I called first and they were going to closed early. I managed to get there before they close. The guy who made my keys were friendly. read more

I had visited several places to have a mailbox key copied with no success. I called Central Safe and Locksmith and they requested that I send them a picture of the key. They stated that the shape of the key was not easily available - but they would have it later in the week. When I arrived at their location, I was greeted by a very friendly employee. He looked at the key and as promised he was able to copy the key in a short period of time and the cost was only $5.00. I would definitely use them again. read more

This company picked up the phone with a cheerful and helpful attitude. They were not able to schedule right away but offered to waitlist and two hours later I had a call that they could arrive by noon. The repairman got right to work, made several attempts and fixed the deadbolt lock. Very positive and highly recommend. read more

I requested a simple key for a file drawer. The guy from this store said he could have it done in a matter of "seconds." Key didn't work. Had to order another key overnight from an online vendor. Check out my pic for a comparison of the keys, supposedly made from the same code. Huge discrepancy. Contacted the owner who offered some b.s. and refused to provide a refund. I have a feeling this key was made a bit too hastily. No matter, customer has to pay for it. Very clever Safe & Locksmith. AVOID this shop. Plenty of other options in NW. read more

Central Safe & Locksmith Company - Simple file key, supposedly made from the same code. Huge discrepancy. No refund. In Sum: DON'T GO HERE. - Keys & Locksmiths Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I lost the only key to my motorcycle and on a reccomendation, I called Central Safe & Lock to see about getting a new key made. I asked if they stock Yamaha keys and they said they did. I asked if they could create a key from my ignition if I brought it in and they said to just drop it off. I took it over to them and dropped off the ignition along with the keycode I retrieved from the bottom of the lock. They took them both and said to come back in about an hour. I come back an hour later and they produce the ignition and a key along with a bill for about $30 bucks. The key is a car key, not a yamaha motorcycle key, and sticks out way too far from the lock. Oh...and they lost the keycode that I gave them. I take the ignition home to find that the key doesn't fit any of the other locks on the bike. On a return trip to the store, they cut another few keys and try random changes in the key until they finally produced a key that would fit most of the locks on the bike...not all. In their defense, only a few of the pins on the key work for each specific lock, so it would be difficult for them to make a replacement key without access to all the locks. Of course, that's exactly why I gave them the keycode that they misplaced. Both times while I was waiting, a steady stream of patrons came in to the store, not to get keys cut...but to get keys fixed because they wouldn't work. Avoid this place. read more

Central Safe & Locksmith Company - Interior customer area. - Keys & Locksmiths Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

DO NOT CALL THESE SCAMMERS! If they think you're needy they will overcharge by over 3x! They said they could fix my front door handle/lock in a day or two. A week and a half later I still had to call for updates. They said they'd give me options. Nope. The parts were due "any day", but then they said they were booked and it could take another week. One morning a guy calls before 9am and says he's minutes away - no advance notice. He installed it in 10 minutes and handed me a receipt for $790. Claimed I had been given a quote. NO. It was HIGHWAY ROBBERY (I didn't pay that price). I outed them to my entire condo; no one will give them business. read more

My purse had been stolen and I desperately needed to copy keys. After a visit to Ace Hardware, I discovered that one of my house keys was a specialized storm-door key that not many places carried. I called a few more hardware stores only to confirm my worst fears. Fortunately someone suggested I call Central Safe and Locksmith. Worried that I would have to make a trek out to Virginia to a Yelp recommended locksmith, I was relieved when these guys told me they carried the key. I made a mad dash to their Adams Morgan location, and literally 2 minutes and $5 later, I had two expertly copied keys. Wow. Don't judge based on appearance. It's a dingy, hole in the wall place. But these guys were very friendly and did a good job. If you're in NW DC and you need any variety of key copied quickly, cheaply, and well, these are your guys. read more

Been coming here since before they had to move from 9th st. Customer Service always #1! I called and the guy was patient and answered all my questions. They opened my safe and were able to help me get my things out. They know what they are doing and I def would refer them in an instant read more

This rating doesn't actually reflect the quality of this company's service. They do good, no-nonsense work. This is rather a commentary on my profound disappointment that we have devolved to the point where the dollar supersedes common sense, goodwill, and good judgment. My 87 year old mother, who lives in a modest house on a fixed income has had a loose handle on her outer security door for at least 3 years. I tried to fix it. I paid a handyman to fix it. Neither fix worked. Finally, I called Safe and Locksmith aka Central Lock. Turns out the fix required 3 hardware screws which took about 20-30 minutes, from the tech's arrival to departure, to install including all adjustments-none of which required actual work on the lock itself. Not specialty screws; not gold-plated screws; not hand-forged screws--just hardware screws that you get for about $2.50 for a pack of 6 at Home Depot. The bill: $155.00 plus tax for a total of $168.00. I called the office and asked that they consider adjusting the bill. A recitation of, "that is our standard fee" was the response I received. The technician clearly knew the fee was unreasonable because he chuckled at me when he said, "I thought you knew, you didn't ask?" as he took my money. Now I have done business with this company before but always on-site at their 7th Street location. I have always found their prices reasonable and their work competent. I also take ownership that I did not ask (nor did they offer) how much the service call would be. My Bad. BUT one of the reasons I wasn't particularly worried was because my expectation was that their fees would be reasonable, fair, and relative to the amount of work necessary. Clearly my expectation was wrong. I will probably use them again but never without a bad taste in my mouth, and never with the same confidence I had before. But then again as I write this--probably not. When will we learn that relationships, trust, honor, and fair-dealing are still important aspects of business transactions? Is getting $168.00 for 3 screws really worth your reputation and standing in our ever increasingly small community? read more

