Dale is a real pro running a quality small business. He gets it right, quickly and prices are reasonable.

I needed a second key fob for my newly purchased used genesis. Genesis dealer wanted $900 to purchase the key fob program it and cut the spare key. I bought the key fob a car and truck remote for $104 in Dale had Active Lock And Key programmed it and cut the key for $240. It turns out my car was locked to prevent a new key fob from being made because it was a previously leased car. Dale Figured out how to unlock it. And created a new key fob that works perfectly. Also showed me how to get into my car or should the battery on the key fob died which was useful information. I am extremely happy that I found him. read more

Needed a lock for a nearby storage locker & rather than deal with Wal Mart, I remembered Active Lock helping me with a broken key in a lock years ago. I got there right at closing , and explained what I needed, they had it, I paid and went on my way. Good service, good price and product - only negative was feeling like all the 'guys' stood in the back watching the transaction. Odd. read more

Gentleman working (maybe owner?) who assisted me was great! I was a walk in, had gotten a key fob from a wholesaler to replace a lost Tucson fob. Dealership wanted 300* for programming alone. Was able to get done here for 140. My vehicle was being a jerk and not releasing code so he was able to contact the manufacturer and get pin/code at very reasonable add on. Finished programming, cut new internal key and provided me code if I need it again. As someone who is forgetful I've had many a keys cut for me over the years and this was the most seamless process I've encountered and friendly customer service to boot. Hope you don't need them but if you do there's nobody better. read more

Active came out either the day I called or the next day. The technician did his work within 30 minutes and was paid and departed. That is exactly what I wanted and that is it exactly what Active it. read more

outstanding service. very professional and courteous. Decent price for the work done.

We were having a sticky issue with the locks on our front and back doors. I should mention that the locks are 30 years old and we were terribly afraid they'd have to be replaced (would have been quite expensive to do so). But thankfully Mark from Active came out within an hour. He refitted some needed parts, cleaned the locks and pronounced, "These should be good for at least another 25 years!". LOL. We hope so! Mark was nice and knowledgeable! Would call this company again in a heartbeat! read more

I locked my keys in my running car at 7pm on a Sunday night. Not only did the folks at Active pick up the phone immediately when I called, they were onsite within 10 minutes to unlock the car. Thank you so much for taking such good care of your customers! read more

Called these guys for an estimate of work. I needed to contract some work to be done on some security doors that were vandalized. I needed one door re-hinged, locks checked to ensure they still worked, install strike plates which were stolen and overall just make sure everything worked as usual. It took more than four days to get a free estimate. Granted at this time there was one day of unruly weather which I can understand, still, four days to bid on a project is too long, when the work isn't extreme. (Remember, the security door is out of order until the repair occurs. Time is of the essence in these matters.) After fumbling between different employees that lost my contact info and other shenanigans I was presented with an estimate almost 60 % more than others I had received. Active mentioned they would do a lot more technical work like inspecting the door, hinges, locks, arm, locking mechanism, etc Still a quote which is $600-$800 to re-install a used door is far too great. For that much money you can buy a brand new door with new hardware. I ended up going elsewhere for the work. In the future I would consider them for work, since they have an emergency line and a retail shop. In these areas, finding a shop for industrial needs at night is hard to do, since the options are very limited. read more

Purchased a safe from these guys and the sale, cost and delivery (with bolt down) was EXCELLENT. Dale was professional and a straight shooter. I knew what I was getting, it fit my budget and needs and his advice on several other questions I had, made me even more confident in his expertise. I would highly recommend working with this company for many different needs. Active Lock and Key is now my go to for security, keys, safes etc. read more

I called to ask if they could program a keyless fog for an Infiniti, they said yes on the phone, but upon arriving they tried their best to figure it out, and said the battery was the problem for being unable to access the computer. They were very nice and cut my keys for $20.00, so I was satisfied with my visit. I took it to the dealer this morning, and they programmed all the keys without an issue. Active Lock & Key is not a mechanic shop, or a dealer, so don't expect similar results when trying to program a remote for an Infiniti. They'll try their best and are very fair on pricing. read more

After a few searches, I decided on calling this company to perform service on my son and his family's new home that they are moving into in Arlington Heights. These guys are as good as it gets...yes, they are professional, offer great value, arrive time and listen to your needs; however, they want to make sure everything works as it should and do multiple checks before they leave, with you. I appreciated that - not something every company does, unfortunately. They did more than just change locks and cut keys for me, as agreed. They also lubricated all moving parts, adjusted strike plates so units could work effectively, and, even made suggestions as to the better use of certain lock sets. I'd use them in a heartbeat. read more

Amazing service, arrived in less then 10 minutes and had us back in our apartment in even less time. Very highly recommended!

