Locked Keys in Car? Who to Call — and What's Actually Free

Is Anyone Locked in the Car? Call 911, Not a Locksmith

If a child, an elderly or vulnerable person, or a pet is locked inside, call 911 immediately — before a locksmith, before roadside assistance. In Arizona heat, minutes matter, and emergency crews are the right response. Any good locksmith will tell you the same.

The National Weather Service warns that a parked vehicle can become dangerously hot very quickly — for adults as well as children and pets — and that cracking the windows does little to slow it. The American Academy of Pediatrics' HealthyChildren.org adds that a car's interior can climb about 20°F in ten minutes, and that children's bodies heat up three to five times faster than adults'.

I Locked My Keys in My Car: What Do I Do, and Who Do I Call?

With nobody in the car, work down this list: someone who has your spare key, your carmaker's app, roadside assistance you already have, then a mobile locksmith. The police and the dealer are usually not the answer to a simple lockout. The table shows what each option costs and where the catch is.

Who Do I Call for Free? What "Free" Really Means

Only one option is free in the plain sense: a spare key that someone brings you. Everything else that looks free is something you already paid for — an auto club membership, a roadside add-on, an app subscription, or coverage that came with the car. Without one of those, an unlock costs money.

Your car's app: remote unlock

Several carmakers let you unlock the doors from a phone — if it was set up before today. From the manufacturers' own pages:

• Toyota: Remote Connect in the Toyota app locks and unlocks the doors, with an active trial or paid subscription.
• Ford: the Ford app can unlock a car that was added to the app with its modem activated, and some Fords have a door keypad. Calling Ford won't help — its support page says "Ford cannot remotely unlock a vehicle."
• GM (Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac): OnStar says an Advisor can unlock a properly equipped vehicle by phone, and the vehicle app can too; some services need a paid plan.
• Hyundai and Honda: Bluelink's Remote package and HondaLink both include remote door unlock, by subscription.

The catch: the app lives on your phone, and the phone is often in the car with the keys.

Does roadside assistance unlock cars?

Yes. Every roadside program we checked lists lockout service; what differs is who pays.

• Your insurer's roadside add-on. Progressive says roadside assistance nearly always covers a lockout — but it's optional coverage, usually not part of a standard policy. State Farm's emergency road service pays for up to one hour of locksmith labor to unlock a covered vehicle; GEICO's covers lockout services up to $100 for covered causes, not replacement keys.
• Your automaker's program. Ford lists lockout assistance in its Roadside Assistance program: included for certain owners, a per-service fee for everyone else. Check your warranty booklet for yours.
• A credit card benefit. Visa's Roadside Dispatch is pay-per-use: no membership, a set price per call, lockout service included, key replacement not.

Will the police unlock my car?

Don't count on it. Progressive's guide notes that officers may not be able, or permitted, to open a car unless it's an emergency, such as a child or pet inside. Policies differ, so call your city's non-emergency number and ask. Keep 911 for emergencies.

Can the dealer unlock my car?

A dealership is where you go for a new key, not a lockout. Dealers work on cars brought to them; they don't generally send someone to a parking lot. And if the key inside still works, you don't need a new one.

Is a Locksmith Free With AAA? Does AAA Unlock Vehicles for Free?

For members, AAA's own lockout service is included: a AAA roadside technician comes out and tries to open the car, and it counts as one of your service calls for the year. A locksmith is different. AAA reimburses locksmith parts and labor only up to a limit set by your membership level.

These figures are from the membership terms of the AAA club that covers Arizona, read in October 2026:

• It isn't unlimited: up to four roadside calls per membership year, and the member must be there with the card and photo ID.
• If AAA's technician can't open the car, the terms offer a tow.
• You can't join in the parking lot and use it free: benefits on a new membership start 48 hours after purchase, unless you pay a one-time fee.

Other regional AAA clubs publish different limits, so check yours. The terms don't spell out whether a locksmith you call yourself is reimbursed the same way, so ask AAA how to file before you count on it. We give an itemized receipt either way.

Does Insurance Cover a Locksmith?

Sometimes — it depends on the policy, and on why you're locked out. Car insurance covers a lockout only if you added roadside assistance. Homeowners and renters policies generally don't pay for a simple lockout, but may help when keys were stolen in a covered theft. Check your own policy.

Does car insurance cover lost keys?

Usually not. Progressive explains that comprehensive coverage applies when a car and its keys are stolen, not when keys are simply lost, and that a deductible could apply. Roadside coverage can send a locksmith; the new key is on you.

Does home insurance cover a locksmith?

Not for an ordinary lockout. State Farm says standard homeowners insurance typically doesn't cover things you've simply misplaced. It lists locks and remote devices among its additional coverages; its condo page describes that as help re-keying or replacing exterior locks when the keys were part of a covered theft.

Does renters insurance cover a locksmith?

Typically not if you locked yourself out. Progressive says a renters policy may pay a locksmith when the key was stolen, minus your deductible, and that leases often say who is responsible for a lockout.

Keep the paperwork either way: our itemized receipt works for insurance and roadside reimbursement claims. This is general information, not insurance or legal advice — your policy's wording decides.

Who to Call When Locked Out of Your Car: Roadside or a Locksmith?

If you already have roadside coverage, you're somewhere safe and you're not in a hurry, use it. That's what you pay for. A locksmith is the better call when there's no coverage, the wait is too long, or the job is more than a simple door opening.

