Quick answer: if enough of the key sticks out to grip with your fingers or needle-nose pliers, pull it straight out, gently, without twisting. If it’s flush with the lock or inside it, stop. Don’t push, poke or glue it. Keep the pieces and call a locksmith.
A key that snaps in the lock is rarely a disaster, but a few wrong moves can turn a quick job into a lock replacement. Here’s what is safe to try, what isn’t, and when it’s time to stop.
What should you do first when a key snaps in the lock?
Stop turning. Look at how much of the key is still sticking out, and keep both pieces, including the half in your hand. The other half makes cutting a new key easier. Don’t try to start the car or turn the handle “one more time”; that’s how the broken piece gets pushed deeper.
Can you get a broken key out yourself?
Sometimes. If a good length of the key is sticking out, grip the blade with needle-nose pliers and pull straight out, in line with the lock. Don’t twist and don’t lever it. If the piece moves, great. If it doesn’t move at once, stop there.
If the break is flush with the lock face or inside the keyway, there’s nothing safe to grip. This is the point where most DIY attempts go wrong. Tweezers and pins push the piece deeper, and scratching around inside can bend the pins that make the lock work.
What should you never do?
- Don’t use glue. Super glue never works to pull a key out, and it ruins the lock.
- Don’t push the piece further in with a pin, screwdriver or another key.
- Don’t force the lock with a hammer or by prying at the door. It turns a small job into a bigger one.
- Don’t throw away the other half. Keep it for the locksmith.
Why do keys break in the first place?
Brass wears. Every turn takes a little off the key, and after years of use the blade thins at the shoulder until one cold morning it lets go. Keys copied from copies wear faster, because each copy is slightly off and rubs harder in the lock. A lock that has been getting stiff is the other warning sign. If you have to force a key, it’s worth getting the lock looked at before the key snaps. See our page on lock repairs and installs.
What does a locksmith do differently?
We use proper key extractors, made for the job, to take out the broken piece without forcing the lock. Then we check the lock still turns freely and clean out any debris the break left behind. Finally we cut a new key, from the pieces or, if part is missing, from the lock itself. It’s the same for door locks, padlocks and car ignitions. The price is agreed with you before any work starts. Our broken key removal and replacement page covers the details.
What if the key snapped in a car?
Same advice: don’t force it and don’t try to start the car. We remove snapped keys from ignitions and door locks, and can make a new key for Japanese, Korean and most American cars. We don’t repair or replace the ignition itself. If you’ve lost the whole key, see lost all your car keys.
What if you’re locked out as well?
A snapped key at the front door often means a house lockout too, and we can handle both in the one visit. Once the lock is working again, it’s a good moment to think about who else holds a copy: rekeying makes every old key useless. We’re based in Duncraig and cover all of Perth, north and south of the river.
Common questions
Can I glue the broken key back together or use glue to pull it out?
No. Glue never works and it ruins the lock. If it gets into the keyway, the lock usually has to be replaced.
Will getting the broken piece out damage the lock?
Not when it’s done with proper key extractors. The lock stays on the door and keeps working.
Can you cut a new key from the broken pieces?
Usually, yes. If both halves are there we cut a new key from them. If part is missing, we can often cut one from the lock itself.
My car key snapped in the ignition. Can you help?
Yes. We remove snapped keys from ignitions and door locks, and can make a new key for Japanese, Korean and most American cars. We don’t repair or replace the ignition itself.
Do I need a new lock after a key breaks in it?
Often not. If the lock was already worn or seized, we tell you before we start, and we say which is the better choice.