Mike was quick, did a great job and was affordable. He even handled an odd situation when another contractor showed up due to either a miscommunication or even something potentially more nefarious. We truly appreciate his professionalism and integrity. read more

Needed a new key for my Ford, Charlie helped me out . Very nice, helpful, and efficient

Active Lock & Key are absolutely fast service arrived within 10min. Locked my self out of my house they unlocked the door within few minutes. I highly recommend them read more

Hands down best locksmith ever! Showed up within 15 min of my calling for my friend who locked herself out of her minivan this morning. Very reasonably priced as well as professional. Highly recommend using them and added them to my contacts for future reference and referrals! read more

Active Lock & Key replaced my exterior door locks with professional grade, high quality locks that replaced the cheaply made, unreliable, waste of time and money locks from the big-box store I originally got them from. Dale took the time to explain things to me and the locksmith that came out to install the new locks did a terrific job. Working with a trained locksmith is the way to go. Our home is secure. Support the trades and small businesses. Active Lock & Key has been in business for I think close to 40-50 years! read more

Stopped by to get an keycode lock re-keyed to an existing key. The locksmith came out and told me it could not be rekeyed due to the design. He showed me and explained the reason, that the access door could not be opened without damaging, rendering the lock inoperable. He very carefully worked on the door while explaining, determined to be certain that it could not be done. He was able go gently remove the access door without any damage. He proceeded to key the lock and cut me additional keys. Very friendly and knowledgeable. I have been to several locksmiths in the past and these folks were a pleasant surprise. While I was there, I perused their safes. They have some very old units on display which are just beautiful. The current models were from a couple known brands. I will be back when I am considering purchasing a new safe. read more

I called Active Lock on a Monday morning, desperate for immediate service, as the door lock to our Arlington Hts. business suddenly wouldn't open. Employees/clients were waiting to get in. Active was actually the 3rd business I had called as the first 2 couldn't get here ASAP. I should have called Active first, and from now on, I will. Dennis took my call and arrived here within 5 minutes, impressive! Within minutes, he had our door open. The lock mechanisms simply needed to be lubricated, and he showed me how to do it as preventative maintenance in the future. We appreciate his honesty, without suggesting a replacement lock. Pricing was very reasonable for an emergency service call. I need to have a car key programmed, and I will for sure be visiting Active for this as well. read more

Professional, reasonable and just nice guys! They did a great job for me and saved me once! Thankfully it was only once but it is a relief to know they are there for me! Thanks guys! read more

Super friendly! It was a pleasure to work with Dale. Requested service to open the door for my house Responded right away via text! I was able to open the door before he came, yet he did not charge for the dispatcher fee! Willing to work with him again ! read more

I highly recommend Active Lock & Key. Prompt, honest & reliable service! Called for locks to be changed on my house & an hour later they were done! Excellent service! read more

Friendly and super fast service. I have used their services several times and they always showed up at my business locations within an hour. On one occasion, my sister-in-law who lives in Schaumburg lost her house key and they got there in less than 20 minutes. That was very impressive! read more

I needed a spare key made and it was the biggest pain in the butt duplicating the key. First I went to Menards and used their key machine, but unfortunately the key didn't work in the door. And then I found this place on Yelp and couldn't be happier. I didn't grab the name of the guy who helped me out but I was literally in and out of their place in 2 minutes and the key was less than $4 and actually worked on the door! Will definitely come here again if I ever need spare keys made! read more

Excellent service and communication. I needed a car key for our new car (lost the duplicate a few weeks after we purchased the car!). They were honest, and provided great service. We saved a lot of $$ by not going through the car dealership. Glad I found them! read more

SUPER FAST and friendly service! I needed some documents from my safebox which I haven't used for over 4 years and forgot the code. They opened it for me in less than 10 minutes with no hassle and gave me clear details about the process before starting. My mom recommended this place because she got several duplicate keys from here and I'm so glad I came here! read more

Super fast service! I needed duplicates for 8 keys and I was in and out in 5 minutes. The price was a lot cheaper than in those self-service kiosks inside Walmart and the quality of their keys is much better. Highly recommend this place! read more

Called right when their normal office hours begin (was not an emergency so I waited) and asked for my lock that I installed last night to be re-keyed to match my other locks. The locksmith arrived promptly about an hour later (well within the 2 hour window they gave me). He was courteous, friendly, and professional. He had my lock re-keyed quickly and also asked if I needed any copies of my key made. I decided to go have a couple copies made, and when he came back from his truck, he handed me 4 keys and said, "I went ahead and made 4 for you". All in all, I am very pleased and I would certainly use them again. read more

