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🗝️ Home & Apartment Lockout Locksmith · All 5 boroughs
Locked out of your home or apartment in NYC? Get matched with a local locksmith
The door clicked shut behind you, the key snapped in the lock, or your keys are gone. We’re a free referral service that connects you with independent local locksmiths. We don’t open doors ourselves.
- Free to use — no obligation
- Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Bronx, Staten Island
- You choose whether to hire anyone
Heads-up: we’re a referral service, not the company that does the work. We pass your request to independent local providers.
What to do right now
- If a child, a vulnerable person or a pet is alone inside, or something is on the stove or water is running, call 911.
- If you rent, call your landlord, super or building management first. They may have a spare key or a way to let you in.
- Ask whether a family member, roommate or neighbor has a spare key.
- Have your ID ready, and something that shows you live there, like ID with the address, a lease or a utility bill on your phone.
- Before anyone starts, ask for the total price in writing, a text is fine, and the company’s name.
⚠️ Safety first
- Don’t climb fire escapes, balconies or through windows to get in.
- If the door was forced or you think someone broke in, don’t go inside. Call 911 from a safe place.
- Wait somewhere safe and lit, like a neighbor’s, the lobby or a nearby store.
- If someone arrives in an unmarked car and won’t give a business name, a license or a price, you don’t have to let them start.
Common causes
- Door locked behind you with the keys inside
- Lost or stolen keys
- Key broken off in the lock
- Lock jammed, worn out or broken
- Keypad or smart lock with a dead battery
- Need the locks changed after keys went missing
What to ask before you hire
- Are you licensed by NYC DCWP as a locksmith? Can I see the license? (You can look it up on DCWP’s license search.)
- What’s the total price, including any trip or service-call fee, before you come out? Can you text it to me?
- Will you try to open it without drilling first, and tell me the price before drilling or replacing the lock?
- If the lock needs replacing, what will the new lock and the labor cost?
- What’s your business name and address, and will you give me an itemized receipt?
- Be careful with a very low price quoted on the phone. Confirm the total before work starts, and don’t pay for work you didn’t agree to.
Home & Apartment Lockout Locksmith by borough
Jump to: Brooklyn · Queens · Manhattan · Bronx · Staten Island
Home & Apartment Lockout Locksmith in Brooklyn
In Brooklyn walk-ups and brownstones, check whether the super or a neighbor has a key before calling anyone. If the building’s front door is locked too, tell the locksmith both doors.
Get matched with a Brooklyn pro →Home & Apartment Lockout Locksmith in Queens
For a Queens house, think about who else has a key, like family or a neighbor. If none, have your ID with the address ready so the locksmith can check it.
Get matched with a Queens pro →Home & Apartment Lockout Locksmith in Manhattan
In a Manhattan building with a doorman or management office, ask them first. Many keep keys or can call the super.
Get matched with a Manhattan pro →Home & Apartment Lockout Locksmith in Bronx
In the Bronx, if you rent, call the super or management office first. If you can’t reach them, we can connect you with a local locksmith.
Get matched with a Bronx pro →Home & Apartment Lockout Locksmith in Staten Island
On Staten Island, distances can be long. When you get a quote, ask for the full price including the trip, and an honest arrival estimate from the company itself.
Get matched with a Staten Island pro →Questions
Can my landlord or super let me in?
Try them first. Your super or management company may have a spare key or a way to let you in. If they can’t, we can connect you with a local locksmith.
What will the locksmith ask me for?
Expect to show ID. NYC’s locksmith law says locksmiths must make a good-faith effort to check the ID of the person asking for a lock to be opened, and to get proof that person owns it or is allowed to have it opened. ID with the address, a lease or a utility bill helps.
Will they have to drill the lock?
Not always. Ask the locksmith to try to open it without damage first, and to tell you the price before drilling or replacing anything.
Do locksmiths in NYC need a license?
Yes. Today the City’s DCWP licenses locksmiths, and you can check a license on DCWP’s website. Starting May 31, 2027, the City is changing this to a license for locksmith businesses instead of individual locksmiths.
Can you tell me the price now?
No. We don’t set prices. The locksmith quotes you directly. Get the total in writing before work starts.
Are you the police, the City or my landlord?
No. We’re a private, free referral service that connects you with independent local locksmiths.
How this works
- Tell us what’s wrong: the form takes about a minute.
- We pass your request to an independent local company that handles this kind of job in your area.
- They contact you to talk through the problem and the price. You decide whether to hire them.
The referral is free. We may be paid by the provider or a referral network. We don’t check or guarantee licenses, insurance, prices or quality. Please verify any company before you hire it. More on how it works.
Official sources
- NYC DCWP — Locksmith License Application Checklist
- NYC MyCity Business — Locksmith License
- NYC DCWP — Check License Status
- NYC Council — Local Law 183 of 2025 (locksmith duties: check ID and proof of ownership or authorization)
- NYC DCWP — New Laws & Rules (locksmith licensing changes take effect May 31, 2027)
- NYC311 — Locksmith Complaint