Terms of service

Last updated: January 2026

Who we are

Valparaiso Locksmith.shop is a mobile locksmith serving Valparaiso, Florida and the roads around it. We work on locks and keys — lockouts, car keys and fobs, rekeys, and commercial hardware. We do not do mechanical garage-door repair, and we will tell you plainly when a job is outside our trade rather than take it and fumble it.

ID and proof of ownership — no exceptions

This is the most important thing on this page, so it goes near the top.

Proof of ownership means something real: a deed, a mortgage statement, a lease with your name on it, a utility bill at that address, a vehicle registration or title, or an insurance card matching the vehicle. For a business, it means documentation that you are the owner or an authorized agent — a landlord or property manager needs to show the ownership or management agreement, not just say the words.

We ask because that requirement is the entire line between a locksmith and a burglar. The skills are the same. The tools are the same. The only thing that separates the two is whether the person opening the door verified that the door belongs to the person standing in front of it. A locksmith who skips that step is not being nice to you — he is a man who will do exactly the same thing for whoever asks about your house next week.

If we cannot verify ownership, we do not open it. We will help you find a way to prove it, and we would rather leave a job than be the reason somebody lost their car.

ETAs are estimates, not guarantees

When you call, we will tell you how long we think we will be. That number is a good-faith estimate based on where the van is and what is in front of us — not a contractual promise.

Weather, traffic on John Sims Parkway, a job ahead of you that turned out to be harder than it sounded, a train of things outside our control: any of it can move the number. What we will not do is quote you an artificially short ETA to keep you from calling somebody else. If it is going to be an hour, we will say an hour, and you are free to call somebody else. Service is also subject to availability — we are a small shop and there are moments when we are already under a dash somewhere.

Quotes and scope

Any quote we give you over the phone is an estimate based on what you described to us. We are working from your words, sight unseen. If the vehicle turns out to be a different year, if the "one deadbolt" is actually three cylinders, if a lock has been drilled or damaged before we got there, then the job is not the job you described and the estimate no longer fits it.

So the scope is confirmed on site, in person, before any work begins. We look at the actual lock or vehicle, we tell you what the job really is, and you say yes or no. You are never obligated to proceed after we arrive, and no work starts until you agree to the confirmed scope. A price that changes silently while the drill is already running is not something we do.

Damage and the non-destructive rule

We work non-destructively first. When a lock is seized, has been previously damaged, or the hardware makes non-destructive entry impossible, drilling may be the only route — and we will tell you that before we do it, explain what will need replacing, and get your agreement. You are consenting to the method, not just the outcome.

We are not responsible for pre-existing wear, damage, or defects in your hardware, doors, or vehicle, and old hardware sometimes fails under perfectly normal handling — this is Valparaiso, and a great deal of the hardware here is decades old and brittle from salt air. Where that risk exists, we will flag it before we touch it.

Payment

Payment is due when the work is finished, in the amount confirmed on site. That is the whole term.

Limits

We are a civilian locksmith. We cannot pass a gate onto Eglin Air Force Base without you sponsoring and escorting us — that is base policy, not ours. Off-base work is no problem.

We do not accept work we believe is intended to bypass someone else's rights: an ex-partner's locks, a vehicle that is not yours, a unit you do not lawfully control. See the ID section above.

This website

The information here is general guidance about locks, keys, and this town — not a warranty, and not a promise about your specific lock. Submitting the booking form is a request for a callback, not a booked appointment; nothing is scheduled until we have spoken. How we handle what you send us is covered in our privacy policy.

Changes and questions

If these terms change, the updated version appears here with a new date. Anything unclear, call and ask — (850) 389-2182. See also about us, contact, and the service area.