Car Lockout in Salt Lake City, UT

Street parking while you wait

A car you can't get into is a car you can't move, and Salt Lake City Code 12.56.520 keeps counting. It bars parking a vehicle on any street for longer than 48 hours, whether that is a downtown block or a residential one, and the city says shifting to another space on the same side of the street does not restart the count. If the car was already parked when you locked yourself out, say how long it had been there. This is general information, not legal advice.

Snow adds a second concern. The city asks drivers to keep cars off the street during a storm, so if snow is falling or forecast, put that at the top of your request.

Children, pets and temperature

If a child, a pet or anyone who can't get out is inside, call 911 first, before contacting a locksmith. A closed car heats up in direct sun even on a mild day, and it loses heat on a winter night.

If you are waiting outside on a snowy night, stand somewhere warm and out of the travel lane rather than beside the car.

Where the car is and what to report

Give the nearest cross streets as they read on the signs, for example South Main Street and 300 South, and which side of the street the car is on. Then add:

• for a garage or lot, its name, the level and any gate or ticket that affects entry
• year, make, model and color
• which door or the trunk needs to open
• where the keys are: visible on a seat, in the trunk, or unknown
• that you can show photo ID, and whether the registration is in the glove box

If the key is lost rather than locked inside, see car key replacement. A locked-out car is the case car lockout covers, and the Salt Lake City page has the city's full parking notes.