I am a realtor so I usually keep four or five locksmiths' contact information handy whenever a client purchases a property and wants to rent it out. I need someone that does great work and does it fast. But that's business. Recently, I needed locks changed for a family friend removing a bad tenant, and Central was quick to respond, get a locksmith over to assess the situation and gave a competitive quote. No hassle, work done professionally and courteously. I will use Central for all my personal jobs and professional referrals from now on. Highly recommend. read more

$400.00 for a change of lock! Professional scammers! The lock was a regular lock that you can buy in Home Depot for max $40.00. When I called they said that the locksmith will have locks starting at $25.00, and then they slam me with this price. Beware. read more

If you need anything like safes , keys, locks, etc, come here! We recently had them open a safe for us and were very happy with the customer service and the prices! Larry made sure that we left satisfied and he was very friendly! Highly recommended. read more

Was referred to by Ace Hardware on 5th Street since they couldn't copy my keys and needed a specialist like at Central, they copied my keys and checked some of the keys that I might need copying in the future since I got a new top lock on my building yesterday Glad I found a "go to" place that does these keys near my job. read more

AVOID THIS PLACE LIKE A PLAGUE. In the past I used this company a lot for my properties because they were reasonable, but lately their prices just don't make any sense whatsoever. $800 to change one lock?!?! They laugh at you when you confront them. I will take my business elsewhere and suggest you do the same. read more

Central Lock was one of the only locksmiths in the DC area that carried the lock brand and accompanying tools that I needed for my door. I needed a deadbolt installed and my locks to be rekeyed. The service I experienced was terrible. The company does not schedule or uphold appointments--they just give you general ranges of dates and show up unexpectedly at your door, whether or not you've scheduled that particular day. This is quite a problem, especially for people like me who have a full time job and it may be quite difficult to take off on a whim. I had one locksmith come out to install my deadbolt, but he made a mistake during installation as a result of faulty order-taking in their main office. When I had the second locksmith come out to fix this issue, he also showed up without much notice, then proceeded to give me an attitude when I told him that his company needed to respect a customer's time by sticking to appointments because we also have full time jobs. After sarcastically retorting "oh wow, you have a job", he proceeds to tell me that "i bet we [his company] are busier than you". Then he refused to let me test out the lock and when he finally gave up my keys, he jeered at me for turning the lock in the wrong direction--he was probably close to 60 years old and acting like an immature 10-year old. If I have any locksmith needs in the future, I will be sure to stay far away from Central Lock. I don't need my time wasted or someone to show up at my door to insult me. read more

I was very happy with my experience here. The guys were friendly, helpful, knew their stuff and the price was right.

I manage about 100 properties in DC. I'm always needing to copy keys and occasionally need to have locks changed or repaired. For key copies, there is no better place to go in DC. They have all the blanks you need, including padlock keys and Corbin Russwin keys that are only found on utility room doors in new construction condo buildings. When they don't have a key i have seen them grind and hammer a key to make it work. The only other place I get keys cut is the 17th St True Value, but they don't have some keys. Don't schedule them for a service appointment unless the lock is a mortisse lock or multipoint. For simple locks I use people who are cheaper. If you can remove the lock then that's your cheapest route. Then you can bring it in and have them work on it. read more

Wow, should have read the crappy reviews. They messed up on all 4 keys I had them make. DO N OT USE!

I've had keys made at Central lock at least 3 times, if not 4. Very conveniently located, especially when I needed them made in a crunch They all work fine and I'm happy :). read more

The guys here really helped me out. Although the key I had copied did not work initially, I found out it was actually the lock that was kinda jammed. I found that out because they came to my home to fix the lock the next day-no additional charge. Thanks Andy! read more

Locked myself out of my apartment the first week of the new year. Called Central Safe & Locksmith Company and they arrived within the hour and were extremely professional as well as efficient. They charged $185 for the house call, which is around the average going rate in DC, but I think it's still expensive hence I am rating at 4 vs 5 stars. It was the most positive locksmith experience I've had in this area. I've had locksmiths that took up to 2 hours to arrive. If you're in their local area, I recommend them. read more

Great fast service rekeying and I even learned a few things.

