Emergency Locksmith in Raleigh, NC

What counts as urgent

A lock emergency is a door you cannot secure, or cannot get through, when waiting puts a person or property at risk. Safety comes before the lock in every case.

• After a break-in. Call the police first, and stay outside until officers have checked the building. Then the opening can be secured: a broken lock replaced, a split strike reinforced, or the locks rekeyed if keys were taken.
• Ice storms. Some North Carolina winter storms come from cold-air damming, when cold air is trapped against the Appalachians, and one in February 2014 brought up to half an inch of freezing rain to some areas. Ice or wind damage can leave a door that will not close or lock, which is urgent when the house cannot otherwise be secured.
• Stolen keys. Keys taken along with anything that shows your address leave every lock they fit in question, and rekeying retires them.
• A lock that fails open. A deadbolt that will not throw at the end of the day leaves the house unsecured overnight.

Charges after a declared emergency

After the Governor declares a state of emergency or an abnormal market disruption, G.S. 75-38 bars knowingly charging an unreasonably excessive amount for goods or services used as a direct result of the emergency or to protect people and property. One factor is a charge above the seller's average over the prior 60 days, and the rule lasts up to 45 days unless the Governor extends it. The Department of Justice prefers complaints through its online forms, and the form for excessive charges opens only during a state of emergency. Get the total in writing before work starts and keep the invoice, especially after a hurricane or ice storm. This is general information, not legal advice.

What to send

• what happened, and a police report number if there is one
• which door, and what is wrong: will not lock, will not open, frame split or keys stolen
• whether anyone is inside or at risk
• photos of the lock, door and frame
• the neighborhood or cross streets, and a building and unit if there is one

Once the door is secure, a broken lock may call for lock replacement; the Raleigh page has the local background.