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The Best Locksmiths in Adelaide

Seven Adelaide locksmiths for lockouts, rekeying, restricted key systems and car keys. Every pick holds a Google rating of 4.7 or better across more than 100 reviews and trades under its own name with its own website, so you know who is turning up. We favoured locksmiths with a long local history, a real base and clear information about how they charge.

By Joel Bauer, Adelaide, South Australia

Illustrative photo. Photo: Unsplash.

Locked out at night, you search on your phone and tap the first result. That is exactly when it pays to know who is really coming. Some top results for locksmiths are call centres that take the job and pass it on, sometimes with a fee added. A generic name, no street address, a national 1300 number and a website listing dozens of cities are all warning signs.

Three questions sort most of it out before anyone sets off. What is the name of the business that will invoice me? What is your ABN? Who is the locksmith coming? A genuine local operator answers all three straight away. Ask for the call-out fee, the likely price of the job and any after-hours surcharge too and get the range in a text message so there is a record.

The seven picks are all real local businesses with their own websites. Port Locksmiths has a shopfront in Glanville and a history back to a Port Adelaide business established in 1900. Adelaide Locksmiths in Prospect supplies master key and restricted key systems. Alchin Security Locksmiths in Salisbury Heights has specialised in car keys since 1992. Pearce, Pick Me and Adelaide Home Security Locksmiths are mobile, covering the metro area and the southern suburbs. Rapid Response in Underdale advertises a flat call fee with no after-hours call-out fees and Pick Me lists mobile and car services from $130.

Several picks say they belong to the Master Locksmiths Association of Australasia or the Locksmith Guild of Australia. I list those as each business states them, since they are industry bodies and I have not verified membership myself. For this list, a locksmith needed a Google rating of 4.7 or higher from at least 100 reviews when I checked on 10 October 2026. It also needed its own website naming the business and the work it does and an Adelaide base or a clearly named local operator. I left out lead-generation networks listing the same brand across several cities, duplicate listings and sites that did not load. No business paid to appear. The entries follow, with the work each one does and how to reach them.

Call-out fees and after-hours pricing

A locksmith job usually has two parts: a fee to come out and the work itself. After hours, many locksmiths add a surcharge on top. The problem is rarely the price itself but finding out what it is after the van arrives. Before you agree to a visit, ask for the call-out fee, the price of the most likely job (a lockout or a lock change) and whether the time of day changes either number.

Some locksmiths make this easy. Rapid Response Locksmiths advertises a flat rate call fee with no after-hours call-out fees. Pick Me Locksmiths lists its mobile and car locksmith services from $130. If a locksmith will only say it depends until they are on site, ask for a range in a text message so there is a record.

Lockouts, rekeying and restricted key systems

A lockout is getting you back in. A good locksmith can often pick or bypass a standard lock without damaging it. They should say so before reaching for a drill. Rekeying changes the pins inside your existing lock so old keys stop working. It can cost less than replacing the lock and is the job to ask for after moving house or losing a key.

Restricted key systems are for when you need control over who copies keys, like a business, a block of units or a rental. Keys on these systems cannot be cut at any key kiosk. Adelaide Locksmiths and Rapid Response Locksmiths both list restricted keys among their services. Ask who holds the authority to order copies and what proof they need before cutting one.

What SA law says about locksmith licences

South Australia licenses security agents under the Security and Investigation Industry Act 1995. The Act's definition of security agent work includes advising on, supplying, installing or maintaining security alarm or surveillance systems. The definition does not mention locks or keys. So a locksmith who also installs alarms or cameras needs a security agents licence for that part of the job. You can ask for the number and check it with Consumer and Business Services.

Industry memberships are a separate thing. Several picks here say they belong to the Master Locksmiths Association of Australasia or the Locksmith Guild of Australia. These are industry bodies, not government licences, but they are still worth asking about because they show the business has put its name to a set of trade standards.

How to spot a dodgy call-centre listing

Search for a locksmith in a hurry and some of the top results are not locksmiths at all. They are call centres that take your job and pass it to whoever is free, sometimes with a fee added. Warning signs include a generic name like Locksmith plus a suburb, no street address, a national 1300 or 1800 number and a website that lists dozens of cities.

Before anyone comes out, ask three questions. What is the name of the business that will invoice me? What is your ABN? Who is the locksmith coming? A genuine local operator answers all three straight away. Reviews that name the same technicians over several years are another good sign that you are dealing with a real local business.

The list side by side

No.NameAreaBest forRating
01Port LocksmithsGlanvilleWalk-in shopfront with a long local history4.8 (209)
02Adelaide LocksmithsProspectMaster key and restricted key systems4.7 (112)
03Alchin Security LocksmithsSalisbury HeightsCar keys, transponders and automotive lockouts4.9 (231)
04Pearce LocksmithsAdelaide (mobile)Family-run mobile service including caravans and safes5 (105)
05Rapid Response LocksmithsUnderdaleAfter-hours lockouts without an after-hours call-out fee5 (104)
06Adelaide Home Security LocksmithsMorphett ValeSouthern suburbs emergency call-outs4.9 (129)
07Pick Me LocksmithsAdelaide (mobile)Mobile home and car locksmithing with a published starting price4.8 (210)

Port Locksmiths

Glanville. Walk-in shopfront with a long local history

Port Locksmiths traces back to T B Oliver, a Port Adelaide locksmith and hardware business established in 1900. It took its current name in 1990. It is owned and run by a Master Locksmith with nearly 35 years of experience. The Swan Terrace shop handles residential, commercial and automotive work as well as key cutting.

