Emergency Locksmith in Columbia, MO

What makes it urgent

Many lock problems can wait. In Columbia, these usually cannot:

• Shut out in harsh weather. Missouri winters bring arctic air and its summers warm, humid Gulf air, according to NOAA's state summary. A lockout during a January cold snap or on a sticky July afternoon is urgent, more so with a young child, an older adult or someone unwell.
• Someone at risk inside. If a person or pet is trapped in a car or home and in danger, call 911 first; emergency services come before a locksmith.
• A car that has to move. Once 2 inches of snow is on the ground, the city bars parking on its priority snow routes, and cars left there face a fine plus towing and storage charges. A lockout that strands a car on one of those routes cannot wait until the storm passes.
• A door that will not lock. After a break-in, or when a lock fails with the door standing open.

After a break-in

Call the police first, and stay out if someone may still be inside. Leave the forced door and lock as they are until officers have seen them, and take photos for the police report. Once the police are done, the first job is getting the door to close and lock again, which may mean a new strike plate, a replacement lock, or rekeying if keys were taken.

Getting the total in writing under pressure

A stressful call is when people skip the paperwork. RSMo 407.020, part of the Merchandising Practices Act, prohibits deception, fraud, false promises, misrepresentation and hiding material facts in selling or advertising, and section 407.010 treats services as merchandise. Ask for the total in writing before work begins, parts and labor included, and keep the invoice. The Attorney General's Consumer Protection Section takes complaints online, by mail or in person. This is general information, not legal advice.

What to send

• One line on what happened: locked out, key broken, door forced
• Who is affected and whether anyone is at risk
• The street and cross street, or the building name and unit; for a car, the lot or snow route
• Whether police were called, and the report number

See house lockout and car lockout for those situations in detail.