Got 2 car keys cut and programmed for 55 bucks. The big guy that helped me was very nice and informative on what needed to be done and what he needed to checked for me. The location is only a few minutes off I290 and has plenty of street parking. read more

I've been going to General Lock for years. They always provide good quality, great service @ good prices & most importantly keys that work. When I first started going to General Lock they use to be located on Fullerton Ave just east of Cicero Avenue. At the time I had 3 buildings so this location worked out pretty good as it was on my route to the buildings. Today 04/30/20 I called on General Lock again to get key fob for my wife's car. The key fob I got was a pre furbished key that cost $108.00 out the door. I could have gotten the same key fob @ Toyota for a mere $464.00 + 10% tax only $510.49. Yeah I think I'll stay w/General Lock. read more

See all

Spectacular service and extremely knowledgeable. These are REAL lock pros - know how to get it done and they have superior technical knowledge. They will be my go to lock source going forward. read more

Quickly made 2 keys for my 2016 Hyundai Veloster. I couldnt find anyone to do this so I was so happy at the fast service and reasonable prices. read more

Hidden neighborhood gem with absolute integrity and expertise (we need more small businesses like this in the West Town area). Jay (shop manager) and Tom (technician who worked on my house) are top-notch pros who go above and beyond to accommodate. They have a customer for life, and I recommend them to anyone who needs locksmith services. Keep it going guys! read more

3/28/2018 I must say I'm very impressed with the general lock company I had a specialist his name was Freddie he was awesome very patient my car was very difficult I drove all the way from Skokie and everything was done 100% perfect Thanks Freddie see you again If I could give more than a five star I would give a 10 quality service professional the rest room was very clean I loved the service that I got all the way from Skokie read more

I wish I could give them 6 stars. I was in a crazy bind because I needed an uncommon key cut and I needed it today. I was 20 minutes away from their shop, stuck in bad traffic and they were scheduled to close in 10 minutes. I called, ready to plead and beg. But all I had to say was I was on my way. This guy says no problem, man. I'll wait for you. I got there at 10 minutes after and again was ready to aplogize and thank him profusely. But again, he said don't worry about it. He figured out the correct blank and cut my key while we chatted. Simple, pleasant and professional. This guy helped me more than he knows, and without so much as a huff for me being so late. The other thing he did was gain a new customer. Good customer service is still worth something. At least it is to me. read more

I called to have the lock on my front door re-keyed. They arrived within an hour and had the job done in about 30 minutes. Also, they charge less than Home Depot to copy keys! read more

This general is certainly a 5 star one! All joking aside, after being forced to have my rental properties locks changed I found myself first going to the usual Lincoln Park locksmiths who are clearly used to dealing with those who don't care about cost or customer service at all. After getting sticker shock ranging from 3-4k, no I'm not joking, I found General Lock. I stopped in on a Saturday and spoke with Bill and from that point on my search for all things security related is over. After explaining my needs to him he went over the wide range of options and he found me one 2k less than the others! Fast forward to the day of installation. As I was at work I had my dad met the technician at my property to let him in. He too was amazed at the friendly, knowledgeable and fast service. All said and done they really are bar none the best locksmiths in this city! If you want fantastic customer service with a more than fair price this is the place to go! read more

I've used General Lock twice. We moved a few blocks away and wanted to change the locks on our front and back door. Just took the locks over and they changed them out - took them about 15 minutes and their work was clean and quick. They also helped me troubleshoot some issues with my car key alarm system. We couldn't fix it there - but they took the time to troubleshoot it with me and then sent me to folks who *could* help me. I've got some older mortise locks on my interior doors. Going to find out whether they can help with those next! read more

Not bad, not great! I had two missed appointments here but on the third try they did give me a discount for my trouble. The regular prices seemed competitive anyway, the staff is very polite and the work is done pretty fast. I had all my locks rekeyed and a couple of doors drilled for new knobs. I would definitely give these guys another try and chock up my missed appointments as a rare occurrence (based on the other reviews). The only other negative is, one of the locks is hard to turn. read more

