Emergency Locksmith in West Valley City, UT

What counts as urgent

Call 911 first if anyone is at risk: a child or pet shut in a car, a person inside a locked home who needs help or medicine, or signs that an intruder may still be inside.

After that, a lock problem is urgent when it leaves you or your property exposed:

• Winter storms. NOAA notes that cold air crossing the unfrozen Great Salt Lake occasionally drops heavy snow bands east and south of the lake. A lockout during a storm, or a door that will not latch while snow blows in, cannot wait.
• A door that will not lock. After a break-in, a kicked door or a failed deadbolt, a home or business that cannot be secured for the night is urgent.

After a break-in

Call the police before calling a locksmith, and leave the door and lock as they are until officers have seen them. Ask for the report number.

Under Section 57-22-5.1 of the Utah Code, a renter who is a victim of burglary, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking or a sexual offense covered by the section can require the owner to install a new lock. The renter provides a copy of a police report or a protective order issued after a hearing, and pays for the installation. The owner may rekey a lock in good working condition or replace it with one of equal or greater quality. This is general information, not legal advice.

Checking every door

After a forced entry, check every exterior door, not only the one that gave way. In Redwood and Chesterfield's brick ranch homes, a side or garage door is easy to overlook. In a Fairbourne Station apartment, tell management too, since the building entry is theirs.

While you wait

• Stay somewhere lit and out of the weather, such as a neighbor's home, and do not force a window or door.
• If you wait in a running car during snow, keep the exhaust pipe clear.

Details to send first

1. Your address or cross streets, and what kind of building it is.
2. What happened, whether anyone is at risk, and the police report number if you have one.
3. Photos of the damaged door, frame or lock.

A lock that is merely stiff is a job for lock repair.