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Crenshaw Lock

Broken Key Extraction in East Los Angeles · 24/7 mobile

Broken Key Extraction in East Los Angeles, California

Crenshaw Lock Company provides 24/7 mobile broken key extraction in East Los Angeles. If a key has snapped in your door, gate, padlock, or ignition, we come to you, remove the broken piece, and cut a working replacement. Call (323) 997-8867 any hour, day or night.

  • Mobile to your East Los Angeles location
  • Available 24/7
  • Price quoted before we start
Call (323) 997-8867or tap to call — we answer 24/7
Broken key stuck in a lock cylinder next to an extractor tool
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A snapped key is one of those problems that looks small and feels enormous. You are holding half a key, the other half is sitting in the lock, and the door, the gate, or the car you need is suddenly not an option. In East Los Angeles, where so many homes and businesses rely on hardware that has been turned thousands of times, it happens more often than people expect.

Crenshaw Lock Company has served Greater Los Angeles and Ventura County since 1987, and David Shar and our technicians have pulled broken keys out of everything from worn bungalow deadbolts to storefront cylinders and roll-down gate padlocks. We are fully mobile. There is no shop to drive to, and nothing to tow. We bring the extraction tools and key-cutting equipment to your location, around the clock.

The goal is not just to get the fragment out. It is to leave you with a lock that works and a key that fits it. Sometimes the original lock is fine and only needs the piece removed. Sometimes years of wear are the reason the key broke, and we will tell you honestly whether the lock is worth keeping or whether replacing it makes more sense.

How it works in East Los Angeles

  1. 1

    Call and describe what happened

    Phone us at (323) 997-8867 and tell us what the key broke in: a front door, a security screen door, a padlock, a gate, a storefront, or a vehicle ignition. Tell us if part of the key is still sticking out. Please do not try to push the piece deeper or glue anything, since that makes extraction harder.

  2. 2

    We come to you

    Because we are fully mobile and available 24/7, a technician drives to your home, shop, or vehicle with extraction tools and key-cutting gear. Nothing needs to be brought to us, and you do not have to move a locked door or gate.

  3. 3

    Assess the lock and the break

    We look at the lock type, how much of the key remains, and the condition of the cylinder. A fragment sitting at the face of the lock is a different job than one lodged deep in a worn pin stack or a seized screen-door lock.

  4. 4

    Extract the broken piece

    Using thin extractor tools and careful technique, we remove the fragment without damaging the cylinder when possible. If a padlock or old cylinder is too far gone, we explain the options before going further.

  5. 5

    Cut a replacement key

    Once the lock is clear, we cut a new working key on site. If the lock is worn enough that the new key will not turn smoothly, we can rekey or replace the cylinder so you are not back in the same spot next month.

  6. 6

    Test everything before we leave

    We run the new key through the lock several times, check the latch or bolt, and confirm that the door, gate, or ignition operates normally. If you have a screen door and main door, we check both.

Need broken key extraction in East Los Angeles?

24/7 Mobile Locksmith across Greater Los Angeles & Ventura County. We answer 24/7.

Call (323) 997-8867

What affects the price

  • Type of lock involved: a standard house deadbolt, a security screen door lock, a padlock, a storefront cylinder, and a vehicle ignition each take different tools and time.
  • How the key broke: a fragment visible at the face of the lock is usually simpler than one lodged deep inside the cylinder.
  • Condition of the lock: heavily worn or corroded hardware may need rekeying or replacement rather than simple extraction.
  • Replacement needs: a single cut key differs from rekeying several locks keyed-alike, or from key programming on a vehicle.
  • Time of day and location: after-hours and overnight calls, and the distance our mobile technician must travel, can affect the quote.
  • Number of locks on the job: a home with a main door, screen door, and back-house adds work compared with a single door.

