If it's urgent
What to tell us
Urgent lockout and lock help for homes, vehicles, and businesses, starting with a clear conversation about what is possible.
- Your exact location and a phone number where you can be reached
- A short description of what happened
- Photo ID and proof of residence, ownership, or authorization, or tell us if they are locked inside
If anyone is in danger, call 911 first.
Emergency Locksmith in CaliforniaSan Diego notes
Updated 3 sources
What makes a lock problem urgent
Most lock trouble can wait for a convenient time. These situations usually cannot:
- After a break-in. Call the police first, and treat it as an emergency if anyone may still be inside. Let officers see the damage before anything is touched.
- A person or animal shut in. If someone cannot get out of a home or car, call emergency services instead of waiting for a locksmith.
- A home that will not lock. A deadbolt jammed open or a split frame leaves the house unsecured, and a key snapped in the only exterior door can leave you unable to lock up or get in.
- Water and wind. A lock that has sat in seawater needs to be cleaned and tested before you trust it. Santa Ana winds, which NOAA notes can gust to 80 mph and are often tied to the most destructive wildfires, can leave ash and dust in an exterior keyway. Clean a gritty keyway rather than forcing the key, because a key forced into a jammed lock can snap.
Lock changes after abuse or violence
Under California Civil Code § 1941.5, when the accused person is not a tenant of the same unit, a landlord must change the locks at its own expense within one day of a written request that includes a protective order, a police report or other listed documentation. For leases signed on or after January 1, 2011, if the landlord misses that deadline, the tenant may change the locks, must notify the landlord within one day and provide a key, and is reimbursed within 21 days. Section 1941.6 covers a restrained person who is a tenant of the same unit. This is general information, not legal advice.
Details to include in the request
- the address and unit, and one line on what happened
- whether police were called, and the report number if there is one
- whether anyone is inside or needs help
- what is damaged: lock, strike, frame or glass, with a photo if it is safe to take
- photo ID and a lease or deed, if you can reach them
The emergency locksmith page covers the service; if the problem is only a locked door, see house lockout.
Sources
Public records and references this page draws on. They are outside USA Locksmith Pros and open in a new tab.