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I received a call from Canada Post. They want me to stop copying Post Office keys due to 'complaints and concerns' about security.
Hmmm, I have a waiver which requires Identification before I copy the key. The Canada Post rep. still requests firmly that I take down my advertisements and stop.
Am I breaking the law? I've been doing this for a few years and I have never had/heard-of a bad experience with regards to any of the keys I've made.

I don't know about Canada, but here in the U.S. it is illegal, if we could even find the blanks we would get in bad trouble for duplicating them unless we were under contract for the post office.

Oh, I forgot to mention...

People often show up at my place and say, 'The dude at the post office said you can make a copy of my post office key....'

That's right they REFER to me. LOL, It's the truth.

Anyway, after further research on the matter, there is no law stopping these keys from being copied. Today, anyone can visit the local shopping center and get a minimum-wage teenager to make them a copy of their mailbox key from the store's supply of keys on the display carousel.

I'll worry If I see something in writing, until then....

I would keep on making them then! There isn't anything stopping you. What locks do they use in Canada for the boxes, and what key blank? I am wondering if they use the same ones we do here.

A call ?

I would ask him to put it on letterhead paper and send you an official request. He won't dare unless he is authorized.

If he won't send it then you should be all set. If he does send it, then you have a record that might help in the future.

They look like this http://www.mysecuritypro.com/canadapost1558.aspx

Ah yes good old Canada post. They probably have and exclusive deal with some locksmith company and are trying to keep it that way. If I know my crown corporations My guess is that the pay about 300$ per key lol. Seeing how it is federal jurisdiction just be sure and see a lawyer.

A mailbox key and a post office key are two different deals ..make sure we are on the same subject... I wont and will never...Now some do not dupe key is not a big deal but a po box key...Pass and this is for usa only

read carefully and decide for your self

18 USC Sec. 1704 01/05/2009

-EXPCITE-
TITLE 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I - CRIMES
CHAPTER 83 - POSTAL SERVICE

-HEAD-
Sec. 1704. Keys or locks stolen or reproduced

-STATUTE-
Whoever steals, purloins, embezzles, or obtains by false pretense
any key suited to any lock adopted by the Post Office Department or
the Postal Service and in use on any of the mails or bags thereof,
or any key to any lock box, lock drawer, or other authorized
receptacle for the deposit or delivery of mail matter; or
Whoever knowingly and unlawfully makes, forges, or counterfeits
any such key, or possesses any such mail lock or key with the
intent unlawfully or improperly to use, sell, or otherwise dispose
of the same, or to cause the same to be unlawfully or improperly
used, sold, or otherwise disposed of; or

Whoever, being engaged as a contractor or otherwise in the
manufacture of any such mail lock or key, delivers any finished or
unfinished lock or the interior part thereof, or key, used or
designed for use by the department, to any person not duly
authorized under the hand of the Postmaster General and the seal of
the Post Office Department or the Postal Service, to receive the
same, unless the person receiving it is the contractor for
furnishing the same or engaged in the manufacture thereof in the
manner authorized by the contract, or the agent of such
manufacturer -

Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten
years, or both.

Your right on the money as for as the U.S. goes, but I don't even think we can get the blanks here unless we have all the special papers and junk. The blanks might even be sold by the government for all I know, they do own the keyway I believe and everything that goes with it.

Here is the key blank for some newer Canada Post Office Boxes.
This one can be purchased at mysecuritypro
I had a message on my phone requesting that I return the call, so technically I called the man back.

The key is a mailbox key but I typed 'Post Office Key' because the mailbox is a P.O. Box #, just as a sidenote...

Most of the hardware stores and those little engraving places you walk past in the shopping centers will have the blank to suit our Aussie post boxes, even though the original keys say "DO NOT DUPLICATE" most, if not all will cut one for you. At AU$10.00 - 13.00 bucks a key not many will pass that up, and if they get asked about it? well, who knew it's a federal offence to cut one.

ONTARIO HELP: I called CanadaPost and they say they dont duplicate the key but they say any licensed locksmith can duplicate my key. This is confirmed on the CanadaPost webpage: http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/persona ... efault.jsf

I went to several malls/stores, and called a dozen locksmiths, they all say they cannot do it (and/or dont have the blank). But they will replace the whole lock (with significant cost and service fee).

Anyone here (Mississauga/Toronto Ontario) who can do it for me ?
- this is driving me crazy.

This is all a big confusion. What you are NOT allowed to copy is the Post Office key, which is now being converted to Abloy where I live. But you can copy peoples personal mailbox key all you want, these are standard mailbox cam locks, mostly national brand in my area, and there is no law against that. If you even touched a post office abloy key, you would lose your license, same with the fire department firebox key (this one is Mul-t-lock where I live). I think the Post Office probably got confused on what you where cutting, and the idiot that tried ratting you out (if somebody tried) is even dumber than the post office employee that called you.

*in Canada*

BCS I cut people mailbox keys all the time, it's standard practice.... or buy a national brand mailbox cam lock and install it in your mailbox yourself, it should cost you $15 at most at any locksmith.
I'll give you a quick run down on the install... open your mailbox (use a key or pick it open).. use pliers to remove the heavy duty C clip, if it has a screw holding the cam in place, unscrew that to remove the cam and slide the lock out the front of the door. Or if it's a welded cam just turn the cam sideways (usually the open position is correct) and slide the lock out of the front of the door. Now reverse the process with your new lock.

SOLVED:
CanadaPost puts a number on their CommunityMailBox (CMB) key (W1031) and everyone says they dont have a matching blank. I went to Rona and looked through all their blanks, and they have a generic matching one with a different number (iloc-1659) and they made me 3 duplicates (and they work).

Note that the CanadaPost website even *RECOMMENDS* that everyone make copies of their keys: http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/persona ... efault.jsf

Thanks again.