Locked Out in Virginia Beach? What to Do Before (and After) You Call

By Eagle Locksmith Virginia Beach · November 5, 2026

A lockout at the Oceanfront or in your own driveway is stressful enough. Here's the calm, step-by-step way to handle it — and how to make sure it never happens again.

First: stay calm and stay put

Check the obvious before anything else. Walk the house and try every door and ground-floor window — a surprising number of lockouts end at an unlocked back door. If someone else has a key — a spouse, roommate, neighbor or landlord — a quick call may solve it. If you're locked out of your car, stay with the vehicle in a safe, visible spot, especially at night.

What NOT to do

Don't try to force a window or pry a door with a screwdriver: the repair bill for a bent frame or broken glass almost always costs more than a locksmith, and it's how people get hurt. Credit cards don't open modern deadbolts, and bobby pins belong in movies. And never leave a child or pet locked in a car while you experiment — call for emergency help immediately in that situation.

What happens when you call a 24/7 locksmith

A professional emergency locksmith dispatches a technician to your location, verifies that you're authorized to enter the property or vehicle, and opens the lock using non-destructive techniques wherever possible — picking and bypass tools rather than drilling. Expect to show ID or proof of residence once you're inside. At Eagle Locksmith Virginia Beach, our emergency line is answered around the clock, and our technicians are located throughout the Hampton Roads area.

Make it the last lockout

Once you're back in, take five minutes to prevent the sequel. A keypad deadbolt ends house lockouts permanently — no key to forget. For cars, a spare key or fob kept at home is far cheaper than a second emergency. And if your lockout happened because a roommate or tenant moved out with keys unreturned, that's your sign to rekey — our guide to rekeying vs. lock changes explains the options.