Although we frequently focus on Technology, I love handy DIY tricks, so I thought I’d share this little adventure I had a few days ago. I started the adventure by calling my local post office, and that was a waste of time. They suggested a local locksmith and hung up on me. Yelp pointed me at a local locksmith who quoted me $250 for an onsite replacement plus an additional $150 an hour after 30 minutes. So yeah, you can guess the path we’re going to take on this one. Time to get medieval on the mailbox lock!
Replace Mailbox Lock
Thankfully I have a cordless drill, so I grabbed a bit that fit nicely into the keyhole of the lock. The primary goal here is not damaging the housing holding the lock, so don’t use a lot of pressure when drilling into the lock. Just drill straight and apply consistent pressure. Note: If you’re not the adventurer / handy type or don’t have a drill, wait for your mail carrier. They will have access to the back of the mailbox, and you can perform the steps below from inside the box. It’s not nearly as fun, but that is another option.
Once you drill through the entire lock mechanism, the mailbox door should open easily.
Slide the lock bar and metal clip holding the lock mechanism against the door. In some cases, the lock nut may still be attached to the lock. Use a wrench to take off the nut (although, in my case, the drill took care of that for me). Note: If you’re an HOA or Apartment complex and need more than one lock, here’s a link for the C9100 lock or C9200 in bulk.
Once you have the new lock, slide it into the lock housing the reattach it in a locked configuration (lock bar out).
Screw on the nut, and you’re done!
Summing Up
In all, the entire job took no longer than 5 minutes (not counting the trip to the locksmith). Not bad, considering the quote from the locksmith $250. I’ve always enjoyed DIY projects, especially the ones with a drill involved. It’s an excellent bonding opportunity for my son and me and a good way to show with a little work; almost any job is possible with a little time and patience.
Is it Legal to fix your Mailbox Lock?
Since publishing the DIY mailbox lock fix, several readers have expressed concern about the legal aspects of fixing your mailbox lock yourself. Although I can’t give legal advice, I did find a page on USPS.com regarding mailbox maintenance. Along with a guide on how to install a new mailbox, it also guides maintenance. USPS.COM: Mailbox Maintenance Mailboxes take a beating from the weather, so we recommend an annual mailbox checkup to avoid damage to your mail or difficulty identifying your address.
Tighten loose hinges on the doorTake care of rusty or loose partsReplace missing or faded house numbersKeep the path to your mailbox clear
Based on this information directly from the United States Postal Service, it’s clear that the responsibility for maintenance and care of the mailbox falls on the property owner/manager. Reminds me — when a friend bought a house recently, it came with no mailbox. We called the post office and they said we needed to go to Home Depot and buy a post and a mailbox and set it all up. Later, he calls me because he lost his key. Again, the post office said — not our problem so…. I used my handy tip above and we were in and out in 2 minutes (he didn’t own a drill or else I would have just told him to do it himself…). Since the Post office is federal, I’m going to guess it’s all dependant on the local postmaster? Are any lawers reading this? Input? This is completely different if the mailbox is owned and maintained by the USPS. If that was the case, the mailbox would have an eagle on it. From your photos it appears you have an older style “Neighborhood Distribution and Collection Box Unit” (NDCBU), which if memory serves were all installed prior to 2003. As such it is USPS property and unlawful to change the lock. The newer/current version is “Cluster Box Unit” (CBU), which are privately funded and maintained. I suspect at this point it’s so convoluted that it’s difficult for even USPS employees to know if it’s lawful for you to change the lock of your mailbox. And much appears to be dependent on who you speak with at the post office – some postmasters are more lenient than others, some enforce the rules much more strictly. However I can’t give you any legal advice. But that being said, if a locksmith is allowed to do it, not sure why a home owner can’t…. With these things in mind, my logic tells me if the HOE or Apartment ownership can fix a lock, then I the owner can fix it… Granted, I’m no attorney however after reading the article on USPS.com, I feel confident that it’s not illegal to fix my mailbox and maintain my mailbox as needed: https://www.usps.com/manage/mailboxes.htm If you review that web page, it has a section under Maintenance which includes things you should fix/replace as needed. With that in mind, my conscience is in the clear. :) I hope this all helps anyone out there with this question. Groovy indeed. Another safe idea besides calling the local postmaster is to just ask the USPS delivery person, they deliver mail around the same time every day all you have to do is be there when they come and ask them. Make sure you ask specifically if you can “replace the lock with a new one”. I think that whoever tells you its okay to replace