Updated · Keys and lockouts
Check who is inside
A closed car under the Texas sun can turn dangerous for a child or an animal faster than most people expect, even on a mild day. If anyone is trapped inside, call 911 first and say a child or pet is locked in a car. Responders treat that as an emergency.
Stay by the car, keep talking to the child if you can, and follow whatever the 911 dispatcher tells you.
Try every door, the trunk and the hatch
It sounds obvious, but stress makes people skip it. Walk all the way around and pull every handle. On some cars one door stays unlocked when the rest lock, and in many sedans the rear seat folds down from the trunk.
- Driver and front passenger doors
- Both rear doors
- Trunk or rear hatch
- Any window left partly open (don't force it lower)
Look for a spare key or a remote unlock
If a spare key is at home or with a family member, ask whether someone can bring it. Many newer cars can also be unlocked from the carmaker's phone app or connected service, as long as the account was set up before today.
Write down your exact location before you start making calls. A cross street, a store name or a parking garage level saves time for whoever is coming.
Skip the coat hanger
Modern doors hide wiring, airbag sensors and window motors right where a coat hanger or slim jim would go. Prying at the frame can bend it and tear the rubber seal, and breaking a window leaves glass in the seats and a car you can't lock. Either repair usually takes longer than the lockout itself.
When to call a lockout technician
If none of that works, call us. We send the nearest available technician, 24/7, across Dallas–Fort Worth. The technician uses an inflatable wedge and a long-reach tool to open the door from outside, with no broken glass.
Have your ID ready. You'll be asked for it, and for the registration or another document once the car is open, so we know the car is yours to open.
Opening the car is what a lockout covers. If the key is lost rather than locked inside, you'll need a dealer or a locksmith who makes keys; we don't cut or program keys.