Locksmith questions, answered

Check every door and window you can safely reach, and whether anyone else has a key nearby. If not, call 763-600-3529. Do not break a window: it usually costs more than a locksmith and leaves the house open. Our guide covers the first 10 minutes of a house lockout.

In most cases, yes. We pick or bypass the lock with professional tools. Drilling is the last resort, for high-security or broken locks, and we explain why before doing it.

Yes, call right away. A running car will use fuel, and in winter the cabin can get cold fast once the engine stops. We open cars without the key and without damage in most cases.

Yes. We confirm you live at the address or own the car before we open anything. A photo ID with the address, a lease, a utility bill or the vehicle registration works. If your ID is locked inside, we can check it as soon as the door is open, before we leave.

Yes, if you can show you live there. Many leases ask you to tell your landlord before changing locks, so check yours before asking for a new deadbolt.

In many cases, yes. We cut a new key and program it to the car where it is parked. Have the year, make and model, the VIN if you can, and proof of ownership ready. See car key replacement.

Often, and it usually comes to you, which saves a tow when no key works. Prices depend on the car, so call for a price with your year, make and model.

A car key with a small chip in the head. The car reads the chip, and the engine will not start unless it recognizes it, even if the metal blade turns. Most cars built since the late 1990s use one.

Often it is just the battery. Cold weather weakens batteries, and a fob battery that was already low can quit on a frozen morning. Most fobs also hide a metal key you can use to open the door. Our winter lock guide covers this.

When it is damaged, worn out, or a lost key could be in someone else's hands. A deadbolt that only sticks often needs the strike adjusted, not a new lock. See deadbolt service.

Yes. We drill and fit a new deadbolt and strike plate, and we use long screws in the strike so it holds against a kick.

Yes. We install hardware you supply, and we tell you before we start if it does not fit the door.

It depends on the job, the lock or vehicle and the time of day. We give you a price on the phone before driving out. See how our pricing works.

No. The phone estimate is free: we tell you the price for your job before we drive out, and you are under no obligation to book.

Not for the job you described. If we find something different on site, such as a broken lock that needs replacing, we tell you the new price and you decide before we do any extra work.

Yes, an itemized receipt with our business name on it.

S.O.S Locksmith Solution LLC is an active Minnesota company based in Crystal (Secretary of State file 1564305400028), with a 5.0 rating from 80 customers on our Google profile. You can look us up, and we answer the phone with our name. See about us.

Minnesota has no state license or bond requirement for locksmiths, according to the Minnesota Attorney General's Office. Some cities have their own rules. We explain what to check instead in this guide.

A very low phone quote that jumps on arrival, a phone answered with just "locksmith", pressure to drill or replace right away, and no business name on the bill. Read how to avoid a locksmith scam.

So we never open a door or make a key for someone who should not have it. It is the same check you would want if someone tried to get into your home.

Yes. We are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

We are based in Crystal, MN 55427 and work as a mobile locksmith, so we come to you. We do not have a walk-in shop.

Minneapolis, St. Paul, Crystal, Robbinsdale, New Hope, Golden Valley, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Plymouth and Maple Grove. See service areas, and call if your city is not listed.