the lock on your own, write down their name in case someone does ask who gave you permission to do it. To avoid confusion, don’t drill out a lock at night and probably not right in front of the postal delivery person unless they were the one that told you to do it. Of course, always have a valid ID that matches the address in case someone were to stop you and ask you what you are doing. But I am not a lawyer just a locksmith that has had Police and the postmaster called on him. I figure if one follows the advice of the U.S. postal service, one can hardly be committing a crime. Unless, the mailbox in question is located at the post office. The rate for a locksmith rates from $98 to $200. One locksmith gave me above advice if I wanted to save money. Price of new lock would be 17.00. That said, if you have a landlord who is willing to spend the cash to fix it, even better! ;) If not, you may have had some sideways force on the drill bit. I assume you cannot get the bit out. If you can, I would. You may be wise to call a locksmith. A locksmith may be able to pry the door open carefully or grind off the outer lock housing so the lock drops to the inside. Good Luck But that’s just me. hehehe Also, make sure your lock is right. Some lock latches work 180 degrees off. One thing I don’t like about WD40 however is it really collects dust. At least in my house… That said, I always say, use what works for you! Thnx for the feedback! This post will help my friend out. Thanks for the detailed instructions and photos. By the way, when I called my post office to inquire about this, they said I had to do it myself or get a locksmith and then while I was asking my next question, the guy hung up on me! In the middle of my question! What a jerk!! And they wonder why people don’t use the post office anymore. Idiots. Some mailboxes allow you get get in from both the front (your entry) and the back (mailman). So if you can’t get in from the front you could wait around for the mailman, explain the issues and perhaps he will open the back for you so you can uninstall the old lock and get the new one installed. Hope that answers your question. Being that you’re having issues working with the local post office…. I’m going to guess the best path may be borrowing a drill from someone. :) :) I’m so glad I found this blog. It’s really helpful information. Thanks!! :) Being that locks are cheap, you might just try to grab a few and find one that fits the mailbox. It doesn’t need to be the same brand, just fit the locking hole on the mailbox. I’m sure you’re already going down that path but just in case — an FYI. ;) Thnx! -S Jim BTW: Everyone who is saying don’t mess with your mailbox is misinformed. I went to my local post office ( I recommend face-to-face vs calling), and they checked their list. Some mailboxes are “managed” by the PO, while others are not. If they manage it, they will replace it for you (after providing evidence of a lease or ownership), for a minimal fee ($25 for me). If they don’t manage it, they will tell you to contact the HOA or apt. to see if they have an extra key. If not (as my USPS advised), they will suggest you get a lock and meet your carrier there and quickly replace it. My PO even told me to call the office in the AM, and ask the carrier to call me when he’s almost here so I can meet him. All is not lost. You CAN fix this. -S Anyway – Welcome to groovyPost! Hope to see you around the site. Only change the lock YOU use to access the mailbox. Thanks for sharing John! Appreciate the feedback. Please advise what should be the next step? Might be better to wait until they arrive, explain the issue and see if he can get you into the mailbox. You should be able to unscrew the lock from the inside that way. If you take a photo and post it here, I can see if I can help you. So I was wondering: are they any potential barriers to getting the lock unlocked? I noted that one commenter suggested . But other than that, if I take your approach (I lost my key and nobody else has access to it), can I feel fairly confident that I’ll be able to turn the latch to unlock the mailbox? That is, is it possible that even after drilling, the lock latch wants to stay locked in place? Thx!@ You should be fine. The way I look at it — ANYTHING can be fixed. Especially something super simple like a mailbox lock. Worse case, if you STILL can’t get it open, go to the USPS.com, put a hold on your mail at the post office and hire a professional if you’re not comfortable to FORCE it open. I guarantee the PRO will just bring a really big screwdriver and force it open then repair the lock. But again, that’s worst case. You should be fine following the instructions I posted in the article. Newer heavy duty CBU’s have hardened locks that can’t be drilled through with normal drill bits. I can tell when someone has tried to drill through one of these, because there’s gouges around the lock as the drill bit slid off the lock and onto the face of the mailbox. Some of those locks are replacements. Some come with the CBU’s. The CBU’s with the outgoing mail slots that have been plasma cut out of the face of the 5/8″ steel face of the outgoing plate is pretty much guaranteed to have the hardened locks. Comment Name * Email *
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