Restricted keyway

Definition

A key profile whose blanks a manufacturer controls, so only an authorized dealer can cut them.

Why It Matters

An ordinary key blank is a commodity anybody can buy. A restricted keyway is patented or contractually controlled, and the blanks reach a locksmith only through a dealer agreement with the manufacturer. That agreement is the asset, because it is what stops a customer's tenants having keys cut at a hardware store, and it is why a building on a restricted system comes back for every rekey. Ask whether the agreements transfer on a sale or are re-signed with the buyer, because a restricted line that lapses takes its recurring work with it, and the customer finds out at the worst moment.