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If you still have a spare community mailbox key, get it copied at any hardware store or locksmith: it is the fastest and cheapest fix. If both keys are gone, open a Canada Post support ticket to request replacements, then pick them up at the post office on your notice card with government-issued photo ID. A small replacement fee applies.
| Situation | What to do | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| You have one spare key left | Copy it at a hardware store or locksmith | A few dollars for a standard cut |
| Both keys are lost or stolen | Open a Canada Post support ticket, then pick up at the post office with photo ID | A small fee, paid at pickup |
| Keys do not work (bent or worn, not lost) | Report it; Canada Post replaces the lock and keys | No charge |
| Condo, apartment, or business mailbox | Contact your building manager or superintendent | Set by your building, not Canada Post |
Replacement is not just a key: Canada Post treats lost keys as a security event, which is why the process runs through a support ticket, a notice card, and an in-person pickup with ID instead of a quick counter transaction. A copy avoids all of that. One caution before you copy: make sure the key you copy is the current one. If the lock was ever changed after a break-in, an old "spare" in a drawer may no longer fit, and you will find out at the mailbox.
Once you submit the ticket, it cannot be cancelled, so double-check you truly lost both keys first. Canada Post prepares the new keys and leaves a notice card telling you which post office has them. You, the box holder, go in person with the notice card and government-issued photo ID. Nobody else can pick them up for you, even a spouse with the same last name: the keys release only to the person named on the box. A small replacement fee is paid at the counter when you collect them.
A community mailbox serves a whole street, and each compartment holds one household's mail. Handing your keys to someone without checking ID would give a stranger access to your letters, parcels, and anything identity thieves like. That is also why the lock-and-key system stays with Canada Post rather than the homeowner: the security of every compartment depends on controlled key issuance. If your keys were stolen rather than lost, mention it in the ticket so the theft is on record.
Broken or non-working keys are a different track with a better outcome. If your keys simply do not turn the lock, Canada Post replaces both the lock and your keys at no charge: a worn lock is their maintenance problem, not yours. Do not try to force a stuck key or drill the lock yourself. Report it through the same support channel and describe the fault, and keep using your parcel compartment card or the notice slot for anything urgent in the meantime.
Not directly. Mailbox keys are issued by Canada Post, and the replacement process runs through their support ticket and in-person pickup, not through the mail. LetterAgent mails physical letters to US and Canadian addresses, so it can handle the letter you send to your building manager or strata about a private mailbox, but the community mailbox key itself is strictly a Canada Post transaction. The service is currently in private testing.
Ready to mail it? Send your letter with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and it is printed and mailed.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
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