A common misconception about locks is that they are all the same. This could not be further from the truth. Two prominent types of locks are mortise locks and keypad locks. Mortise locks are not considered standard locks because they rest inside of a large rectangular pocket within the door. Standard locks, on the other hand, sit in a small circular hole that is drilled out of the door. In addition, mortise locks have a larger strike plate in the frame that has been drilled specifically for that lock. To answer the question “can you replace a mortise lock with a keypad?”, yes, but only under specific conditions, which will be outlined in this post.

3 main categories of locks

First, there are 3 main categories of locks: automotive, commercial, and residential.
We will focus on the latter 2. The main differences between commercial and residential locks is the security level, the design, and the price.

When it comes to commercial locks, there are a few keypad mortise options with prices starting at $600 and up. These keypads are typically silver or gold, and are high security. These commercial mortise keypads are compatible with metal doors, making them perfect for high security areas. When discussing residential locks, there are not any special design or regular mortise keypads available on the market. For homeowners who want to replace a mortise lock with a keypad, there are 2 options:

How to replace a mortise lock with a keypad

1. Remove the mortise lock completely, and hire a carpenter to come fill in the pocket inside the door/ frame. Once the pocket is filled and the wood has cured, a locksmith can come do a fresh installation of a regular residential keypad.
2. Remove the mortise lock and install a commercial mortise keypad. This option is far more expensive, and does not offer many design options. However, if your goal is to replace a mortise lock with a mortise keypad, this will definitely get the job done.
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