Best Locksmiths on the North Shore
We assessed 12 locksmiths on the North Shore and ranked the top 5 on public rating quality, review volume and how recent the reviews are. The businesses listed below hold 1,802 Google reviews between them. No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Last updated 9 September 2026. How we rank
Before you hire
Anyone can call themselves a locksmith in New Zealand, since the trade has no licence. Membership of the Master Locksmiths Association of Australasia means the business employs trade-qualified locksmiths and has passed police and insurance checks, and its member search is public. For a lockout, get the full price before they set off, including the call-out fee and any after-hours surcharge, and ask whether they will try to open the lock without drilling it first. Expect to be asked for proof that you live there.
Top 5 Locksmiths on the North Shore
The top 5 locksmiths on the North Shore are #1 LockSmart, #2 Exact Key Service & Locksmiths, #3 King Locksmiths, #4 Armstrong Smarter Security, and #5 Pioneer Locksmiths, ranked by Top5 score. Scroll for our take on each, plus what to ask before you book.
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1
LockSmart
★ 4.9 1,051 reviews Top5 Score 1885★ 984 4★ 39 3★ 5 2★ 4 1★ 19LockSmart cuts and programmes car keys, repairs vehicle door locks, and solves ignition and steering lock faults that other locksmiths turn away. A Range Rover key repair that competitors quoted at $900-$1200 came in at $92, and a Mercedes with the original lock missing was solved with on-the-spot problem-solving.
Unit 1/41-53 View Road, Wairau Valley, Auckland
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2
Exact Key Service & Locksmiths
★ 4.9 215 reviews Top5 Score 1685★ 201 4★ 12 1★ 2Exact Key Service & Locksmiths cuts, programmes, and repairs car keys, transponders, immobilisers, and remote fobs across a wide range of makes, from Priuses to VW Golfs to RAV4s. Darryl regularly undercuts dealership and mechanic quotes by significant margins, and will travel to your location or a towyard when the car itself cannot move.
51, lower level, William Pickering Drive,, Albany, North Harbour,, 51 William Pickering Drive, North Shore, Auckland
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3
King Locksmiths Ltd
★ 5.0 107 reviews Top5 Score 1615★ 104 4★ 3King Locksmiths takes on residential lock repairs, digital door lock installations, key cutting, and after-hours lockouts, with Jason responding quickly even on weekends and close to public holidays. A photo sent by text is often enough for him to diagnose a stuck lock on the spot, saving customers a callout entirely.
34 Bay Vista Drive, Red Beach
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4
Armstrong Smarter Security - North Shore
★ 4.8 143 reviews Top5 Score 1605★ 125 4★ 12 3★ 3 1★ 3Armstrong Smarter Security resolves car key repairs, vehicle door locks, residential lock rekeying and barrel replacements, keypad lock installations, and safe key problems, often within minutes of arrival. Technicians like Kyle and Ryan regularly go beyond the original job scope, sourcing parts for broken handles or talking customers through a fix over the phone to save them a callout.
518 East Coast Road, Windsor Park, Auckland
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5
Pioneer Locksmiths
★ 4.8 115 reviews Top5 Score 1565★ 107 4★ 1 3★ 2 1★ 5Pioneer Locksmiths covers car key cutting and programming, building security reviews, door lock repairs, and unusual challenges like handmaking keys for century-old locks with no original to copy from. Edwin and Josephine give clients several options before any work begins, and Josephine handles admin and scheduling in a way that keeps property managers and repeat clients coming back for years.
65 Paul Matthews Road, Rosedale, Auckland
Locksmiths elsewhere in Auckland
Before you book a locksmith on the North Shore
Drawn from 319 customer reviews collected for this page.
What does a locksmith typically cost in New Zealand?
Call-out fees for a standard residential or car lockout during business hours run $80 to $160, with the total landing between $150 and $300 once labour and parts are counted. After-hours, weekend or public holiday jobs add roughly $50 to $150 on top of that base charge.
Rekeying an existing lock costs $30 to $150 per lock, while a full lock change with new hardware supplied and fitted runs about $150 to $350. Car key replacement is the most expensive common job: a basic cut key can be around $150, a transponder key $200 to $600, and a smart or proximity key can exceed $1,000 depending on make and model, though a locksmith is nearly always cheaper than a dealer.
One review noted a key repair that saved the owner from a $900 to $1,200 dealer quote, paying just $92 instead. Price is driven by time of day, travel distance, whether the lock can be opened without drilling, and the grade of lock fitted. Get the full total, including call-out fee and any surcharge, confirmed in writing before the locksmith leaves their workshop.
Does a locksmith need a licence in New Zealand, and how do I check one is legitimate?
Locksmithing is not a licensed trade in New Zealand and the title is not protected, meaning anyone can call themselves a locksmith regardless of training or background. The one statutory boundary sits under the Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act 2010: a business that installs, repairs or removes alarms, safe or strongroom locks, or security cameras on someone else's premises is classified as a security technician and must hold a licence or certificate of approval from the Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority (PSPLA), which runs a public register you can search online.
