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If an employee left with a key to your business, rekey every lock that key opens within 24 hours, and write down who else holds one. Commercial locksmith services are the fastest way to turn an unreturned key into scrap.
Arizona law makes it a class 2 misdemeanor to knowingly enter a nonresidential structure unlawfully, but that only helps after someone has already walked in. Old Glory Locksmith has worked on Phoenix area business doors since 2011, out of a mobile van based in Glendale. Our commercial locksmith services come to you, so the rekey happens on site.
What To Do When An Employee Keeps A Key?
Ask for the key back in writing, cut electronic access the same day, and rekey the doors it opens. A rekey works whether or not the key comes back.
Here is the sequence:
- List every door the person could open: front and back doors, the roof hatch, storage cages, the server closet, file cabinets, and any gate padlock. With a key log this takes two minutes. Without one, walk the building.
- Text or email a return request with a deadline, usually 48 hours out. A written request leaves a record, and it documents that their access has ended.
- Turn off fobs, keycards, alarm codes, and shared logins before you send that request, not after.
- Call a provider of commercial locksmith services and book the rekey. After a firing or a bad exit, skip the 48 hour wait and book it the same day.
- Give new keys only to people on your current list, and have each one sign for theirs. Tell staff the locks changed in one plain sentence, so the rumor mill doesn’t explain it for you.
- Keep the paperwork: the request, the invoice, and the date the locks changed.
Most owners get through step two and stop. The key comes back, three weeks pass, and nobody checks whether it was the only copy. A hardware store can duplicate a standard key in minutes.
| Blue Tip: Send the return request by text or email, never by phone. A call leaves you with a disagreement about what was said. A message leaves you with a timestamp. |
Do You Rekey Business Locks When An Employee Quits?
Yes, if the key is missing, may have been copied, or they left on bad terms. Skip it only if you got the key back in person and your log shows one copy.
Rekeying keeps the lock body and changes the pins inside the cylinder, so the old key stops turning it. It costs a fraction of new hardware, and a mobile tech typically finishes a cylinder in about 15 to 20 minutes.
| Situation | Rekey? | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Key returned in person, one copy logged, no master key | Optional | Next routine visit |
| Key returned, but copies unknown | Yes | Within a week |
| Key not returned, friendly exit | Yes | Within 48 hours |
| Key not returned, fired or hostile exit | Yes | Same day |
| Employee held a master or submaster key | Yes, entire system | Same day |
| Employee had keys to a shared or leased building | Yes, and notify the landlord | Same day |
A tech who does commercial locksmith services every week will also catch what owners miss, like a back gate padlock on a different key or a mailbox lock nobody remembered.
Can A Former Employee Copy A Company Key?
Yes. A standard brass key takes minutes to duplicate at a hardware store kiosk, and a Do Not Duplicate stamp on the bow does not stop the machine. Only a restricted keyway does.
Restricted systems such as Schlage Primus or Medeco use patented key blanks that only authorized dealers can order. A former employee holding a restricted key can keep it, but can’t make a second one.
That is where business key security is won or lost: at the copy counter, not at the door. A crew delivering commercial locksmith services can usually move a small office to a restricted keyway during the same visit as the rekey.
What Are The Risks Of Not Rekeying After An Employee Leaves?
- A former employee may still have access to the business.
- The key may have been copied without your knowledge.
- Unauthorized access could expose equipment, files, inventory, or restricted areas.
- A lost or unreturned key can create a security gap.
- If the key is a master key, the risk can affect multiple doors or areas.
- Rekeying removes the old key’s access without replacing the entire lock hardware.
What If The Employee Had A Master Key?
Rekey every lock that master key opened. It opens many doors by design, so one missing key can mean 10 or 20 locks.
The clean fix is a new keying chart: each door gets its own change key, and the master is cut fresh. Ask any shop that handles commercial locksmith services for a copy of the chart when the job ends, and store it away from the building.
Leased space adds a wrinkle. If your landlord holds a master or controls the exterior doors, call the property manager first. Read your lease too, since some require approval or a copy of the new keys.
How Much Does It Cost To Rekey A Business?
