Locked out? Here's exactly what to do.
Being locked out is stressful, but it's rarely an emergency in the dangerous sense. A clear head and a few sensible steps will usually get you sorted without damage or a huge bill. Here's the order to work through it.
1. Stop and take a breath
The worst decisions get made in the first two minutes. If it's cold, dark or late, get somewhere safe and warm before you start problem-solving — a car, a neighbour's porch, a nearby café. Nothing about a locked door gets worse by waiting ten minutes to think clearly.
2. Check the easy way in first
Before you do anything drastic, run through the obvious: a back or side door, an unlocked window, a garage internal door, or a spare key. Many people have a spare with a neighbour, a family member, or in a lockbox and forget it in the moment. If you rent, your property manager or landlord may hold a key — a quick phone call can save a callout entirely.
3. Don't force it
This is the big one. The damage people do trying to break back into their own home almost always costs more than a locksmith would have. A jemmied door, a cracked frame or a smashed window is a far bigger repair bill than a lockout — and climbing through windows is how people get hurt. Resist the urge.
If a child or pet is locked in a car on a hot day, call 111 first — don't wait for a locksmith. The same goes for anything involving fire, gas, or a medical situation. A locksmith is for property access, not life-threatening emergencies.
4. Know the difference: home vs car
For a house, a mobile locksmith can nearly always get you in without damaging the lock, using non-destructive entry. For a vehicle, it depends whether the keys are locked inside (we can usually open it) or lost entirely (we can cut and program a new key — see our car key replacement guide). Either way, have your make, model, year and registration handy.
5. Call, and get the price first
When you ring a locksmith, describe the situation plainly: where you are, what's locked, and what kind of property or vehicle. A good locksmith gives you an upfront price before they set off — not a vague "we'll sort it when we get there." If a quote sounds suspiciously cheap on the phone, be careful; that's a classic bait tactic covered in our guide on what a locksmith should cost.
If you're locked out right now, our emergency locksmiths are on call 24/7 across every region — Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and everywhere in between. One call reaches the nearest available locksmith.