locks rekeyed versus doing it yourself with a tiny shim and a couple of minutes of time. And free, taboot. If I wanted to get into my own house, it would take me less than five seconds.

Steve

So, you basically have nothing to add to the conversation, no solutions, or no anecdotal references. But just use this as another opportunity to post your trolling sig line?

Steve Learn the truth

or try this one:

Rekey kits are not available in HD in my previous area of residence, but Menards has them. These kits are also not available at all locally. I have been looking for them and have not found them yet.

I'm with you. Locks aren't rocket surgery. And if you can't get it from the HD guy, who is obviously clueless, you can get it in a few days online. Any real pro key guy wouldn't be asking questions here. He'd already be in and gone.

Steve

And it just shows you how easy it is to "defeat" a lock. I recently sent for a set of "bump" keys. Sent them to me, no questions asked except for credit card numbers.

Steve

"Bump keys" are now the rage. Google them and watch the videos.

Steve

I used to be the President of a strata (3 buildings - 129 units). On many occasions I had to (legally) gain access to locked units to minimise damage to the strata caused by water leaks. I used to call upon the services of a locksmith who lived in the complex. Eventually he gave me some training and the tools (lock pick set) needed to break in on my own. Legally I could have just kick the door open, but it was in our best interest to attempt to gain access in the least destructive way possible. If I couldn't pick the lock in the first few minutes (always harder to do with an audience - usually a few firemen, because the water would get into the heat sensors and cause a short, setting off the alarm) I would just drill it out. This way I could simply exchange the deadbolt once the restoration company packed up for the day. In addition to the pin kit, I also have a set of master pins and a few mushroom pins. After many years changing locks for owners and the buildings I probably have about 25 different sets of unused keys I can use to rekey my house...

In Alabama there were so many trunk slammer alarm companies that consumers started screaming to the government to do something, so they did. One good thing the state finally did was to make one state license good for the whole state instead of the state certified dealer having to get an alarm company license for every little town and city. This according to my memory of conversations with friend who is in the business now, I got out of it 25 years ago because of all the hassle and time commitment. Alarm techs often get called out in the wee hours to fix something a giant 2 legged rat broke.

TDD

I own a janitorial service and clean several branch offices of a bank. For a couple of decades, I was able to enter one of the banks with just a pen knife or credit card if my keys were not handy. But I couldn't access the basement where the cleaning supplies were stored without my key. They finally fixed that entry a couple of years ago.

David

Someone tried to kick my front door down one night. Good thing I had a loaded pistol handy, a lot easier than keeping a watchdog.

I have a friend who went on vacation, came home and found everything of value in his house and detached garage missing. The thieves simply used a chainsaw to cut holes in the walls. The neighbors didn't even notice. The ones who heard it thought a crew was cutting a tree nearby. Never heard of anything like this before.

My money is on either the person you talked to or whoever misinformed him not understanding the difference between a rekeying kit and and locksmithing kit (which would include picks). My reading of the law is that it is legal for you to even own picks as long as you don't plan to use them in a burglary, but they might not want the liability. Of course, as someone else noted, they'd be happy to sell you a sledge hammer which is a more sensible tool for the average burglar...

I can find no evidence of anything else in Florida law vaguely related to rekeying a lock, but I might not have found the above if I hadn't seen the term "burglary tools" while doing a general search on lock picks and Florida law (none of the words "lock", "pick" or "key" appear in this section)...

I live in Las Vegas, multi-jurisdiction police departments. Crossing into a jurisdiction may call a crow bar a burglary tool, where in another it is a tool for work. Time of day, sneaky activity, wrong area helps the police figure it all out :-/

"Ned Flanders" wrote

We need to access buildings that the owner or developer has given us permission to enter as their legal assign and agent. However, the pitbull managers sometimes can't or won't let us in. So, we get in however we can to get pictures rather than drive 400 miles to do it on another day that is "convenient" with them. Many of these are days when they make an appointment with us telling US when and where to be. I tried a set of bump keys, but had little luck, and two of the flimsy keys broke. I'm sending for another set of hardened bump keys and a pick lock set. It is amazing how many locks I can get past with just a jimmy made out of a strip of steel banding with a point on it.

Steve

My grandmother had one of those. I don't know where she got it or why. (I"m sure someone made it for her, probably without her specific request. She left that stuff to the guys.) I was about 10 y.o. and playing under a sofa or something when I touched it, with my leg I think. I think I'd already had an AC shock before and this was just a brush so it was even less. I didn't say anything. Why should I? My grandmother never played under the sofa.

"zimpzampzormp" wrote

It's a very common story for a moving van or a box truck to pull up to a house, empty it out, and the neighbors not even take notice, thinking it was just another move out. Happens frequently, and is rarely reported unless it is a long time resident, and the neighbors are long time friends and know the comings and goings of that particular household.

Steve

Heh! Read a story once where a flooring company refused to do business with the Mafia-controlled trash collection people. The mob backed an 18-wheeler trailer up to the loading dock and curtained off the gap 'twixt the trailer and the overhead door. They then used a torch to cut away the door and entered with their forklift into the store and a half-dozen workers.

In a few hours, they had removed ALL the merchandise from the store (tile and carpets). They then returned with the tractor and hauled it all away.

Then entered into a half-dozen workers :-)