Car Lockout in Ann Arbor, MI

When a lockout runs into a parking deadline

Two Ann Arbor rules can turn a locked car into a towed one.

• Snow parking bans. In a significant snowstorm the city can declare an on-street parking ban under Section 10:143 of city code Chapter 126. Bans are announced at least 12 hours ahead, and cars left on the street may be ticketed or towed. If your keys are shut inside a car parked on the street when a ban is announced, that notice period is the time to get it open and moved.
• Football game days. On University of Michigan home football game days, on-street parking restrictions in the stadium area run from 8 a.m. to midnight, and vehicles may be towed. A lockout on a stadium-area street on a game day is worth sorting out before the restrictions begin.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Children, pets and the weather

Call 911 before anything else if a child, a pet or another person is shut inside; do not wait for a locksmith. NOAA describes Michigan summers as warm and humid, and a closed car in summer sun can become dangerously hot. In winter a parked cabin cools once the engine is off.

What to send

Michigan Locksmith Pros takes service requests from homes, businesses and drivers in Ann Arbor. For a car lockout request, include:

• The street and nearest cross street, or the name and level of the parking structure or lot.
• Whether a snow ban has been announced, or it is a game day near the stadium.
• Make, model, year, color and plate number.
• Where the keys are: on a seat, in the ignition, in the trunk or unknown.
• Photo ID, and the registration if it is not locked in the car.

If the keys are lost rather than locked inside, see car key replacement.