I found a 1920's or so steamer trunk at an estate sale that came without the keys, which was a bummer considering that it was locked. Central Safe and Locksmith took a look quoted me for 25$ for the first key and 15$ for the second which was a great price. It took a while to find a way to figure out the key but these guys didnt give up. Even after a couple of days of working at it and trying anything they could they managed to hand carve a new key for my steamer trunk which is pretty impressive in my book. The guy told me "we don't like to be stumped" and they rose to the challenge. They were completely friendly, they quoted me and stuck to the price despite going above and beyond the call of duty. I would have paid them more for it but the guy at the counter wouldnt take it. Very happy with the service and the professionalism. Highly recomended read more

Called on a Thursday to schedule an appointment. They gave me a Monday appointment with a time window of 9am-12pm. On Monday I called twice to get an estimated arrival time for the locksmith. On my THIRD CALL, they informed me that there was no record of my appointment in the system?!!! This place is AWFUL and UNPROFESSIONAL. AVOID, AVOID, AVOID them at all costs. There's clearly a reason why their negative reviews outnumber their positives. read more

Really annoying: I went to the store from far away during the store hours as per the website. Shuttered, no one there. I called, got a voice message saying that I should instead call during the store hours (which I was doing!), but the voice recorder didn't say anything further about when the store hours are, nor could one leave a voicemail. So when I got back home, I wrote Central Safe and Lock an email explaining that I was there during open hours but that the store was closed. I eventually got a reply that the summer hours are shorter (stating in the email what they are), and that supposedly the summer hours are posted on the door of the store. Great help even if they were (I didn't see them in any case): what's the point of informing a customer after they went through the trouble to get to the store, pay for parking, etc.! It's not 1988 anymore, this kind of info can be placed on the store's website. I am giving CSL 2 stars instead of 1 simply because I at least got an email reply. read more

I booked an appointment over the phone. They were very polite, and I told them I had a new doorhandle and dealbolt I needed installed, how much would that be. They told me they had a $100.00 service fee that would cover that. He asked if I had the handle and deadbolt or did I need them to provide it. I said I'd already purchased it. We booked the Appt. for Friday. The locksmith calls and because I've dealt with locksmith issues before I said "This is all covered under the $100.00 service fee right?" He sounded confused and said "What do you mean?" I told him that when I booked the appointment they told me that there was a $100.00 service fee which would cover this." He said that he couldn't be sure what it would cost, if he had to drill it would be more etc... I called back the main number. got somebody on the phone. he said that there must have been a misunderstanding when I booked the appointment because if I already had the door handle and deadbolt their service fee went way up. I told him to cancell the appointment. Again, They knew I already had the door handle. The locksmith, when he called sounded surprised when I meantioned the $100.00 service fee which was supposedly their standard fee according to the guy over the phone. The locksmith said "It's usually much more than that." This company obviously tells you one price over the phone and hits you with another one when they've completed the work. Do NOT get scammed! read more

I was rekeying a deadbolt lock and needed the proper pins to finish the job. I brought the cylinder to Central Safe & Locksmith at their new location near the convention center (1107 7th St NW), and Alex, the manager, picked out and installed the correct pins immediately. And he didn't even charge me! I'll definitely use them again. read more

Horrible. They came out to my home to give an estimate on replacing locks. The guy said it would be a day or two to figure out. A week later I didn't get a call and called them. The guy said he would find out and call me back. 2 weeks later and still waiting. Don't waste your time with these clowns read more

I was surprised to see the other negative reviews on the site. I've used this company three times over four years and every time has had professional service at a reasonable price. Most recently, I had a lockbox that I stupidly jammed while attached to a doorknob. I went to another locksmith who wanted me to drop off the doorknob for the whole day and wasn't sure how much it would cost to remove. I came here and they did it in a few minutes and only charged me $5. So, not sure why other folks had bad experiences, but I had a good one. read more

Thanks to Riley! Having issues with our work safe and he was very knowledgeable! Great customer service. Will call them again if I am ever in need of a locksmith! Thanks! read more

For the past three years I have utilized Central Safe & Keys with ease. I have no issue with their quality of work. They complete my tasks timely and I will continue to go to them to take care of our business needs. read more

Amazing locksmith. They saved me from a real jam (got locked inside my apartment!). Nice guys, excellent prices. Highly recommend.

On time, under budget, and solid service. Can't ask for more than that.

Do not under any circumstances use this store. Their prices are hyper-inflated compared to similar establishments. A lawsuit is almost certainly in their future. read more

This place rocks - great service! They go the extra mile, not nickeling and diming you. Expert folks that know what they are doing...

Routinely use them to cut Medeco keys, which not everywhere can do, but they cut them wrong more than they cut them right. I have frequently had entire batches of keys cut wrong, requiring me to return to have them redone, and they often scrutinize the bad cut keys as if I'm lying... We also paid them several hundred dollars to come out and repair an entry lock at a property. They changed out parts and installed them incorrectly so the door wouldn't open from the inside. When I called to report the problem (and that it was a major fire safety concern for an apartment building) they said it would be several days before they would send someone out to repair it. The young man on the phone, Cody, even admitted it sounded like it had been installed wrong ---THEY INSTALLED IT! Better off paying someone who will do it right the first time and not leave you hanging. Terrible communication, terrible customer service, and terrible ability to cut keys. Time to find a new locksmith. read more