Why East Los Angeles chooses us

  • Fully mobile and 24/7: we come to your door, gate, or vehicle at any hour rather than asking you to bring anything anywhere.
  • Serving the region since 1987: decades of experience with older, worn hardware like the original locks found on many East LA bungalows.
  • Extraction and key cutting in one visit: we remove the fragment and cut the replacement on site so you are not left half-finished.
  • Honest about repair versus replace: if a lock is too worn to keep, we say so plainly instead of pushing unnecessary work.
  • Comfortable with security hardware: we handle steel screen doors, security bars, gate padlocks, and roll-down gate locks common across East LA.
  • One point of contact: you call (323) 997-8867 and reach the team directly, with owner David Shar's standards behind the work.

Broken Key Extraction across East Los Angeles

East Los Angeles is a dense, historic, working-class community, and its housing shows it. Across Belvedere, City Terrace, Maravilla, and Eastmont, many homes are 1920s to 1940s small-lot bungalows and stucco houses, and plenty still have original or long-worn hardware. Old brass keys fatigue over decades, and a key that has turned the same deadbolt for years can finally snap. On top of that, many homes add a steel security screen door with its own keyed lock, so a broken key can mean two locks to deal with at the same entry. We handle both in one visit.

The commercial corridors bring their own versions of the problem. Along Whittier Boulevard, Cesar Chavez Avenue, and Atlantic Boulevard, small businesses depend on aluminum storefronts and roll-down security gates. A key that snaps in a gate padlock at opening time can keep a shop closed, and a padlock that will not release may need an emergency cut-and-replace so the doors can open. We work around business needs and bring replacement hardware and cut keys to your storefront.

Whether you are near City Terrace Park in 90063, close to the East LA Civic Center in 90022, or off the streets in 90023 not far from the East Los Angeles Interchange, we come to you. Landlords with a 1930s house and a converted back-house can also have us extract a broken key and then rekey everything keyed-alike, so one key works across the property after a tenant moves out.

Locked out or need a locksmith now?

24/7 Mobile Locksmith across Greater Los Angeles & Ventura County. We answer 24/7.

Call (323) 997-8867

Other East Los Angeles locksmith services

See all of our East Los Angeles services, or our citywide broken key extraction page.

Broken Key Extraction in East Los Angeles — FAQs

Can you remove a broken key from my front door in East Los Angeles without replacing the lock?
Often, yes. If the cylinder is in reasonable shape, we extract the fragment and cut a new key without replacing the lock. If the lock is badly worn, we will explain whether rekeying or replacement makes more sense. Call (323) 997-8867 to describe the situation.
Do you handle keys broken in security screen doors?
Yes. Many East LA homes have steel security screen doors with their own keyed locks. We can extract a broken key from the screen door lock, service the main entry, and make sure both work before we leave.
My key snapped in a roll-down gate padlock at my Whittier Boulevard shop. Can you help?
We can. We extract the piece if possible, or cut and replace the padlock if it will not release, so you can open for business. Call (323) 997-8867 and tell us it is a gate padlock so we bring the right tools.
Are you available at night and on weekends?
Yes. Crenshaw Lock Company is available 24/7 and fully mobile, so a key that breaks late at night or on a holiday can be handled at your location. Call (323) 997-8867 any time.
Can you extract a key broken in a car ignition?
Yes, we work on ignitions as well as door locks. We extract the fragment and cut a replacement key. Tell us the make, model, and year when you call so we can plan for the right key.
Should I try to pull the broken key out myself?
It is best not to. Pliers or glue can push the fragment deeper or damage the pins, turning a simple extraction into a lock replacement. If a piece is clearly sticking out, avoid forcing it and call us instead.
Can you rekey my house and back-house after removing the broken key?
Yes. Landlords often have us rekey a main house and converted back-house keyed-alike, particularly after a tenant moves out. We can extract the broken key first and then set up the whole property together.
Do I need to bring the lock or key to a shop?
No. We are fully mobile and have no storefront to visit. We come to your home, business, or vehicle anywhere in East Los Angeles, including ZIP codes 90022, 90023, and 90063.
DS

Reviewed by David Shar — Owner & Lead Technician

Crenshaw Lock Company has served Greater Los Angeles & Ventura County since 1987.

Last updated 2026-10-12.

Call (323) 997-8867 · Open 24/7