Emergency Locksmith in Rochester, MN

What makes a lock problem urgent here

NOAA's state climate summary puts average snowfall at 30 to 70 inches a year over most of Minnesota, and Rochester averages about 52. A problem that could wait in September may not wait in January. Situations that are usually urgent:

• You cannot get into your home during severe cold and have nowhere warm to wait.
• A door will not latch or lock after a storm, a break-in or a frame that has shifted in the cold.
• A key has snapped in the only working lock on the house.
• A business entrance will not lock at closing, including a skyway or underground door. Because downtown buildings are linked by skyway and underground walkway, tell the building's management too.

If someone who needs care is shut inside a car or house, or anyone is in danger, call 911 first. A locksmith comes second.

After a break-in

Call the police before a locksmith, and call 911 if the intruder may still be inside. Stay out until officers say it is safe, and touch the door and lock as little as possible. Photograph the damage before anything is moved. A split frame or a torn-out strike may need to be braced before any new lock will hold, and on a January night a door that will not close also lets the cold in. If keys, a bag or a wallet with your address were taken, ask for the locks to be changed or rekeyed, not just the broken one repaired.

Safety while you wait

Wait in a lit place out of the cold, such as a nearby business or your building's lobby. Do not heat a frozen lock with a flame.

What to send

• What happened and whether anyone is at risk.
• The address with its direction suffix, and whether it is a house, a unit or a shared entrance.
• Whether police have been called, and the report number if you have one.
• Photos of the door, frame and lock.

Ask for a written quote, including any parts, before work starts. If a problem comes up afterward, the Minnesota Attorney General's Office takes complaints online. For a shut-out door, see house lockout; for a car, see car lockout.