Broken Key in Your Lock? Do Not Do These 4 Things

Keys break in locks more often than people expect, especially older keys that have been copied multiple times, keys with stress fractures from bending, or locks that have stiffened from wear. When it happens, the instinct is to do something immediately — and that's usually where the problem gets worse.

Here are the four things you absolutely should not do when a key breaks in your lock — and what actually works.

Do Not: Try to Pull It Out With Pliers

If any part of the broken key is visible above the keyhole, the temptation is to grab it with pliers or tweezers and pull. This almost always fails and makes the situation worse. The broken piece will likely be flush with or inside the cylinder face. Pliers can't grip it properly, and the force you apply pushes the fragment deeper into the cylinder.

Broken key extraction requires a set of specialized hooked extraction tools that reach into the cylinder alongside the key fragment and hook onto the key's grooves to pull it out. This is a professional skill with professional tools.

Do Not: Use Super Glue or Any Adhesive

Attaching something to the broken key with super glue to pull it out sounds logical. In practice, it almost always results in gluing the key fragment permanently inside the cylinder. Now instead of a broken key extraction — a $50–$75 service call — you need a lock replacement. Don't use any adhesive near the keyhole.

Do Not: Use a Screwdriver or Bobby Pin to Turn the Lock

If the key broke while inserted far enough to partially engage the lock, some people try to use a screwdriver or other implement to continue turning the cylinder. This can work in rare cases with simple locks, but it usually causes two problems: it drives the broken key deeper into the cylinder, and it can damage the internal pins and springs of the lock itself. A cylinder with damaged pins may need replacement even after the key fragment is removed.

Do Not: Ignore It and Use a Different Door

A broken key fragment lodged in your front door lock doesn't just mean you can't use that door. Depending on the position of the fragment, it may be holding the lock in a partially engaged or compromised position. Your home may not be fully secured. Don't leave a broken key in a lock for days assuming it's fine — it isn't.

What Actually Works: Broken Key Extraction

A locksmith uses thin hooked extraction tools designed to fit into the keyway alongside the broken fragment. The hook catches on the bitting (the grooves) of the broken key and allows the technician to slowly work the fragment out of the cylinder. With the right tools and technique, this takes 5 to 15 minutes in most cases and causes no damage to the lock.

After extraction, the locksmith can rekey the lock to a new key — since the old key is now broken and any copies of it will be the wrong cut anyway. Rekeying at the same appointment is the logical next step and usually costs only a small amount more.

When the Lock Needs to Be Replaced

Sometimes the broken key has damaged the internal mechanism, or the cylinder is so worn that extraction risks further damage. In those cases, the more economical solution is to replace the lock cylinder or the entire lock. A locksmith can assess this on-site and give you an honest recommendation.

Triple T Locksmith provides broken key extraction and rekeying services across all Orange County cities — typically arriving within 15 to 30 minutes. Call (714) 325-5720 any time of day or night.