Emergency Locksmith in Richmond, VA

What makes a lock problem urgent here

Safety comes before any lock. If anyone is in danger behind a locked door or inside a locked car, call 911 first; the lock can wait.

Situations that are often urgent:

• locked out after dark in winter, when Richmond's nights often freeze while its days thaw
• an exterior door that will not lock or latch, leaving a home or shop unsecured overnight
• a key snapped in the only lock on a door that must be secured
• keys locked in a car on a block posted for weekday peak-period towing

After a break-in

Call the police before touching the door. Officers may want to see the damage as it is, and a report number helps with the landlord and any claim. When they are done, photograph the frame, strike and lock, then ask about lock repair. If keys were taken, have the locks rekeyed. Renters should tell the landlord right away.

In an Old and Historic District, the Commission of Architectural Review's homeowner manual says original doors should be maintained and repaired, and replaced in kind only if too far gone to repair. A forced original door may therefore be a repair job, and a street-facing door is worth a call to commission staff before it is swapped for a new one. This is general information, not legal advice.

Buildings with more than one door

In a Fan District house converted to apartments, or a newer Scott's Addition complex with a fob-controlled lobby, the door that will not lock may belong to the building rather than to you. Tell the landlord or management at once, because a shared door secures every unit behind it. For a shop or restaurant in a converted warehouse, such as those in Shockoe Slip, say which of the several doors is failing: the storefront, a side entrance or the loading door. See commercial locksmith for business doors.

What to send

Say what is unsafe right now, the address or cross streets, the building or garage name if there is one, the door or vehicle involved, and whether police have been called. Photos help. See emergency locksmith, house lockout and the Richmond page.