Javascript required
Skip to content Skip to sidebar Skip to footer
Home / How to Pick a Kwikset Lock With a Credit Card

How to Pick a Kwikset Lock With a Credit Card

Download Article

Download Article

If you forgot your key again and wish you could get into your home without it, you may be able to use your credit card to do so. Just keep in mind that this technique only works on doors that have a simple knob lock with a spring-latch or a slanted-latch. To open your door, wiggle a card into the gap between the door and the door frame. If this doesn't work, resort to an alternative solution.

  1. 1

    Slide the card into the vertical crack between the door and frame. Insert the card into the gap between the doorknob and door frame and then slide it down next to the doorknob. Push it in as far as it will go at a ninety degree angle to the door.

    Tip: To see the location of the door frame more easily, push the door back as far as it can go with your other hand.

  2. 2

    Tilt the card towards the doorknob. Tilt the side of your credit card facing you towards the doorknob until it is almost touching it. You'll be able to push the credit card further into the gap between the door and door frame.

    Advertisement

  3. 3

    Bend the card back the opposite way. Bending the card back the other way will make the card slip under the angled end of the slant-latch, forcing it back into the door. Quickly open the door and unlock it on the other side.[1]

  4. 4

    Lean on the door and wiggle the card back and forth to open it. If your door did not easily pop open, try leaning against the door while bending your card back and forth a few times. This will add more pressure to the latch and should open it.[2]

    Advertisement

  1. 1

    Check for unlocked windows. Walk around to all of the ground-level windows that your home has and try to open them. If you find that one is unlocked, pop the screen out and open the window as wide as you can. Then, climb through to get inside.[3]

    • Climbing through a window can be dangerous. Only try this if you're confident in your ability to climb inside safely.

    Tip: If you have a back door or side door, check that too. You or someone who lives with you may have forgotten to lock it.

  2. 2

    Call your roommates. If you live with friends or a significant other, call or text them to see if they're nearby. If so, ask if one of them would mind stopping by the home to let you in. While this may require that you wait a few minutes on your front porch steps, it doesn't involve potentially damaging your property or paying expensive service fees.

    • Also, consider walking to a nearby coffee shop to pass the time if you live somewhere where this is possible.

  3. 3

    Call your landlord. This is a great option if your landlord lives onsite. Give them a call to see if they're home and ask nicely if they'd mind letting you in. Even if they don't live onsite, they may work nearby and be kind enough to swing by and help you out.[4]

  4. 4

    Hire a locksmith as a last resort. If you don't have any roommates and your landlord isn't available to help, it might be time to call a locksmith. Hire them to come to your home and change the locks so that you can get in. While this will effectively solve the problem, it may be pricey, so it's a good idea to only do it if you're out of options.

    Note: Keep in mind that your landlord may charge you for changing the locks and/or for damaging the door.

    Advertisement

Add New Question

  • Question

    Can I use a library card?

    Red Panda

    Red Panda

    Community Answer

    It depends if the library card you have has a similar density and shape to your credit card. If it does, then it most likely will work.

  • Question

    Do I have to use a credit card? Can I use a gift card?

    Community Answer

    If the gift card is plastic, yes.

  • Question

    Will the lock get damaged or break if I open a door this way?

    Community Answer

    It depends on the way you open it. If you are too rough and impatient, some locks may get damaged or your credit card could snap and become a blockage.

  • Question

    What is a dead bolt?

    Community Answer

    A dead bolt is the lock usually located above the door knob, it is designed so that when locked, a solid bolt (hence the name "dead bolt") will slide into a hole above the latch, creating a secondary but more effective lock. Do a google image search for "dead bolt." I'm sure you'll recognize it.

  • Question

    Can you open it with an Uno card?

    Community Answer

    Cards from a game deck will not be strong enough to push down on the lock. Try something plastic first.

  • Question

    Can this technique be used to break into a house?

    Community Answer

    First of all, breaking into a home that isn't yours, regardless of the method, is a crime. The credit card method works with some older locks, but most locks these days are made too well for a credit card to spring.

  • Question

    How do I pick a 2005 Altima open car lock?

    Community Answer

    It is best not to attempt to pick your car lock yourself. You should call a professional.

  • Question

    My lock is different. What do I do?

    Community Answer

    The credit card method only works on locks that don't involve a deadbolt. If you're unable to pick the lock, a locksmith may be necessary.

  • Question

    What do I do if my bathroom door is locked?

    Community Answer

    Your bathroom door lock may be a simple fix. Most interior doorknob locks are just a push-button lock not designed for security. If so, you can probably unlock the door by inserting a paperclip into the central hole on the exterior of the knob. This will release the lock.

  • Question

    Can I use a saw to cut through the locks?

    Community Answer

    Check if your saw is a hacksaw. If you still have the box/container the saw came in, it may state what materials the saw can cut through. If it is a hacksaw and the blade fits in the door crack, you're good to go. I have actually had to do this before on a stuck door. Keep in mind that you have to buy a new knob and lock if you saw through the latch.

Show more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Video

  • To avoid having to deal with this again, make a few copies of your key and keep a spare on you at all times and/or hide one near your home.

  • Some doors require very little effort while others may be opened by simply pushing a card into the door frame at the same height as the handle without any tilting or bending.

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Advertisement

  • Be prepared to show proof that you have the right to open the door, or else you could find yourself behind the sort of locked door that a credit card won't open!

Advertisement

About This Article

Article SummaryX

To open a door with a credit card, start by sliding the card in the gap between the doorknob and the frame. Then, bend the card toward the doorknob. Next, bend the end of the card back toward the frame, which will cause the card to slip under the latch and unlock the door. If the door doesn't unlock, try leaning on the door and wiggling the card back and forth quickly. You may need to try a few times before the door opens. If you want to learn what to do if your credit card doesn't work, keep reading the article!

Did this summary help you?

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 2,328,577 times.

Did this article help you?

How to Pick a Kwikset Lock With a Credit Card

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Open-a-Door-with-a-Credit-Card