AAA's own terms allow for a technician who can't open a vehicle, and Progressive notes that newer technology or a faulty lock can make a car hard to unlock. Dead fob rather than locked-in keys? Check for the hidden emergency key first.

Locked Keys in Car Cost: What a Locksmith Charges

Our car lockout is a flat $139 between 7AM and 8PM and $199 after 8PM. That covers dispatch, travel and labor. It's quoted on the phone before we send anyone, and the technician can't change it at the door. You pay after the car is open — cash, card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.

For context, Progressive's guide cites a typical range of about $50 to $250 to have a car opened. Whoever you call, ask for the total before they drive out. Not in a rush? Booking through the form on our site takes $20 off.

What Not to Try Yourself

Skip the coat hanger, the slim jim and the screwdriver in the door gap. A modern car door is packed with wiring, lock linkages, window hardware and, on many cars, side-airbag sensors. The tricks that worked on older cars can now do real damage — and a repair can cost more than the lockout would have.

• Coat hanger or slim jim. They go in blind between the glass and the door skin, where the wiring and linkages sit. Honda's 2024 CR-V manual lists pressure sensors in both front doors that trigger the side airbags.
• Screwdriver or pry bar in the door gap. Metal on a painted frame chips paint and can bend the frame or tear the weather seal — then come wind noise, dust and monsoon rain.
• Breaking a window. You get in, and then you own a car that can't be closed until the glass is replaced.

How Does a Locksmith Unlock a Car, and How Long Does It Take?

A locksmith opens a locked car one of two ways: with an air wedge and a reach tool, or by picking the door lock with a Lishi tool. Once we're at the vehicle, it's often about five minutes. Opening the door doesn't touch the immobilizer, so your key works exactly as it did before.

• Air wedge and reach tool. A flat inflatable cushion makes a small, controlled gap at the top of the door, and a coated reach tool goes through it to the unlock button or the handle.
• Lishi pick. A precision tool that fits the door lock's keyway and lets the technician pick and read the lock, turning it the way the key would.

Which one we use depends on the car. Here's what the call looks like:

1. Call or text (623) 200-4499. A real person on our team answers and quotes the flat price.
2. You get a real ETA for your address. We don't advertise an arrival time.
3. We text you the technician's name and photo, and again when they're about 10 minutes away. Marked vehicle, uniform.
4. We check photo ID and the vehicle registration — the name has to match (why we ask) — then open the car. You pay after the job.

We cover car lockouts in Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, Scottsdale, Phoenix and Peoria. Worried about marks on the car? See will a locksmith damage my lock?

What If the Key Is Lost, Not Locked In?

Then opening the door won't fix it — you need a new key cut and programmed to the car. That's a different job at a different price: a transponder key starts from $149 and an all-keys-lost job from $349, with the exact price confirmed on-site before any work begins.

Most key jobs take 20–45 minutes on-site; all-keys-lost can take longer on some models. Start with lost all your car keys and the car key replacement cost guide.

Who to Call When You're Locked Out of Your House or Apartment

For a house, try whoever holds a spare key; renters should call the landlord or property manager first. Roadside plans mostly cover vehicles — AAA's Premier level in Arizona is an exception, reimbursing a home lockout at the residence on file. Otherwise it's a locksmith: ours is a flat $159, or $219 after 8PM.

Both are covered in detail: locked out of your house in Arizona and renting in Arizona: locks, rekeys and lockouts.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take a locksmith to unlock a car?

Once the technician is at the vehicle, opening the door is often about five minutes, using an air wedge and a reach tool or a Lishi pick. The longer part is the drive to you. We do not advertise an arrival time, so ask for a real ETA for your address when you call, and compare it with the wait your roadside provider quotes.

Can I join AAA after I'm already locked out?

You can join, but it will not make today's lockout free. Under the membership terms of the AAA club that covers Arizona, roadside benefits on a new membership start 48 hours after purchase unless you pay a one-time fee for immediate service. Terms differ between regional AAA clubs, so confirm with AAA before you sign up in a parking lot.

Can I get reimbursed if I pay a locksmith myself?

Often, if you have coverage. AAA's Arizona membership terms reimburse locksmith parts and labor up to $50 for Classic, $100 for Plus and $150 for Premier members, and some insurers' roadside coverage pays toward a lockout too. Ask your provider how to file before you pay, and keep the itemized receipt. We give one after every job.

My keys are locked in the trunk. Is that harder to open?

It can be. A key on the seat is the simple case. A key in the trunk usually means opening the car first and then getting the trunk to release, and on some cars that takes more than pressing a button. Tell us on the call that the keys are in the trunk and give the make, model and year, and you will hear the price before we dispatch.

My key fob is dead and the car won't unlock. Do I need a locksmith?

Often not. Most fobs hide a small mechanical emergency key that opens the driver's door, and a new coin battery usually brings the buttons back. Our key fob guide shows where to look. If the emergency key is missing, or it will not turn in the door lock, that is the time to call.

Will unlocking my car set off the alarm or affect the anti-theft system?

Opening the door does not touch the immobilizer or your key's programming, so the key works exactly as before. On some vehicles the alarm sounds when a door is opened without the remote, and it stops once the car sees a valid key, usually when you start it. That is normal and not a sign that anything was damaged.