  • Business history in Port Adelaide back to 1900
  • Owned by a Master Locksmith
  • Shopfront with showroom and workshop
  • Home, business and car locksmithing
Rating
4.8 from 209 reviews on Google
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Adelaide Locksmiths

Prospect. Master key and restricted key systems

Adelaide Locksmiths has more than 30 years in the trade and works from a shop on Churchill Road in Prospect. It supplies master key and restricted key systems and handles ETSA locks, access control and transponder car keys. It offers a 24-hour emergency service for homes, businesses and government clients.

  • More than 30 years in the trade
  • Master key and restricted key systems
  • ETSA locks and key authorisation letters
  • 24-hour emergency service
Rating
4.7 from 112 reviews on Google
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Alchin Security Locksmiths

Salisbury Heights. Car keys, transponders and automotive lockouts

Alchin has been an automotive locksmith in Adelaide since March 1992. Owner Andrew Alchin is a Master Locksmith and every team member trained under him through their apprenticeship. It runs six mobile service vans and also handles residential lockouts, rekeying and key cutting.

  • Automotive locksmith since 1992
  • Owner is a Master Locksmith
  • Six mobile service vans
  • States it is Master Locksmiths Association Professional Guarantee accredited
Rating
4.9 from 231 reviews on Google
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Pearce Locksmiths

Adelaide (mobile). Family-run mobile service including caravans and safes

Pearce Locksmiths is a family-owned mobile locksmith with more than 16 years of experience. It covers residential, commercial, automotive and caravan work, plus safe installation and safe openings. It says it is a member of the Master Locksmiths Association and runs a 24/7 mobile service.

  • Family-owned, more than 16 years
  • Caravan and safe work
  • 24/7 mobile service
  • States Master Locksmiths Association membership
Rating
5 from 105 reviews on Google
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Rapid Response Locksmiths

Underdale. After-hours lockouts without an after-hours call-out fee

Rapid Response Locksmiths is a mobile service based in Underdale. It advertises a flat rate call fee and no after-hours call-out fees, which makes late-night lockouts easier to price. For home and business jobs it offers a free on-site consultation before quoting. It also handles restricted keys and ETSA keys.

  • No after-hours call-out fees
  • Free on-site consultation for home and business jobs
  • Restricted keys and ETSA keys
  • States Locksmith Guild of Australia membership
Rating
5 from 104 reviews on Google
Visit website

Adelaide Home Security Locksmiths

Morphett Vale. Southern suburbs emergency call-outs

Adelaide Home Security Locksmiths is based in Morphett Vale and covers the southern suburbs and beyond. It states more than 37 years of experience in the trade. It says its locksmiths are police checked and that the business is a member of the Master Locksmiths Association of Australasia.

  • Based in Morphett Vale
  • More than 37 years of experience
  • Police-checked locksmiths
  • States Master Locksmiths Association of Australasia membership
Rating
4.9 from 129 reviews on Google
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Pick Me Locksmiths

Adelaide (mobile). Mobile home and car locksmithing with a published starting price

Pick Me Locksmiths is a mobile locksmith run by a registered Master Locksmith with more than 30 years of experience. It publishes a starting price of $130 for its mobile and car locksmith services. It also handles access control for businesses.

  • Mobile and car services from $130
  • Run by a registered Master Locksmith
  • More than 30 years of experience
  • Business access control
Rating
4.8 from 210 reviews on Google
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Frequently asked

Do locksmiths need a licence in South Australia?

The Security and Investigation Industry Act 1995 requires a security agents licence for advising on, installing or maintaining security alarm or surveillance systems. Its definition does not mention locks or keys. If your locksmith is also fitting an alarm or cameras, ask for their security agents licence number.

Should I rekey or replace my locks after moving house?

Rekeying is usually enough if the locks are in good condition. It changes the pins so the previous owner's keys no longer work. Replace the lock if it is worn, damaged or you want a higher security model.

What is a restricted key system?

A key system where copies can only be cut by the locksmith that set it up, with authorisation from the key holder. It suits businesses, strata buildings and rentals where you need to know how many keys exist.

How do I avoid being overcharged for an emergency lockout?

Ask for the call-out fee, the likely job price and any after-hours surcharge before the locksmith sets off. Ask for the business name and ABN. If the price changes on arrival, you can decline before any work starts.

Can a locksmith help with car keys?

Yes, automotive locksmiths can cut and program transponder keys and remotes for many vehicles. Alchin Security Locksmiths has specialised in automotive work since 1992. Several other picks here also list car keys.

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