This place is great. Went to the 3 Local Big Box hardware stores for a set of keys and all were returned as none of them worked. Walked in to this place and explained to the very friendly guy behind the counter what was going on and from one look at the keys he automatically knew these were for outside gates, told me not to worry and about 5 minutes later I had a set of gate keys that actually worked! Something to be said for a guy who know his craft : ) A bit on the pricey side but well worth it. Never going to big box store again if ever need keys, right to General Lock it is. read more

Been using General lock for the past several years. Bill and his locksmiths are top notch. Highly recommend.

Very knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly staff. I had an odd key to duplicate, and every other locksmith turned me away without any explanation. General Lock not only cut the key, but gave me the background knowledge about the lock and why it was difficult to duplicate. read more

Top notch service with a smile. Small issue, rectified immediately and at no cost! I looked at online reviews and ended up calling General to get a quote on a front door knob replacment. After a very informative call with the shop, with his help, we narrowed down some options and prices and he suggested I stop in so that they could see my key type and confirm that a new knob could be re-keyed easily. I stopped in later that day and spoke with Bill(?) who was extremely helpful. In less than 10 minutes he confirmed my key type and advised me on the best product for me needs, and gave me a complete estimate including a discount on the travel fee because I was fairly close to the shop. We set an appointment for install for the following Tuesday. I got a courtesy call the morning of from the installer and in no time my installation was complete. After getting back home that night, I retested all of the existing keys to make sure they still worked in the new, re-keyed knob, only to find that something was slightly off and the majority of "original" keys did not work any more. I'm guessing there was a tiny differences in the copies I had all of these years. Well, my wife popped into the store, explained the snafu, and was back out the door in 5 minutes after they offered to have 6 new keys cut at NO CHARGE. They apologized for the issue and explained how something like that can happen with old copies. That said, our new lock looks great, works great, has 6 new keys that all work great. This truly is a customer-centric shop and they do go above and beyond to explain options, offer smart recommendations, and offer fair, if not, great prices. I would strongly recommend! read more

If you're looking for a copy of a automotive key that has a chip, don't even waste your time at the Dealer's go straight to these professionals. read more

Jay couldn't help me, but called another locksmith who could. He didn't have to do what he did, including calling the other store to say I was coming, but Jay didn't leave me stranded. These guys who are real locksmiths, with stores and skills, beat someone dispatched by an answering service every time. Shop local, locksmith local, too. read more

Best customer service I have ever received. No question about it. Everything was going great. It was the weekend before Christmas, and I was gearing up for a week at home in RI with family and then a month spent with my boyfriend and his family in Hawaii. It was perfect -- that is until I lost all my keys, including my car key. I knew the replacement key for my Toyota Camry was going to be expensive. After getting a few exorbitant quotes from Chicago area Toyota dealerships, I called up my mechanic who referred me to General Lock. They gave me the lowest quote for the replacement by far. AAA towed my car to their shop in Portage Park and we all hoped that the key would be ready by the end of the work day. I was especially anxious as I planned to leave Chicago early the next day. The team at GL worked tirelessly to try to flash my car's computer system. It never worked. And that's because, I was told, of a broken chip. The owner of GL called me up and said he'd taken the car's computer to his electronics guy and would absorb the cost of the repair into the original quote he provided me. Awesome. Amazing. Fantastic. Except for the fact that I was leaving the next day and would not return for over a month. Much to my surprise, the owner offered to store my car for the entire time I was away in the lot he shared with a mechanic across the street. Omg. Omg. I was floored. Gratitude was dripping from every pore. A couple weeks later I got the word that the chip had been fixed -- for about $85. Still, he said, no worries, we won't charge you any more. Again, amazing. I returned last Friday -- several days after the blizzard struck -- and the car was cleaned off, the key was ready and I could not have been more satisfied with the entire experience. If you have a key/lock issue, go to GL -- it was one of the better decisions I've made in my life. read more

