Every summer in South Florida you hear the same news story: a child or a dog left in a locked car. Most of the time it's not neglect. It's a parent who set the keys on the seat while buckling a car seat, a car that auto-locked, a busy morning. It happens fast, and it can turn dangerous fast too.
So here is my promise: if a child or a pet is locked in a car, I'll open it for free. No service call fee, no charge for the unlock, anywhere I serve in Palm Beach and Broward County, during my hours, 9 AM to 7 PM, seven days a week.
Call 911 first. Always.
I want to be clear about this before anything else. If a child or an animal is locked in a car, call 911 before you call me. Police and fire rescue run around the clock, they are usually closer than any locksmith, and they can break a window if that is what it takes. Then call me at 561-406-9944. If they get the door open before I arrive, that is the best outcome, and I'll turn around happy.
On a Florida afternoon, a closed car gets dangerously hot in minutes, even with the windows cracked and even when it doesn't feel that hot outside. Young children and pets heat up much faster than adults. Do not wait on anyone if the child or animal looks distressed.
What Florida law says about breaking a window
Florida's Good Samaritan law for vehicles (Florida Statutes section 768.139) protects a person who breaks into a car to rescue a child or a domestic animal in danger, as long as they first check the car is locked, believe the child or animal is in imminent danger, call 911 or law enforcement first, use no more force than necessary, and stay with them until help arrives. If it comes to that, the glass is the least important thing in the car.
How the free unlock works
- Who it covers: a child or a pet locked inside a vehicle.
- Where: anywhere in our Palm Beach and Broward County service area.
- When: 9 AM to 7 PM, seven days a week. We are not a 24-hour service.
- Cost: nothing for the unlock. No service call fee.
- How fast: when you call, I'll tell you honestly how far away I am. If I can't get there quickly, I'll say so right away so you rely on 911.
What to do while you wait
- Stay with the car and keep talking to the child or pet so they stay calm.
- Try every door, the trunk and the rear hatch. One may not have latched.
- If your car has an app, try unlocking it from your phone.
- If there's a spare key nearby, have someone bring it.
- Shade the windshield if you can, but don't rely on that to keep the car cool.
Why I do this
I've been opening locked doors in Palm Beach and Broward since 2017, and the calls with a child or a dog inside are the ones you remember. Nobody should be thinking about price in that moment. If I'm close and I'm free, I'll come and open the car, and that's the end of it.
For everyday lockouts with nobody inside, see our car lockout service and what to do when you're locked out. Please share this page with other parents and pet owners. The more people who know to call 911 first, the better.