Step 01
Call and describe it
Your address, what has happened, and what the lock looks like. That is usually enough to arrive with the right tooling.
24/7 emergency callout · mobile across Adelaide
Emergency Locksmith Adelaide.
Locked out, keys lost or a lock that has failed? Secure Locksmiths & Security runs a 24 hour emergency locksmith service across metropolitan Adelaide for homes, businesses and vehicles. Call and describe the situation: the fastest route back in is usually not the one people expect.
Answered 24 hours a day
Fully mobile: we come to you
Home, business and vehicle
Have this ready when you call
Where you areStreet address and suburb
What has happenedLocked out, lost keys or a broken lock
Proof of entitlementID or documents linking you to the property
The door itselfDeadlock, latch, digital lock or roller door
24/7 emergency locksmithCall for urgent lockout and access assistance
Mobile locksmith AdelaideOn-site service across metropolitan Adelaide
Residential & commercialHomes, businesses and managed properties
Locks + electronic securityAccess control, CCTV, alarms and digital locks
Before we arrive
Four things that make an emergency callout go faster.
Most of the delay in an emergency callout is information, not travel. These four things let the locksmith arrive with the right tooling instead of diagnosing on the doorstep.
Do not force the door
A forced door often turns a lock problem into a door, frame and hardware problem. Damage almost always costs more to make good than the original lock work.
Wait somewhere safe
Give an exact street address and suburb rather than a landmark. If you are on a main road or alone late at night, say so when you call.
Have identification ready
A locksmith needs reasonable proof you are entitled to enter before opening a property. Licence, lease, rates notice or utility bill in your name all help.
Describe the lock
A photo of the lock and door sent through before the visit is genuinely useful. Deadlocks, digital locks and roller shutters each need different tooling.
If anyone is in danger, call 000 first
A locksmith is the right call for access. If a person or animal is locked inside and at risk, if there is a fire, or if you believe someone has broken in and may still be present, contact emergency services before anyone else.
What we attend
Emergency work, and what usually happens next.
Getting you back in is the first step. The second is making sure the same thing cannot happen again, which sometimes means a rekey rather than a new lock.
Locked out of a home
Doors closed on keys, a key snapped in the cylinder, or a lock that has seized. The aim is non-destructive entry wherever the lock and the time allow.
- Entry without damage where possible
- Broken key extraction
- Replacement keys cut on site
Business lockouts and failures
Premises that cannot open, a failed access control door, or a lock damaged overnight. Where a site cannot be left open, temporary securing comes first.
- Make-safe and temporary securing
- Shopfront and roller door hardware
- Rekeying after a key goes missing
Vehicle access and keys
Keys locked in the car or lost entirely. What is possible depends heavily on the make, model and year, so have those details ready when you call.
- Vehicle entry assistance
- Replacement and transponder keys
- Subject to make and model support
Lost keys are a security event
Getting back in is only half the job.
There is an important difference between a lockout and a lost key. In a lockout, the keys still exist and are accounted for: opening the door resolves it entirely.
A lost or stolen key is different. Until that key is made useless, someone unknown may be able to open your door, and in most cases they can work out which door it belongs to. Replacing the key on its own does nothing about that.
Rekeying versus replacing
Rekeying changes the internal pins of the existing lock so the old key no longer turns it. The hardware stays, a new key is issued, and the missing key becomes worthless. It is usually the faster and cheaper answer.
Replacement is the right call when the lock is worn, damaged, insecure by design, or when you want to change to a different system such as a keyed-alike set or a digital lock.
On an emergency callout the locksmith can talk you through which applies to your situation, and in many cases carry out the work in the same visit.
Step 02
Entitlement, then access
Proof you are entitled to enter comes first, every time. Then the door is opened, without damage wherever the lock allows.
Step 03
Secure again before we leave
If a key is unaccounted for, rekeying or repair happens in the same visit so the problem does not simply recur tomorrow.
On the road
What a callout actually looks like.
Emergency work happens at your door, at whatever hour you rang. The great majority of jobs are resolved on the spot with what is already in the van.
Emergency locksmith FAQs
Questions people ask at 2am.
If your question is not here, call and ask. Describing the door and the lock over the phone usually resolves it faster than searching.
Call 0413 613 190Do you really answer at any hour?
Yes. The emergency line is a 24 hour service, seven days a week, including public holidays. Call 0413 613 190 and describe the situation so availability and the right response can be confirmed for you.
How quickly can someone get to me?
It depends on where you are, the time of day and what is already booked, so an honest estimate can only be given on the call itself. Rather than quote a blanket figure, we would rather tell you a realistic time when you ring, so you can decide whether to wait or make other arrangements.
Will you damage my door or lock to get in?
Non-destructive entry is always the preference. Some locks, particularly high-security and certain digital models, are specifically designed to resist that, and in those cases drilling the cylinder may be the only route in. If that is likely, it is explained before any work starts along with what replacing the cylinder will involve.
What proof do I need that I live there?
Something reasonably linking you to the address. A driver licence showing the address is simplest, but a lease, rates notice, utility bill or vehicle registration in your name at that address will generally do. If you have nothing on you, say so on the call and it can be worked through.
I am a tenant. Can I get the locks changed?
Gaining entry to a property you rent and currently occupy is different from altering the locks on it. Changing locks in a tenancy generally involves the landlord or agent, and South Australian residential tenancy rules apply. Emergency access can be dealt with first, then the lock change arranged through the correct channel.
My key snapped off in the lock. Is the lock ruined?
Usually not. A broken key can often be extracted and the lock left fully serviceable, with a fresh key cut to suit. Avoid trying to pull the fragment out with pliers or glue, as that tends to push it deeper or damage the pins, which turns a simple extraction into a cylinder replacement.
Someone has broken in. What should I do?
Contact the police first and do not enter if you believe anyone may still be inside. Once it is safe and police have advised you can proceed, a locksmith can make the property secure again, repair or replace the damaged hardware, and rekey anything the intruder may have taken keys to.
Can you help if my lock is fine but the door will not open?
Yes, and it is more common than people expect. Doors drop on their hinges, frames move with heat, and strike plates fall out of alignment, so the bolt binds even though the lock is working perfectly. That is an alignment and hardware fix rather than a lock replacement.
Once the emergency is over
Where people usually go next.
An emergency is often the moment a longer-standing security gap becomes obvious. These are the services most commonly arranged afterwards.
01
Lock rekeying
Make a lost or stolen key useless without replacing the hardware you already have.
02Lock repairs & replacement
Repair the damage, correct the alignment, or upgrade hardware that has reached the end of its life.
03Key cutting
Spare keys, so a single misplaced key is an inconvenience rather than another callout.
04Digital locks
Code or fob entry removes the physical key from the equation for the doors you use most.
05Restricted key systems
Control duplication, so you know how many keys exist and who authorised each one.
Emergency or planned work
Tell us what you need secured.
Call for urgent locksmith assistance or send the details of a residential, commercial, automotive or electronic security enquiry.