What to Do When You're Locked Out of Your Car in Columbia, MO

It happens in a second. The door shuts, the locks click, and the keys are on the seat, in the cup holder or still in your pocket at home. Being locked out of your car is stressful, more so in a parking lot you don't know or when you have somewhere to be. This guide walks through what to do, in order, whether you're in Columbia, in Jefferson City or in a small town in between.

Step 1: Try every handle, the trunk included

Before you call anyone, walk around the car and try every handle. It sounds obvious, but when the driver's door is locked it is easy to assume the rest are too, and a rear door or the hatch is sometimes the one that stayed open.

• Try all four doors, including both on the passenger side.
• Try the trunk or the hatch. On some cars it locks separately from the doors.
• Check every window. One left down may be all you need.
• Go through your pockets, bag and jacket for the fob one more time.
• If the car has a keypad on the driver's door, try the code if you know it.

Step 2: Think about the spare key

Where is the second key? If someone at home, at work or nearby has it, a ride to fetch it, or a friend who can meet you with it, may be the simplest fix of all.

• A partner, roommate or family member who drives the same car.
• A drawer at home or at work.
• A neighbor or friend you gave one to for exactly this.

If the only key is inside the car and there is no spare anywhere, make a note of it for later. Once this is over, having a second key made is the best thing you can do. Our guide on losing the only car key explains what that involves.

Step 3: Don't try to force your way in

Videos online make getting into a locked car look like a trick anyone can do. On a modern car it rarely goes that way. Doors carry wiring, window motors and, on many models, side airbags, and all of it sits right where people end up prodding.

Breaking a window is the last resort for a real emergency, not for keys left on a seat. Glass takes time to replace, and a car with a missing window can't be left anywhere safely.

Step 4: Check your roadside coverage

Look at your insurance card, your car club membership and the app or booklet that came with the car. Some policies and memberships include lockout help, and it's worth a call to find out before you arrange anything else.

Ask them two things: whether lockouts are covered, and when they expect to reach you. Then decide. If they can't give you a clear answer, calling a locksmith directly is the other route.

Step 5: Call us, with these details ready

When you call us, have these details ready. They help us understand the job on the phone and find the car:

1. Where the car is. An address, the nearest cross streets, or the store and the row you parked in.
2. What it is. The year, make and model, and the color, so it's easy to spot in a busy lot.
3. Where the keys are. On a seat, in the cup holder, in the trunk, or not in the car at all. A key that is lost rather than locked in is a different job.
4. Whether the engine is running. Say so if it was left on.
5. Whether you are safe where you are. If you aren't, move somewhere that is, and tell us where.

It doesn't matter whether it's a car, a pickup or a van, or whether it's parked at home, at work or at a trailhead: the work is done where the vehicle is. Our car lockout service page has the details.

Step 6: Stay safe while you wait

• Wait in a well-lit, public place if you can, near the car but out of the road.
• If it's very hot or very cold out, find shelter and keep your phone charged.
• Say no to strangers who offer to open the car for cash. It's a quick way to end up with a damaged door, or worse.
• If you feel unsafe at any point, call 911.
• Let someone you trust know where you are.

What happens when we get there

We look at the car and talk it through with you before anything is touched: which door, where the keys are, and whether anything about the car needs care, like an aftermarket alarm or a door that already sticks.

Once the door is open, take a moment before you drive off. Check that the key or fob is in your hand, and if the only key was the one locked in, this is a good time to ask about a spare.

How to avoid the next lockout

Most car lockouts come down to one moment of habit, so the fixes are simple:

• Have a spare key made, and keep it with someone you trust or somewhere you can reach. A second key also turns a lost key into a small problem instead of a big one.
• Keep the fob in your hand until the door is shut. Make it a habit, the same way you check for your phone.
• Replace the fob battery when it gets weak. A dying battery is a common reason a car won't unlock when you expect it to. Our guide to a key fob that stops working covers the signs.
• Don't hide a key on the outside of the car. Magnetic boxes under the bumper are the first place a thief looks.
• Learn how your car behaves. Some lock themselves after a short while, or when you walk away with the fob. Your owner's manual says how yours works.