Emergency Locksmith in Albany, NY

What counts as urgent in Albany

Some lock problems can wait for a convenient day. These usually cannot:

• A door that will not lock after a break-in. Call 911 first, and let the Albany Police Department finish before any lock is touched. In the row houses of the Mansion neighborhood or the South End, a damaged front door leaves the home open to the street.
• A shared entrance that no longer locks. Section 133-60 of the Albany City Code requires self-locking doors at common entrances. When that hardware fails, every unit behind it is exposed, so tell the owner or manager as well.
• Someone who cannot get out. Albany's rental permit inspections look for exits that open from inside without a key. If anyone is trapped behind a locked door during a fire or medical emergency, call 911.
• A winter lockout with a child, an older person or a pet exposed to the cold.
• A car during a snow emergency. Cars left on the wrong side of the street can be ticketed or towed, so a car you cannot open or start has a deadline. See car lockout.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Safety first

Get somewhere warm and safe before arranging anything else. If a break-in may still be in progress, stay out and wait for police. Photograph the damage for the police report before any repair, and keep broken parts if police ask for them.

Before any work starts

Pressure makes it easy to skip the basics. Get the work and the total in writing before anything starts, and keep it with your receipt. If something goes wrong, the New York Attorney General's Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau handles complaints about misleading or deceptive trade practices, and complaints can be filed online.

What to send

1. Your location with cross streets, and whether you are safe right now
2. What happened: lockout, break-in damage, a broken lock or a failed entrance door
3. The door involved: row house street door, apartment door, storefront or car
4. Whether police have been called, and the report number if you have one

New York Locksmith Pros takes service requests from homes, businesses and drivers in Albany. See emergency locksmith, house lockout, and the Albany page.