Emergency Locksmith in Madison, WI

What counts as urgent in Madison

Some lock problems can wait for a convenient day. Others can't:

• Locked out in the cold. The state Department of Transportation counts about 35 to 40 winter weather events in an average Wisconsin winter, and someone who can't get indoors on a bitter night, especially a child or an older adult, is at risk. If anyone is dangerously cold, call 911.
• A child or pet locked inside. Call 911 first, whether it is a car or a home.
• After a break-in. Call the police first and don't go in until they say it is safe. Photograph the damaged door and lock, and leave them untouched until police have seen them; the door can be secured after that.
• A door that won't lock. A deadbolt that won't throw or a strike torn out of the frame leaves a home unsecured overnight.
• A car with a deadline. On a declared snow emergency night, cars in Madison's Snow Emergency Zone must be on the correct side of the street by 1 a.m.; see car lockout.

Lock changes after abuse or stalking

Under Wisconsin Statutes section 704.16(4), a residential tenant who asks for new locks and supplies the qualifying paperwork the statute names, such as an injunction or a condition of release ordering no contact, is entitled to have them changed. The landlord has 48 hours from receiving the request and paperwork to change the locks or let the tenant do it. The tenant pays, and one who changes them with permission must give the landlord a key within a reasonable time. Subsection (4)(c) treats the case where the person named also rents the unit differently. This is general information, not legal advice.

If you are in danger right now, call 911.

Safety first, then the request

Once everyone is safe, send:

• the address, and which door or vehicle
• what happened: lockout, break-in, broken lock, lost or stolen keys
• whether anyone is inside, and whether police have been called
• for a rental, whether the landlord knows

Wisconsin Locksmith Pros takes service requests from homes, businesses and drivers in Madison. For the services themselves, see emergency locksmith and house lockout; local background is on the Madison page.