Car Lockout in Dallas, TX

Check that the car is where you left it

Before you call about a lockout, make sure the car has not been moved. The Dallas Police Department runs the Dallas Auto Pound on Vilbig Road, which stores vehicles from parking violations, street blockage, accidents, arrests and recovered stolen vehicles. A car missing from where it was parked may be there, and in that case the problem is a release, not a lockout.

Where the car is parked

Roughly one Dallas home in four sits in a building with 50 or more units (23.7 percent, per 2024 Census Bureau estimates), so many drivers likely park in shared lots, garages or gated spaces rather than a driveway. Where the car sits decides what a locksmith needs to know, and whether the car can be reached at all.

Heat, cold and anyone inside

NOAA's Texas climate summary counts 40 days in a row above 100°F in Dallas–Fort Worth during 2011. A closed car gets much hotter than the air outside, so never leave a child or pet in one. If a child or pet is inside a locked car, call 911 first rather than waiting for a locksmith.

If nobody is inside, wait in shade or indoors near the car during summer, and somewhere warm during a cold snap. Keep your phone charged and stay where you can see the vehicle.

What location details to send

• The address or business name, the nearest cross streets and the side of the street.
• For a garage or complex: the building name, the level, the row or space number and whether a gate needs a code.
• The car's year, make, model and color, so it can be found in a lot or garage.
• Whether the keys are inside, lost or broken.
• Anything urgent, such as someone unwell or a pet in the car.

Have photo ID and something showing the car is yours, such as the registration, ready when the work starts.

If the key is lost rather than locked inside, see car key replacement. The service page is car lockout, and the city page is Dallas.