Good service at a somewhat reasonable price. The locksmith was great but he disappeared for about an hour when to get additional keys and locks back at the store because he didn't have them on the truck (the store is 15 minutes away). Unfortunately we were in a time crunch so it was very frustrating to have to wait so long. Otherwise, he did a good job. He was unable to open one of the doors that is locked, so I will have to go with another locksmith service to see if they can open it up. read more

Very friendly and helpful staff. I had almost 40 steel keys that needed cutting and, of course, I needed them in a hurry. Not every key cutter does these. They appeared to be already busy when I went in, but they were able to accommodate me and have the keys completed on the same day. Just peering around the store, it looks like they have quite a selection of doorknobs, locks, and stuff. I was actually recommended to General Lock by Nonstop Locksmith. They were also very courteous and honest. They told me they couldn't do the cut I needed, but were gracious enough to recommend General Lock. read more

Thanks Yelp! I found General Lock here yesterday when I needed to have my locks changed. I called them yesterday afternoon and spoke with a lady who asked me a few questions in order to give me a quote over the phone. She quoted me and scheduled me for the following morning between 9:-9:30am. The locksmith came out right on time and was very friendly, had the locks changed in no time and the price was exactly as quoted. I will definitely use General Lock again. read more

Most affordable place to get a car key made in the city. The service was excellent. I didn't feel like I was dealing w/ a shady locksmith that was trying to take advantage of me in a dire situation. read more

I went there today to get my new key cut and remote programed, they were extremely nice and very efficient. I was in and out within 20 minutes and the price was great. I will definitely recomend them to anyone i know. Thank you so much!!! read more

General lock is the BEST, i have called couple of other locksmith's and they told very high prices to get one key done done for my car. I searched online and went to general keys with keys that needs to cut and they finished it in 30 min with for less than half price what others are said to me. read more

I dont want to write too long of a review but let me tell you these people are the best in the industry. Very reasonable rates and top of that best customer service. They made my GMC truck key without any hassle. Highly recommend them. read more

The gentlemen at this business were super nice, professional, helpful and just overall fantastic!! It was by pure luck that I was referred to this shop. Jay helped me SO MUCH!! He saved me from having to get my car towed, and spending allot more money just to get my ignition switch replaced. Jay and his fellow co-workers are life savers. I can't thank them enough!! I rarely write reviews and if I could give a higher rating to them I certainly would. I highly recommend General Lock to anyone. I promise you will not be disappointed. Thank you again Jay! read more

If I only knew about this place, I would have saved hundreds by now...I have needed spare keys for the cars I have purchased in the past. They are very knowledgeable. I called ahead of time, was told they could do the job 1/3rd of what the dealer was asking. Was told I could stop by anytime and would take 10-15 min. I showed up a few days later without an appointment and done. Hassle free, except I had no battery on my key fob, but they too figured that out. Overall, very satisfied customer. read more

I have been working with Bill & Jills team, including my favorite Rod, since 2006. They have done everything for me, from commercial to residential. Lets see, door bells, commercial buzzer systems with pagers, locks with the numbers on them you use a code to open- great for employees, door installation, hardware selection, I have a Multi-lock system that is fantastic for anyone who has numerous keys- its a Master key system where I can open my company door, my apartments rentals and my home, all in 1 key. What prompted this is that I called Bill and told him I somehow locked myself out and was anyone near by, he sent Rod, who just happened to be 5 minutes from my home in the burbs and didnt even charge me because we do so much business together. They are very competitive and fair with their pricing, knowledgeable and beyond trustworthy. Fantastic company because their team ROCKS!! read more

I called General Lock to have two locks replaced and one installed. The man I spoke to was very friendly and helpful, and I was able to get an appointment pretty quickly. The technician who came out did a very good job. He was honest when one of the locks didn't actually need to be replaced, just a simple fix, and didn't charge us for that one. He also threw in two extra keys for free! My husband and I are happy to say we now have found the go-to place for all of our lock and key needs. read more

