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Stop using the door

Locked out of the car

An automotive locksmith opens a car without touching the paint or the glass. If a child or a pet is inside, stop reading and call 911 first.

Phones answered around the clock · free estimate

While you wait — please don't

  • If a child or an animal is shut in the car, call 911 immediately. Do not wait for a locksmith. In heat this becomes life-threatening in minutes.
  • Do not let anyone use a slim jim on a modern car. Side airbags and wiring live in that door and the damage is expensive.
  • Do not try a coat hanger. It scratches paint, bends weatherstrip, and rarely works.
  • Have registration or proof the car is yours ready — it is asked for every time.

What has probably happened

  • Keys on the seat and the door shut behind them.
  • Keys locked in the boot.
  • The fob battery died and the car locked itself.
  • The only key is lost, so the car needs a new one cut and programmed.
  • A key snapped in the door or the ignition.

What the technician does

  • The car opened with proper automotive tools, not a coat hanger and not a slim jim on a car that cannot take one.
  • Proof of ownership checked before anything is opened.
  • A replacement key cut and programmed on site where the key itself is gone.
  • Fob batteries and reprogramming where the car simply stopped seeing the key.
  • A broken key extracted from the door or ignition.

Questions people ask

My only key is lost. Can a new one be made?
Usually yes, on site. Most modern keys have a transponder that has to be programmed to the car, and an automotive locksmith carries the equipment for that. Some makes and some very new models have to go to a dealer, and you should be told which you are dealing with.
Will it damage the car?
Done properly, no. Cars are opened with wedges and long-reach tools designed for it. Improvised methods are what cause the damage.
The keys are in the boot.
Still openable in most cases, though it can take longer than a door depending on the car.

Get a technician out

Free estimate. The price is agreed before the work starts.

Call now · (866) 690-5848

Something else going on?

One Call Locksmiths arranges the visit; the technician does the work and gives you the price.

Call (866) 690-5848

Phones answered around the clock

Call (866) 690-5848