Phoenix commercial locksmith services charge per cylinder plus one service call, so door count matters more than square footage. The figures below are estimates.
| Service | Estimated price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Service call, business hours | $60 to $95 | Travel and setup, charged once per visit |
| Rekey, standard commercial cylinder | $20 to $40 each | New pins, new keys cut |
| Restricted keyway upgrade | $90 to $200 each | Copies blocked at hardware stores |
| Replace a commercial lockset | $120 to $300 per door | Best for worn or damaged hardware |
| After hours or emergency premium | $50 to $100 extra | Confirm before dispatch |
Take an eight door office. Rekeying eight standard cylinders at $20 to $40 each comes to $160 to $320. Add the $60 to $95 service call and the total lands between $220 and $415. Moving those doors to restricted keyways runs $720 to $1,600 before the service call. Replacing all eight locksets runs $960 to $2,400.
Want a firm number for your doors? Call (602) 696 0763 and describe them. You’ll get a straight range on the phone before anyone drives out.
| Blue Tip: Ask for a keying chart and a key count in writing when the job ends. If the invoice says “rekeyed 8 cylinders, cut 12 keys,” you know exactly how many keys exist. |
Can I Hold Final Pay Until the Key Is Returned?
Not safely. Once an employee has company keys and a grudge, paying late is the quickest way to hand them a legitimate complaint.
Under Arizona law, a fired employee must be paid within seven working days or by the end of the next regular pay period, whichever is sooner. An employee who quits must be paid by the regular payday for that pay period.
Employers can withhold wages only when the law requires it, when the employee gave prior written authorization, or when there is a reasonable good faith dispute over the amount owed. A missing key is not a wage dispute.
If you have a signed key deposit agreement or a documented dollar loss, talk to an employment attorney before you touch the check. Otherwise, treat the rekey as a cost of doing business and pay on time. This is general information, not legal advice.
Do You Still Need To Rekey After Deactivating A Fob?
No. It disables the card, not the metal keys. Back doors, gates, and padlocks don’t use the card system at all.
Picture the common setup: a reader on the front door and a plain deadbolt on the back, keyed years ago. Real commercial lock security layers a restricted keyway under the reader, so losing one doesn’t defeat the other.
Shops offering commercial locksmith services can also add readers to existing doors. An access system logs every entry, so you can see who came in and when.
What Goes Into A Key Control Policy?
Employee key control is a short written rule set covering who gets a key, how it is signed out, and what happens on the last day. One page is enough.
It should include:
- A key log with a number for every key, the doors it opens, and who holds it
- Keys stamped with numbers, not door names
- A rule against personal copies, backed by a restricted keyway
- A return checklist signed on the last day
- A quarterly count of keys against the log
| Blue Tip: Stamp K14 on the bow, not “Front Door.” A key found in a parking lot that says Front Door tells a stranger which lock to try. K14 tells them nothing. |
What Should You Do Immediately If An Employee Leaves With A Key?
- Document the key: Record which key was issued and what areas it can access.
- Request its return: Contact the former employee and ask for the key back.
- Check access: Identify doors, offices, or restricted areas the key can open.
- Consider rekeying: Rekey affected locks if the key is not returned or may have been copied.
- Update records: Mark the key as returned, missing, or deactivated in your key control log.
Need A Rekey After An Employee Left With A Key?
Old Glory Locksmith provides 24 hour commercial locksmith services across Glendale, Phoenix, and the West Valley. Call or text (602) 696 0763 or email cory@corybahr.com. We’ll tell you on the phone whether a rekey covers it or the hardware needs replacing. If the key came back in your hand and your log shows one copy, we’ll tell you that too.
FAQs
How long does a business rekey take?
About 15 to 20 minutes per cylinder, so an eight door office takes roughly two to three hours.
Should I replace the locks or rekey them?
Rekey unless the hardware is worn, broken, or wrong for the door. Replace a deadbolt that sticks, a loose latch, or a residential grade lock on a busy commercial door.
Can I bill the former employee for the rekey?
Only if a signed agreement says so, and never by deducting it from wages without their written authorization. Against a rekey bill of a few hundred dollars, ask an employment attorney whether a demand letter is worth the cost.
How fast can a locksmith reach my business in Glendale or Phoenix after hours?
Most calls get same day service from a 24 hour mobile locksmith. Give your cross streets and ask for a realistic window before anyone is dispatched.
Do I need my landlord’s permission to rekey a leased space in Phoenix?
Check your lease first. Some Arizona commercial leases require written notice or a copy of the new key, and if the landlord controls the exterior doors, they belong in the plan.
Is it a crime in Arizona if a fired employee uses an old key to get in?
It can be. Entering a nonresidential structure unlawfully is a class 2 misdemeanor under ARS 13-1503, and the word that matters is unlawfully. A written notice that their access ended makes that easier to show. File a police report and hand over your key log and the notice.