Locked Out in Fort Lauderdale? Start Here
Updated: November 2026
Locked out in Fort Lauderdale? Check that no one is in danger, look for a spare key holder, try the doors you can reach safely, and then call a locksmith who tells you the total before driving. Six steps follow, ordered so the cheapest fixes come first.
- Licensed & insured
- 6-month workmanship warranty
- About 20 min to you
Step 1 · Danger?
Anyone at risk inside — a small child, an older relative, an animal — or a burner or iron left on: call 911 before anything else.
Step 2 · Who has a key?
Family, a roommate, a neighbor, the landlord, the condo desk, a cleaner. One call often ends it.
- In a tower: ask the front desk or security. Florida condo associations can require owners to leave a unit key with management (Becker), so the office may be able to let you in for free.
- Renting: the landlord or property manager usually holds a copy.
- A short-term rental: call the host — they often have a backup code or a lockbox key.
Step 3 · Other ways in — carefully
Back door, side door, the door from the garage. Skip climbing and breaking glass; a hospital visit costs far more than a locksmith. Never try a balcony from the unit next door.
If it's a keypad that went dark
If your smart lock is the problem, it's often the batteries. Many models have a backup key or contacts for a 9-volt battery under the keypad — the manual will say. Owners on lock-maker forums report keypads that went completely dark after a battery change (Ultraloq community), so if fresh batteries don't help, stop there and call.
Step 4 · Choosing who to call: what to ask on the phone
Ask any locksmith these before anyone drives, and write down the answers:
- "What will the total be, trip included?" Not a service-call fee — the whole bill for opening your type of lock.
- "Do nights or weekends cost more?" Get that answer before you hang up.
- "Do you try damage-free entry first?" Picking or bypass should come before drilling. Drilling means a new lock, which should be your choice.
- "Is the price guaranteed before you start work?" A fair answer: the price holds unless the lock differs from what you described, and then you're told the revised figure and decide.
- "What's your business name, and who's coming?"
Palm Beach County's consumer office describes the trick: a tiny quote such as "$19" or "$29" on the phone, then a much bigger bill once the door is open (PBC Consumer Affairs). The complaints people post look alike: a low quote, then a service fee, a one-hour minimum or a per-lock charge added at the door, and pressure to pay in cash. Our Broward locksmith checking guide goes further.
Our own answers: lockouts from $110, usually $110–175, trip included; no night or weekend fee; damage-free methods first; and the total is agreed before any work.
Step 5 · At the door
Check their ID matches the name you were given, agree on the total before work starts, and have proof of address ready (inside is fine). If a different price appears, you may say no and send them away.
- Condo tower: tell the desk the locksmith's name so they can be let up.
- House: turn on the porch light and wait somewhere you feel safe, like a neighbor's or your car.
Step 6 · Afterwards
Keys lost rather than locked inside? Rekey so a found key ring is useless to whoever picks it up — $50 for each lock after the first, on the same visit. Then leave a spare with someone you trust, not under the mat.
Locked out of a car instead?
Different tools, different price — from $99. See car lockout, and if your car is a rental, call the company's roadside line first.
Questions
Can the fire department open my door?
Call 911 when someone inside is at risk. For an ordinary lockout, call a key holder or a locksmith.
Does a lockout get more expensive late at night?
With some companies, yes — so ask. With us, no.
I'm a tenant and the landlord changed the locks. Can you let me in?
Not without written instructions that fit Florida law. That law forbids a landlord from changing the locks to keep a tenant out (Florida Statutes 83.67), but a locksmith can't settle that dispute at the door — talk to the landlord or a legal aid office first.
Our rate: home and condo lockouts from $110, usually $110–175, day or night. Call (954) 998-6919