Highly recommended. I had this guys come out to my house and re-key 5 locks into a single combination. Went from using 3 different key to just one . They even gave me suggestions on how to do it cheaper and faster for me. They fixed the tumblers and made new keys on the spot. Done in a matter of 20 min. read more

Very nice people to work with. Super fast, prompt/on-time service for on-site lock change, and great tips during lock install! Would definitely use again. read more

Got a duplicate car key with keyless entry remote and paid half of the price I would pay at the dealership. Brian programmed the key very quickly and was super nice! read more

Needed a transponder key for car dealer wanted $250.00 for one key!!!! Went and saw Tom and I brought some recycled keys I got online and he did both for only 80 bucks. Well worth it 5 stars for saving me $$$ and very nice as well. read more

I do believe this is the best locksmith joint that will not rip you off and the service is number one! Wether you need a key for your new car for whatever its a very thirfty place to go! Plenty of parking.call them they are great! read more

Wow!!! just came home from visiting Bill at General Locksmith with a big smile,thats how pleased I am. Fast and easy process it was to program my Prius fob. They are a fair and honest place to do bizz with. So much that the owner discounted the cost for me. Steer clear of dealers!!!!! They are total rip-offs when they have you at their mercy. If I did not do some calling around I would have paid upwards of $380.00 at the dealers. I paid much less at General. Thank you so much Bill for your help............***********HIGHLY RECOMMENDED****** Tony D Bloomingdale,Ill read more

I stopped by today to get a replacement key for my 2013 Chevy Malibu and I may say I was blown away by the customer service and professionalism of the two gentlemen working today. This is a company that cares about their customer. Highly recommend general lock in their new location on w Fulton st. read more

I highly recommend General Lock. The front door knob to our four flat condominium building was having some issues with the latch not retracting fully. If the turning of the key was forced, the latch would retract, but there was concern that someone's key might break off in the lock. The front door to the building is not shielded at all from the elements so it is fully exposed to Chicago weather. When General Lock arrived, they adhered to all Covid protocols. They confirmed the situation that had been described. Since the door knob was 15 years old, it was decided to replace the door knob and latch system rather than attempt to repair it. The locksmith also noticed that the front door was sagging a bit. He tightened up some of the screws on the hinges which helped eliminate some of the saging. The job was completed quickly and the front door now opens perfectly. Thank You General Lock! read more

I needed to replace some locks around my condo that were very old. Got my locks, extra keys, and great advice. I would not hesistate to go back. read more

General Lock is the BEST! After calling 4 other lock companies I finally decided on General. We purchased our house in late November and I called to have all the locks changed after talking to the gentlemen and telling him what I have and asking what are my options I said lets schedule something ASAP. Well he was booked for 2 weeks, he ended up fitting me in 2 days later, The guy came out and was completed in under 2 hours of re-keying2 dead bolts and 3 regular locks as well as making me 5 extra sets of keys. Highly recommend this company. They delivered top notch service to me. Will use again. read more

They have by far the best in prices town for programming car keys. No one else is willing to take a blank from Amazon or eBay (from a reputable seller), cut and program it for under $50. I needed a second key and a backup for a used Toyota Camry I bought with just one key. Everybody else (I am not even talking about dealers) was quoting me upward of $150 per key, so I bought two blanks from Amazon from two different sellers (just in case one didn't work) for a total of $55. General Lock quoted me $50 for two copies (!) cut and programmed (they charge the same amount for programming regardless of whether you bring one or two blanks). They were very professional on the phone, spent time explaining the process and had the keys done in about 15 minutes flat. No wait, no hassle, no gimmicks, just solid professional work. Compare $105 with $300+ from the second lowest quote and draw your conclusions. Both new keys works like a charm. Highly recommended! read more