Washington Locksmith Services

Homes and doors across Washington

Washington's housing is younger than the country's. In the Census Bureau's 2024 estimates, 32.1 percent of the state's homes were built in 2000 or later, against 27.4 percent nationally, and 9.3 percent date from 1939 or earlier, against 11.5 percent.

Four of its cities differ sharply:

• Spokane and Tacoma hold the oldest stock of the four, with 27.9 and 27.0 percent of homes built before 1940.
• Vancouver is the reverse: 3.9 percent pre-1940, and 20.5 percent built in the 1990s alone.
• Seattle builds up. About 28.1 percent of its homes are in buildings of 50 or more units, against 8.9 percent statewide, and 25.6 percent date from 2010 or later.

What that means at the door:

• In a Seattle tower, lobby, garage and elevator entries are the building's to manage, so check its rules before changing your unit's lock.
• A pre-1940 house in Spokane or Tacoma may keep original hardware, such as a mortise lock set into a pocket in the door edge. A replacement must suit that pocket, so ask about lock repair first.
• A 1990s Vancouver house may have separate locks on the front, side and garage-entry doors that can be rekeyed to one key.

How Washington's climate affects locks and keys

NOAA's climate summary describes a state split by the Cascade Mountains. Parts of the Olympic Peninsula get more than 150 inches of precipitation a year, while areas along the Columbia River in the eastern interior average less than 10 inches. Most of the state's precipitation falls in winter, and the east side swings through a wider annual temperature range than the ocean-moderated west.

• West side. Winter rain keeps water on exterior cylinders for months. If a lock turns gritty or stiff, have it cleaned and serviced before the key starts to bind.
• East side. Cold snaps can freeze car and door locks. Use a lock de-icer and never force the key; a twisted key can snap and need broken key extraction.

Renting in Washington: locks, keys and rekeying

Renters occupy 37.1 percent of Washington's occupied homes, against 34.7 percent nationally, rising to 58.1 percent in Seattle and 47.6 percent in Vancouver. The Residential Landlord-Tenant Act, chapter 59.18 RCW, covers locks in several places:

• Locks and keys. RCW 59.18.060(6) requires a landlord to provide reasonably adequate locks and furnish keys; 59.18.060(7) requires reasonable care in safeguarding master and duplicate keys. No lock type is named.
• Harassment by a landlord. Under RCW 59.18.575(4), if a tenant or household member is a victim of sexual assault, stalking or unlawful harassment by a landlord, the tenant may change or add locks at the tenant's expense. Within seven days the tenant must deliver written notice plus a copy of a valid order for protection or a written record of a report signed by a qualified third party. Common-area locks may not be changed. The rental agreement then ends on the 90th day after notice unless, within 60 days, the tenant tells the landlord in writing that they do not wish to end it.
• Court orders between cotenants. RCW 59.18.585 lets a tenant whose court order grants possession to the exclusion of a cotenant ask, at the tenant's expense, for a lock to be replaced or rekeyed. Once given a copy of the order, the landlord must comply and may not give new keys to the excluded tenant.
• Keyless entry, from 2027. RCW 59.18.750, effective January 1, 2027, requires a landlord, if a tenant asks, to offer an alternative key that uses no biometric information or phone app, such as a key fob, key card, physical key or keypad code.
• No lockouts. RCW 59.18.290(1) makes it unlawful for a landlord to remove or exclude a tenant except under a court order.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Where we take requests in Washington

Seattle, Tacoma and Vancouver sit west of the Cascades; Spokane anchors the drier east. Washington Locksmith Pros takes service requests from homes, businesses and drivers in Washington.

• Seattle
• Spokane
• Tacoma
• Vancouver

Elsewhere in the state, send a request with the ZIP code where you need service, or see service areas.

Before you book a locksmith in Washington

The Washington Attorney General's Office runs an informal complaint resolution service, online or by mail. It sends the complaint and any supporting documents to the business and asks for a response within 30 days. It cannot act as your attorney or compel a business to resolve a complaint, and it names legal action, such as small claims court, as the main option when a dispute remains.

Before work starts:

1. Get the total cost in writing and keep the itemized invoice, in case you need supporting documents later.
2. In an apartment or condo building, confirm with management which locks are yours to change.
3. For a lock change under RCW 59.18.585, make sure the landlord has a copy of the court order.