#key duplicates

For the record, if anyone needs a copy of a key (to an apartment, gate, etc.), plz do not pay exorbitant prices through your landlord or HOA.  A key copy costs no more than a few bucks.  If someone is charging you $20+ for a duplicate, they are wrong.

There is no legal reason why you cannot copy a key marked “Do Not Duplicate.”  Some special keys require specialized equipment, but for every normal key, you can go to a home improvement store (Lowes, Home Depot), or something like an automated key kiosk at Walmart.  If you’re worried about a “Do Not Duplicate” stamp, you can cover it up with masking tape with a label (like “F. Door”/”Bk Door”) if you choose to interact with a person to get the key made. 

A kiosk like minuteKEY kiosk (like those at Walmart) may state that it cannot copy “Do Not Duplicate” keys (in fact, it states that it cannot on its website).  However, you insert the key as you would into a lock, and the top of the key with the stamp remains outside the machine.  The machine only physically scans the actual teeth of the key and has no way of knowing whether it’s stamped “Do Not Duplicate” or not.

You can absolutely make a few copies of your important keys and keep the originals somewhere safe.  That way, if you lose any copies, you can re-copy as needed without ever going through your landlord or gatekeeping entity.