I am moving into a condo (so the unit is owned by one person, and a management company handles the building and grounds) and I would like to have a set of spare keys made. I live alone and would like to have a friend of mine have the extra ones in case of an emergency because the management is not on-site or 24 hour and the owner lives out of state. When I got the keys, the owner told me to make copies of the keys if I needed to. Later, when I looked at them, I noticed that the building key says "do not copy" on it. The management will not give me another key unless someone else moves into the apartment, and it would cost me a lot of money to get a replacement key if I just said I lost my original one.

Is there a way to get copies of this key made? Are most hardware stores really lenient about this?

Sadly most places shoud not but they do, expect to pay a little extra.

Well, that was easy! I just thought "what is the most unscrupulous place I know?" and the answer was obvious: Wal-Mart! Sure enough, it was a piece of cake!

If a business or institution wants to prevent someone from copying keys then they will use blanks that are not issued to businesses that can make copies.

As far as I know, there are no "key copying" laws in my city and probably not in yours, either. If I have the blank in my inventory, I will make a copy of the key.

Would copying a key that says "do not copy" on it be breaking some type of law? I certainly would think so. And the reason that it would cost you a lot to have a replacement from the mgr. is that they may have the locks re-keyed. But you did say you went to wal-mart and had one made. And I bet that ole Sam Walton or Waldon or whatever his last name was turned over about three times in his grave after that one. Does anyone else think Wal-Mart has turned out worst after his death? I mean he was about AMERICAN JOBS and products. Now the Wal-Marts are full of China and Taiwan and many other countries products.

Any manager that thinks that by putting "Do Not Duplicate" on key, will keep from being copied, is Naïve, to say the least. Some Agencies use Medico High Security locks, with their own unique blank. If an agent loses key. All locks need rekeying. Sometimes at their expense.
Maybe ask them to stamp "Do not Duplicate" on your new copy. You should have a spare set. And not Pay $10 for a $1 key, from management.
When you move, just give them the 2 keys, he will feel secure again?

Do Not Duplicate Keys are not supposed to copied. However, if you put a colored cover over the head of the key, they will never know the difference

Here is an excerpt related to it from the newest version of the ALOA Technical Standards
Model Policy (v. 2.1): (the old standard is more stringent and is in footnote 1)
7. Do Not Duplicate Keys: Orders for keys stamped “Do Not Duplicate� or
Similar wording will be handled in the same manner as any unrestricted key (see 8).
ALOA members should inform the consumer that the use of keys stamped “Do Not
Duplicate�, or similar wording, is not effective security, and further that the use
Of such words is deceptive because it provides a false sense of security. Consumers
Who desire effective security should purchase a patented key control system rather
Than rely on a “Do Not Duplicate� marking. This does not apply to keys protected by
Law.