Who to call when you are locked out of your car in Toronto
Someone inside, or an engine running in a closed garage: 911. Nobody at risk and you have roadside assistance: ask your plan how long the wait is. No plan, or a long wait: a car locksmith.
From $95. You hear the full price on the call and nobody sets out until you agree. Open daily, 7am to 10:30pm.
Who should I call first?
- 911
- A child, a pet or anyone who cannot get out is inside, or a car is running in a closed garage. Emergency crews break a window if they need to.
- CAA or your roadside plan
- Many memberships, and some insurer, car-maker and credit card plans, include a lockout call, often at no extra cost. Good when the wait is short. In a snowstorm or at rush hour the queue gets long, so ask for the wait before you hang up.
- A car locksmith
- No plan, a long wait or an awkward spot. A local technician comes to the car, opens it with lockout tools, and you pay for that one job.
- The dealer
- Dealers do not send anyone out to open a locked car. You need one only when the key is lost or has to be replaced.
- Police, when nobody is inside
- For an empty locked car they will point you to a locksmith or your roadside plan.
- A tow truck
- A tow moves the car. You do not need one for a lockout unless the car also will not start.
One call to a car locksmith settles four things
This line is answered from 7am to 10:30pm every day.
The questions
Where the car is, the make, model and year, and where the keys are. You are also asked whether anyone is inside and whether the engine is running.
The price
One figure for the whole job. How the price is worked out.
The arrival time
An estimate for your address, usually 20 to 30 minutes. Keep your phone on: the technician may ring when close, especially for a garage or a big lot.
Your yes or no
Nobody is sent until you agree. If the price or the wait does not suit you, say so and the call ends there.
When is it a 911 call?
Call 911 before anyone else if any of these is true.
- A child or a vulnerable adult is inside
- Call even if they seem fine.
- A pet is inside on a warm day or a very cold one
- The crew decides whether to break a window.
- The engine is running in a home garage or an enclosed lot
- Get out of the space, open the door if you safely can, then call.
More detail: keys locked in a running car or with someone inside
Will the police, CAA or the dealer unlock my car?
Will Toronto police unlock my car?
Not usually. Police come when someone inside is at risk. For an empty car they send you to a locksmith or your roadside plan.
Does CAA unlock cars?
Many CAA memberships include a lockout call. Phone them, ask the wait and check what your membership level covers.
Can the dealership unlock my car?
Dealers do not usually send anyone out to open a locked car. You need them only if the key is lost or has to be replaced.
Is a locksmith faster than roadside assistance?
Often, because the call goes straight to a local technician and not into a queue. Roadside waits change a lot with the weather and the time of day, so ask both.
What do I need to show the locksmith?
Photo ID and something that links you to the car, such as the ownership or the insurance slip. If they are inside the car, say so when you call.
No plan, or the wait is too long?
A car lockout starts from $95. Ask for the figure and the wait, then decide.
Open daily, 7am to 10:30pm