Oakland lock & security resources
Who to Call Before and After a Break-In in Oakland
A broken door at 2 a.m. raises a lot of questions at once: police or locksmith first? Report online or in person? Can a tenant change the locks? We get these calls every week across Oakland, so we put the answers and the right local numbers on one page.
Pick your situation
What just happened? Here is the right order of calls.
Calling the wrong place first costs time, and sometimes evidence. Choose what is going on and we will show you who to call first, what to do next, and where a locksmith actually fits in.
Get out, then call 911
- Call first911. If you think someone may still be inside, do not go in to check. Leave, stay on the line and wait for officers.
- ThenLet police clear the property and document it before anything is touched or cleaned up.
- We come inOnce police are done, we secure the door the same night and change or rekey the locks so any stolen or copied keys stop working. 24/7 emergency locksmith.
Report it to Oakland Police, then secure the door
- Call firstThe Oakland Police non-emergency line, (510) 777-3333, answers 24/7. Some crimes, including commercial burglary and vandalism, can also be reported online on the City of Oakland website. In person: Police Administration Building, 455 7th Street, open 24/7.
- ThenTake photos of the door, frame and lock before anything is repaired. Your insurer will usually want them, and so will the report.
- We come inA kicked door often means a split frame and a bent strike, not just a bad lock. We fix what we can on the spot, then replace or rekey the locks.
Call 911 before you call a locksmith
- Call first911. Inside a closed car the temperature climbs fast, even on a mild Bay Area day. Emergency responders can get in faster than anyone can drive to you.
- ThenStay next to the car, keep the child or pet in sight and keep talking to them.
- We come inFor every other lockout, nobody inside, keys on the seat, we open the car without damage. Lockout service and car keys.
File a BART lost and found claim, and think about the keys
- Call firstBART Lost and Found: the online form on bart.gov is the fastest way. Describe the key ring and give your trip details. Recorded info: (510) 464-7090. Items are returned at 12th St./Oakland City Center Station.
- ThenBART says matching an item can take up to three weeks. If your keys carried your address, a tag or a car fob, do not wait that long.
- We come inWe let you back in, and rekey the locks so the lost set is useless, even if it turns up later in the wrong hands.
California gives you a 24-hour lock change
- Call firstIf you are in danger now, 911. Then send your landlord a written request to change the locks, with the required proof (see the tenant section below).
- ThenUnder California Civil Code 1941.5 and 1941.6, the landlord has 24 hours. If they miss it, you may change the locks yourself.
- We come inWe install locks of the same or better quality, so you stay within the rules, and hand you a spare key for the landlord. Residential locksmith.
Report it to OAK 311
- Call firstOAK 311 handles broken streetlights and other city infrastructure. Dial 311 or (510) 615-5566 for active infrastructure emergencies, or file a non-emergency report online.
- ThenA dark entrance is where most forced-entry attempts on Oakland storefronts start. Ask your neighbors to report the same light; repeat reports help.
- We come inWhile the light gets fixed, we check your door, frame and lock for weak points. Commercial locksmith.
For Oakland shop owners
Your storefront, your street, your city contacts
Most of our commercial calls in Oakland come from small shops, cafes and offices: a forced back door, a closing employee who kept a key, a front lock that finally gave up. The city puts its business safety contacts on one page, “Safety and Your Business” on oaklandca.gov, and several Oakland neighborhoods are covered by a business improvement district that you can find on the city’s district list.
- Staff turnover: rekey the doors when a key holder leaves, not after the next incident.
- Back doors and alley exits get forced more often than front doors. Check the strike plate and the screws holding it.
- Keep a written list of who holds which key. When it gets too long, it is time to rekey.
- After any break-in, report first, photograph second, repair third.
Tenants and landlords
Changing locks for safety in a rental
California law lets a tenant who is a victim of abuse or violence, or whose household member is, get the locks changed quickly. The landlord has 24 hours after receiving the written request and the proof. If the landlord does not act in time, the tenant can have the locks changed and be reimbursed within 21 days.
- Abuser not on the lease: a written request plus reasonable proof, which can include a signed statement.
- Abuser on the lease: a restraining or protective order from the last 180 days that removes them from the home.
- If you change the locks yourself: workmanlike installation, locks of the same or better quality, notice to the landlord within 24 hours and a key for the landlord.
Quick directory
Oakland numbers worth saving
Save these before you need them. All of them are public city or transit services, and none of them is us.
Crime in progress, someone inside, anyone in danger, child or pet locked in a car.
Report a past break-in or a felony that is not happening right now. 24/7.
455 7th Street, Oakland. Open 24/7. Bring a summary of what happened.
Broken streetlights and other city infrastructure. Dial 311 from Oakland.
Online claim form, then pickup at 12th St./Oakland City Center Station.
Locksmith companies in California are licensed by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. Check any company before work starts.
Questions we hear
Oakland break-ins, lost keys and lock changes
Should I call the police or a locksmith first after a break-in?
The police. If anything suggests someone is still inside, call 911 and stay out. If the break-in is over, call the Oakland Police non-emergency line at (510) 777-3333 or file online when the crime qualifies. Take photos, then call us to secure the door and change or rekey the locks.
Can I report a break-in online in Oakland?
Only for some crimes. The City of Oakland accepts online reports for crimes such as commercial burglary, vandalism or graffiti and identity theft, when the crime happened inside city limits. Other cases go through the non-emergency line or the front desk at 455 7th Street.
I lost my keys on BART. Should I wait for lost and found?
File the claim, but do not count on it for your security. BART says matching an item can take up to three weeks. If anything on the key ring points to your address or your car, rekeying the locks is the safer move.
How do I check that a locksmith is licensed in California?
Ask for the company’s license number and look it up on the Department of Consumer Affairs license search at search.dca.ca.gov. Locksmith companies are licensed by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. Also ask for a price before any work starts.
Locked out, broken into or lost your keys?
Once the right calls are made, we take it from there
We answer day and night across Oakland: we secure the door, change or rekey the locks and hand you the new keys. Exact price confirmed before work starts.