It’s not the most pleasant feeling – to lock your keys in your car (or any other vehicle). So what should you do if you lock your keys in your car, the car of another, or even a business vehicle? Well, it depends on the situation, location, time of day, and who owns the car in which the keys were locked. If you do not own the vehicle (or hold title to the vehicle in your name), you should definitely avoid causing any damage to the vehicle. If you own the vehicle, you’ll have more liberty to attempt to unlock it – but within reason.

In this article, we’ll go over the basic legal steps to follow if you lock your keys in your car or the vehicle of another. We’ll also explore when to get local authorities involved, such as the police or fire department.

Next, we’ll take a look at some of the first things you should do if you’re locked out of a vehicle.