Ordinary door locks, rekeying and car key cutting fall outside that Act. The practical credibility check is membership of the Master Locksmiths Association of Australasia (MLAA), whose member businesses must employ trade-qualified locksmiths holding the New Zealand Apprenticeship in Locksmithing at Level 4, pass police checks and meet insurance requirements, with a searchable member directory at findamasterlocksmith.co.nz. A further good sign is that a legitimate locksmith will ask for proof of ownership or tenancy before opening your property, which is standard practice and not an obstacle.
How do I tell a genuine local locksmith from a call-centre operator?
The clearest signal is whether the person who answers the phone is connected to the actual business doing the work: reviews that praised the best experiences highlighted that the person who took the call either arrived themselves or sent a named colleague from the same operation. A genuine local operator has a verifiable street address, a named owner, and honours the price quoted on the phone without adding surcharges once on site, which several reviews specifically called out as a mark of honesty. Marked vehicles, a willingness to attempt non-destructive entry before reaching for a drill, and the locksmith checking credentials before opening a property for a stranger are further indicators of a legitimate local business rather than a booking aggregator dispatching whoever is available.
What are the warning signs of a locksmith you should not use?
- –A phone quote that rises sharply once the locksmith is on site and you have little choice but to pay.
- –Drilling a lock without first attempting to pick it, then charging for a replacement lock at a marked-up price.
- –No identification shown on arrival and an unmarked or unbranded vehicle.
- –Demanding cash only with no receipt or invoice provided.
- –Not asking for any proof that you are entitled to enter the property or vehicle before starting work.
- –A failed installation where the locksmith asks you to pay again to fix their own error, as one review described after a car key pairing went wrong.
What should you ask before booking a locksmith?
- –What is the total price, covering the call-out fee, labour, any parts, and any after-hours or weekend surcharge, confirmed before they leave for the job.
- –How long until they arrive, and whether that estimate is realistic given their current location.
- –Will they attempt to open the lock without drilling first, and under what circumstances would drilling become necessary.
- –Do they carry a range of replacement locks on the van, or will a second visit be needed if the existing lock cannot be saved.
- –Can the existing lock be rekeyed rather than replaced, which is often significantly cheaper.
- –If it is a car key job, can they cut and program a key for your specific make, model and year, since not all locksmiths carry the software or blank keys for every vehicle.
Also recommended locksmiths on the North Shore
Ranked 6 to 10 on the same public review record.
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6
Allsafe Security Group Ltd
★ 4.8 91 reviews Top5 Score 1535★ 83 4★ 3 2★ 1 1★ 4Allsafe Security Group fixes broken door locks, faulty maglocks, access control systems, and key fobs, and has taken on jobs that other locksmith companies turned away before completing them without fuss. Pravash has shown up at 7:30am on a Friday during peak-hour traffic to restore a locked-out office, and the team regularly sorts solutions at low cost for clients who come in with a specific problem.
29 Porana Road, Glenfield, Auckland
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7
LockLab Limited
★ 5.0 42 reviews Top5 Score 1485★ 41 4★ 1LockLab installs keyless and digital locks, rekeying and barrel replacements, master key systems, and safe opening, with Jono also picking up poor installation work by previous trades as part of a standard callout. Quotes come in accurately, and final invoices have landed below the agreed price on more than one job.
5/3 Inanga Street Hobsonville
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8
Lock Stock & Barrel Locksmiths Ltd
★ 5.0 16 reviews Top5 Score 1365★ 16Lock Stock & Barrel fits homeowners and property managers who need front door lock replacements, smart lock installations, and short-notice emergency repairs handled by a single operator who follows through. David has put in temporary locks to secure a property while a replacement is ordered, then kept clients updated throughout, and followed up with a call after the job was done.
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9
PLATINUM LOCKSMITH
★ 5.0 12 reviews Top5 Score 1325★ 12Platinum Locksmith gets people back through their doors quickly, including after-hours lockouts like the Parnell apartment job completed outside normal working hours without hesitation. Yenten takes time to explain the work clearly before and during the job, and repeat clients point to the grade of hardware used as a reason they keep coming back.
55 Blakeborough Drive, Forrest Hill, Auckland
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10
Lockrite Locksmiths & Building Maintenance
★ 4.7 10 reviews Top5 Score 1275★ 8 4★ 1 3★ 1Lockrite gets lock installations done outside normal business hours, including on tricky or non-standard locks, without asking clients to wait for a convenient time slot. Booking is straightforward, and the work is completed without fuss once on site.
48 Joy Street, Albany Heights, Auckland
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About this ranking
What the 10 locksmiths listed above hold, at the 9 September 2026 check.
How are the top locksmiths on the North Shore chosen?
We build this page from Google Maps results for locksmiths on the North Shore. Each one is scored on its public rating and review record, using the same published method on every page. Businesses outside the area, or whose reviews describe a different line of work, are left out. Every category and city is rechecked on a rolling cycle, about every two to three months. See how we rank for the full method, including the checks that can keep a business off this page.
Are you a locksmith on the North Shore?
No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Claiming and verifying your listing is free: it adds your phone number to your card and a small trust bonus (+3 points) to your score, for confirming a real operator stands behind the listing, and gives you a dashboard showing how your score is made up. A paid subscription adds a website link, a profile page and your ranking history. Claim your listing or see what a subscription includes.
Not listed? The usual reasons are a Google Business category that does not match, too few reviews to score near the top, or an address outside the area we cover. Check where you rank first, and if you think we missed you, get in touch.