Key Snapped Off in the Lock? What to Do Next

You turned the key the way you have a thousand times, felt a little give, and now you're holding half a key. The other half is sitting in the lock.

It's a common call across the GTA, and it picks up once the weather turns cold. Here's what you can safely try, what makes it worse, and what to have ready when you call.

Why keys snap

Keys rarely break out of nowhere. Most of the time it's one of these:

• An old, worn key. Keys wear thin at the shoulder and along the cuts. A key that's been on your ring for years, or a copy of a copy, gets weaker every year.
• A stiff lock. If you've been jiggling and forcing the key to get the lock to turn, the key has been taking that strain.
• Cold weather. In winter, moisture can freeze inside an outdoor lock and old grease turns sticky, so people twist harder than they normally would.
• Using the key as a handle. Pulling a heavy door shut by the key, or hanging a big ring of keys and fobs off it, bends it a little every day.
• The wrong key. A similar-looking key pushed in and forced.

First, look at where it broke

Shine your phone's flashlight into the keyway.

A piece is sticking out. If you can see part of the blade above the face of the lock, you may be able to get it out yourself.

It's flush or deep inside. If the broken piece is level with the face of the cylinder or below it, leave it alone. Every attempt to dig it out pushes it deeper or jams it against the pins.

Also check whether the lock is in its normal position. If the key broke after turning partway, the cylinder may be stuck between positions. The door could be locked, unlocked or somewhere in between.

What you can try (carefully)

If a bit of the blade is sticking out:

1. Don't try to turn the stub. A broken piece only slides out when the cylinder is back where the key went in.
2. Use needle-nose pliers or tweezers. Grip the exposed part firmly and pull straight out, slowly. Don't wiggle it side to side.
3. A little lock lubricant can help. A puff of graphite or a lubricant made for locks can ease the piece out. Skip it if you'd have to push on the piece to get it in.

If it doesn't come out with a gentle, straight pull, stop there.

What not to do

Don't use super glue. The idea is to glue the broken half back onto the stub and pull. In practice the glue runs into the keyway and sets the pins solid, and a simple extraction turns into a lock replacement.

Don't push the other half back in. It won't line up, and it drives the stub deeper.

Don't dig with bobby pins, paper clips or a tiny screwdriver. They're the wrong shape for the keyway, they snap too, and now there are two pieces stuck in there.

Don't spray an oily lubricant into it. Household oils collect dust and gum up the pins over time. If you want to lubricate, use a product made for locks.

Don't keep using a lock that "kind of works" with a piece still inside it. It can jam at a worse moment.

If you're locked out

If the key broke while you were outside, the door is probably still locked. That's a lockout, and our emergency lockout service handles it 24/7. In most cases the technician pulls the broken piece with extraction tools, opens the lock and checks whether the cylinder was damaged.

If the key broke from the inside and you're safe at home, there's less rush. Just don't leave a front door overnight if it won't lock properly.

What happens when the locksmith arrives

For a typical house or condo door, the visit goes like this:

• Extraction. Thin extraction tools slide in beside the broken piece, hook it and pull it out. If the cylinder is stuck between positions, it's turned back first.
• A look at the lock. If the pins or cylinder are damaged, or the lock was stiff to begin with, a repair or a new cylinder may be the better fix. You should hear that before anything gets drilled or replaced.
• A new key. If the broken key was your only copy, a new one can often be cut from the two broken halves, or the lock can be rekeyed.

If your locks are getting old and the keys keep wearing out, our residential locksmith service covers rekeying and lock changes.

Car doors and ignitions

A key that snaps in a car door or ignition is a different job. Many car keys have a chip, and an ignition can be damaged when a key breaks inside it. Don't try to start the car with the stub. Our car locksmith service handles broken keys in doors and ignitions, and can cut and program a replacement key where your car is parked.

What to tell us when you call

Call or text (647) 788-8778 with:

1. Where the key broke: front door, back door, padlock, mailbox, car door or ignition
2. Whether any of the key is sticking out
3. Whether you're locked out or inside
4. Whether you have another copy of the key
5. A photo of the keyway and the broken half

We work across Toronto, Scarborough, Brampton, Vaughan and the rest of the GTA.

How to stop it happening again

• Replace keys that are bent, cracked or worn thin at the shoulder. Have the copy cut from a good original, not from another copy.
• If a lock is getting hard to turn, get it serviced instead of forcing it.
• Keep your key ring light. A heavy ring wears the lock and bends the key.
• Don't use the key to pull the door closed.
• Stuck in a condo hallway? Our guide to condo lockouts in Toronto covers what concierge can and can't do.

Key broke in the lock? Call or text GTA Locksmith at (647) 788-8778, any time, day or night. Seniors get 10% off and veterans get 20% off. We accept cash, Interac debit and e-Transfer.