Before you call
- Check every door, including the garage and back gate
- Ask whoever else has a key: housemates, family, a neighbor, the landlord
- For a car, check whether a spare is at home or whether your roadside plan covers lockouts
- Make sure you're somewhere safe and well lit while you wait
What to tell the dispatcher
- Your exact address or the nearest cross streets
- House, apartment, car, office or safe
- The lock type or vehicle make, model and year
- Whether a child, pet or anyone vulnerable is inside
If someone vulnerable is locked inside a car or home and in danger, call 911 first.
How to avoid surprises
Ask for the estimate before anyone is sent and again before work starts. On this site the starting point is published: $29.00 service call plus labor, with lockouts from $19.00. A locksmith who insists on drilling a standard lock straight away should explain why. See the price list.
After you're back in
If your keys are lost rather than locked inside, think about rekeying. It makes the missing keys useless. Then save the number, and read what emergency locksmiths do so next time feels less daunting.
