What to Do If You Can't Afford a Locksmith

Published October 21, 2026

By Mike German

We take lockout calls all over the valley at every hour, and a lot of them start with the same worry. The caller is stuck outside, payday is still days away, and they want to know their options. This is what we would tell a friend in that spot.

• A child in a car comes firstCall 911 at once. Do not shop for a price while a child sits in a hot car.
• Free help is often one call awayA spare key with a roommate, a family member or the apartment office costs nothing.
• You may already be coveredAAA in Nevada pays locksmith money back on every plan, and many car policies add roadside lockout service.
• Your car may open itselfSome connected car plans can open the doors from a phone or an advisor call.
• A full price beats a cheap adGet the total on the phone before anyone drives out.
• Rekey instead of replaceOur home rekeys start at $79.99, which usually costs less than new locks.

Start With the Free Options

Before you pay anyone, walk the whole house once and check the back door, the side gate, the garage keypad and every window you can reach from the ground, because a surprising number of our calls end with the caller saying the slider was open the whole time.

Next, think about who might hold a spare key. A roommate, a partner at work, a parent across town or a trusted neighbor can save you the whole bill, and even a 30 minute drive across Las Vegas to pick up that key costs less than any lockout call.

If you rent, call the leasing office or your property manager before you call us. Many apartment offices keep keys on file, your lease tells you whether a lockout comes with a fee, and that fee may still be lower than a night visit from any locksmith.

Skip the tricks you see in online videos. Breaking a window or forcing a door almost always costs more than the lockout would have. A replacement window, a split door frame or a lock that has to be drilled out can turn a small bill into a much bigger one.

Many lockout guides online suggest taking the doorknob apart or picking the lock with a bobby pin. That can work on an old knob, but most Las Vegas homes also lock with a deadbolt, which a bobby pin will not open for most people without professional training. Those same guides rarely mention AAA, roadside cover or a connected car app, even though those are the options most likely to make a lockout completely free.

When Money Should Not Decide

Some lockouts cannot wait for a cheaper option, and the most important one is a child locked in a car, where you should call 911 immediately. A release from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, posted by the City of Arlington, says a car can warm by about 20 degrees in as little as 10 minutes.

That same release says a child's body heats three to five times faster than an adult's, and that 31 children died in hot cars in 2025. During a Las Vegas summer a parked car becomes dangerous very quickly, so the price of the call should never enter the decision.

The same goes for anyone inside a home who needs help and cannot reach the door, so call 911 first and sort out the lock afterward.

Help You May Already Pay For

Plenty of people pay for lockout help every year and forget they have it, so check these before you spend a dollar.

AAA is the big one, and AAA Mountain West Group lists three plans for Nevada members. Classic costs $64.99 a year and pays locksmith money back up to $50, Plus costs $99.99 and pays up to $100, and Premier costs $124.99 and pays up to $150 for a car or a home. Only the Premier listing mentions the home, so check your membership level before you count on it for a house lockout.

Your car insurance can help too. Progressive says that when your keys are lost, stolen or locked inside the car, its roadside service sends a provider, and you pay only for a replacement key. Progressive also says your policy may limit how many roadside events it covers, so read your declarations page or call the number printed on your insurance card.

Your car may also have a connected app. OnStar tells the story of a family whose dog was locked inside a Chevy Tahoe with the keys, where an advisor called the owner, asked a few questions to confirm his identity, and opened the doors from afar. OnStar notes that this feature needs a service plan on a vehicle that has it.

Many other car brands offer similar apps, so if you already pay for one, open it before you call anyone.

How to Spend Less When You Do Call

Sometimes you have no spare, no membership and no app, and these four steps will keep the final bill as small as it reasonably can be.

First, get the full price on the phone by asking for the total, with the trip and the labor included, before anyone is sent. We give our price before we drive out, and a locksmith you can trust should do the same.

Second, ask whether the job can safely wait. Nights, weekends and holidays usually add $25 to $75 across Las Vegas, as our Las Vegas locksmith price guide explains. If you have a safe place to sleep, a morning visit can cost less, and when a job can safely wait, we will say so on the phone.

Third, ask for a rekey instead of new locks when a key is lost. A rekey changes the pins so the old key stops working, and you keep the same hardware. Our home rekeys start at $79.99, and our guide on whether it is cheaper to rekey or replace shows the math. Veterans and active military get 10% off new locks if a lock does need to be replaced.

Fourth, ask how they plan to open the door, because most standard residential locks can be opened without damage, and if a technician wants to drill a normal house lock right away, ask why before you say yes.

Why the Cheapest Ad Can Cost the Most

When money is tight, the lowest price in an advertisement looks like the answer, but it often is not. This year the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection warned about a common pattern in which a caller hears a low price on the phone, then the person who shows up says the job is harder than expected and raises the price, often with pressure and a demand for cash.

The same alert says to get the full price, travel included, before work starts, and to refuse service when someone has no ID or no license number. The real cheap locksmith is the one whose price does not change at your door.

In Las Vegas, ask for the company name and a license number on the phone before you agree to anything. Ours is on our license page, and our guide to avoiding locksmith scams in Las Vegas lists the other warning signs.

★Make Silver State Locksmith a preferred Google source

Loose Ends

What to do if I can't afford a locksmith?

Try the free options first. Look for an open door or window, call whoever holds a spare key, call your landlord, and check AAA, your car insurance and your car app. If you still need a locksmith, get the full price on the phone before anyone drives out.

Does AAA pay for a house lockout in Nevada?

AAA Mountain West Group lists home lockout cover only on the Premier plan, which pays locksmith money back up to $150 for a car or a home. Classic and Plus list locksmith money back without naming the home.

Does car insurance cover a locksmith?

It can if your policy has roadside service. Progressive says its roadside cover sends a provider when keys are locked inside the car, and you pay only for a replacement key. Check your own policy for limits.

Is a locksmith cheaper during the day?

Usually, yes. Across Las Vegas, nights, weekends and holidays tend to add $25 to $75 to the total. If you are safe and can wait, a daytime visit may cost less.

Who do I call if a child is locked in a car?

Call 911 right away. A car can warm by about 20 degrees in as little as 10 minutes, so do not wait to find a cheaper option.

Is it cheaper to rekey or replace a lock after losing a key?

Rekeying is usually cheaper because you keep the same lock. Our home rekeys start at $79.99, and the old key stops working the same day.

Locked out and worried about the cost? See our house lockout service, what a locksmith costs in Las Vegas and how to spot a locksmith scam, or call (725) 280‑5051 any hour and we will give you the full price before we drive out.

Original Documents

• NHTSA via City of Arlington, Parked Cars Get Hot Fast and Can Be Deadly (June 2, 2026)
• AAA Mountain West Group, Nevada AAA Membership Benefits
• Progressive, Roadside Assistance Claims
• OnStar, Ruh Roh, OnStar Rescues Dog From Locked Vehicle
• Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Be Wary of Scammers Posing as Locksmith Technicians (July 16, 2026)
• eLocal, Locked Out? 5 Things to Try Before You Call a Locksmith (June 28, 2022)