Check these before you call
First, if a child or a pet is inside the car, stop and call 911. Everything else on this page can wait.
If not, walk around the car and try every door, including the back doors and the trunk or hatch. Sometimes one door simply didn't lock. Check for a keypad on the door pillar or an app from the manufacturer that can unlock the car from your phone, which some cars have. And think about a spare key: at home, at work, or with a family member who can bring it.
Look at the windows and the sunroof too. If one was left open, you may be able to reach a lock button, but only if you can do it without forcing anything. Don't push on a window that's meant to be closed.
What not to try
A coat hanger, a long strip of metal or a wedge pushed into the door frame looks easy on video. In a modern door it can bend the frame, tear the weatherstripping, scratch the paint and catch wiring that runs through the door, including the wires for the side airbag. A broken window leaves you with glass in the seats and a bill that's higher than the cost of a lockout.
If it works, you may still have caused damage you'll find later. If it doesn't, the person you call next starts with a more damaged car.
While you wait
In a DFW summer, find shade and water if the wait will be long, and keep clear of the road if you're at the curb. If the engine is still running with the keys inside, say so when you call, and stay close to the car. It's burning fuel the whole time you wait.
Getting it opened
When you call, have your exact location, the year, make and model, and whether the keys are in the cabin or the trunk ready. Keep your ID handy. For everyone's safety, the driver confirms the vehicle is yours before unlocking it.
Our average arrival is 30 minutes, and how long it takes to reach you depends on where you are and the traffic between us and you. We text or call when the driver is on the way, so keep your phone with you instead of leaving it inside the car with the keys.
TRA's drivers use non-destructive entry methods whenever possible. A vehicle lockout is from $50, plus a $19 dispatch fee charged once per job. Keys in the trunk are a separate, longer job at $120, plus the dispatch fee. We open vehicles. We don't cut or program keys.
Common questions
ID, or another way to show the vehicle is yours. The driver confirms ownership before opening anything.
Our drivers use non-destructive entry methods whenever possible, so the car isn't marked up. That's the main reason not to try a coat hanger yourself.
Then it isn't a lockout. You need a replacement key, which comes from a locksmith or the dealer. We open vehicles, and we don't make keys.
Tell dispatch when you call, and stay close to the car. A locked, running car with the keys inside is burning fuel, and you don't want to lose sight of it.