Mark from Active Lock was able to fit us in somewhat last minute (I called two days before we closed on a new house, on the first of a month). Including re-arranging his schedule a bit when our closing went long. He was efficient in his time and explained a few things to me for consideration when I replace lock hardware in the near future. Thanks guys! read more

Needed a locksmith fast so I called Active after I received a recommendation. Dale was polite, quoted a fee over the phone and showed up within 15-20 minutes as promised to take care of my issue. What a pro! Would definitely recommend to a friend or call him again should the need arise! read more

Active Lock and Key took great care of my daughter. She purchased a used car that had only 1 combination key and fob and she needed a spare. Not knowing that Dale and his crew at Active could help, she went to another local and reputable locksmith first. After numerous (5!) attempts, he gave up. We were very frustrated but the assignment turned out to be much more difficult than we originally thought. It turned out that all of this computerization makes the job of a replacing your key and fob much harder than it used to be. She called Dale and he and his men at Active had the exact same problems as the last fellow. However, they kept on it and on it until they succeeded. They were complete gentlemen to work with, they obviously had the right expertise and they would not quit. Keep in mind that all of this was under ideal conditions. No one was locked out or on the side of the road, and it during daylight. It was still really hard to make a replacement key and fob for this particular car. Some stray comments said he was not patient but this was not our experience at all. Maybe these others had the wrong expectations themselves. Active was much cheaper than the dealer price too. read more

I was locked out of my house and they came within 20 minutes. Service was excellent and the technician was very pleasant and friendly.

Worst service and rude employees! I had my car key done there on 2018, it was all good and great the 1st time. My Second experience was not that great at all.I called them to ask about a new key on my car, a employee who picked up the phone was really rude and loud with me right away. He was upset bcz I was questioning a high price of 130$ dollars for 1 key vrs a Previously total price of 85$. The only reason I had gone there in the first place was because Of their good reviews.The owner had Previously told me to come back for the second key and that he'll give me a better deal on the second key. But I'm not sure I'll go back there after this bad experience with this employee. I will make sure that I'll tell the people i know about the rude & disrespectful employees they have working there. I had told the guy that I've simply was calling to ask you for a price because they originally had told me to come back there and they'll give me a better deal the second time! You can't treat your customers disrespectfully, I was never loud or rude to that individual. I was just simply trying to explain my situation. read more

I have met the owner, Dale on a previous occasion. I went to his showroom with my best friend, when I was pricing out Safes. My friend purchased a large safe from Dale, and spent about $2,000. for it. Since the purchase of the safe, my best friend, passed away... leaving me his safe. Dale quoted me $450. for moving the safe from Bensenville to Algonquin. Dale took over one week to come pick up the safe from Bensenville. Then Dale calls me and states That he has no room in the showroom and needs to deliver to Algonquin. He acted highly unprofessional from the time I called him for a pick up to the time he said he could not deliver the safe because of winter bad weather. Now he doesn't have room to store the safe. Please make up your mind, Dale. I feel that the treatment I've received, thus far is abusive and very unprofessional. I was considering to recommend his company and services to my friends and family. Now I don't even want to deal with him anymore. Equipment costs do NOT justify gouging me $450. Sorry Dale, I'll finish our business dealings I can Also, guarantee that I will not be recommending your company or referring you out to anyone. read more

We have used Active for many years at our body shop re keying automobile locks. We've never had an issue with rudeness, nor disrespect. The work has always been perfect and completed as needed. If you have been treated poorly by these guys, all I can say is kindness and respect deserves kindness and respect in return. If you want to be rude or bull headed, thats what you deserve to get back. Guys, keep up the great work!!!! Eric read more

I got locked out of my house due to a power outage and I had to get in. These guys came within 10 min and saved the day!! The price was so reasonable & they did not even charge me for the return trip. I highly recommend active lock. These other reviews are just impossible to even believe!! read more

I was in today. I was encouraged by the review that these guys are not a-holes. I came in with a proximity key I purchased on the internet for my car. They not only worked to get it programmed, but they spent the time to get the physical key to work, which required some grinding. Nice guys that care about the customer. Would definitely go back. read more

Wow! This guy was a major jerk on the phone to me! He said he'd have to send a man and a truck to come unlock my car as a reason to why his quote was so high. I asked why he needed to bring a truck, like why did he specify truck, as opposed to a car, and was because it needed to get towed? He got real sassy with me, saying that his guys didn't ride bicycles. Don't call this guy unless you want to get some attitude. read more

Severe price gouging going on here. Wanted to charge me $25 for a trim piece I got at a competitor for $4. Stay clear.