Key won't turn · Alexandria, Arlington & Fairfax

What should I do if my key will not turn in the door?

Help for a stuck key or a lock that won't turn in Alexandria, VA

If your key will not turn, first confirm that you have the correct key for that door. Do not keep applying force if it binds or starts to bend. The cause may involve the key, cylinder or door fit, and the symptoms need assessment before parts are replaced.

Call (571) 202-6721 Request service

Match what your key is doing

Homes & apartmentsOffices & storefrontsDeadbolts, knobs & levers

Match the symptom

What is the key doing?

A key that will not go in, a key that goes in but will not move, and a key that only turns while you hold the door point to different causes. Pick the closest match to see what it usually means.

Keyway blockedNo turn

The key won't go in all the way

Often means: Something is sitting in the keyway, such as grit, ice in cold weather or a piece of an earlier key, or the key itself is bent or is not the one for this lock.
Safe to check: Hold the key up to the light and look along the blade for a bend. Shine a flashlight into the keyway without pushing anything inside it.
Stop if: You can see metal inside. A key fragment has to come out before any other key goes in, or it can be pushed deeper.
Tell us: Whether this key has ever gone in fully, and whether anything is visible in the keyway.

Key inStopped at the start

It goes in but won't move

Often means: The cuts on the key no longer lift the pins inside to the right height. A worn key, worn pins, a lock that was rekeyed, or a copy cut slightly off can all do this.
Safe to check: Try every other key you have for this lock. If a spare turns and your everyday key does not, the everyday key is the likely problem.
Stop if: The key starts to twist in your fingers. Extra force is how keys snap off inside a cylinder.
Tell us: Which keys you tried, whether any of them is a new copy, and whether the lock was rekeyed recently.

Turns partwayThen stops

It turns a little, then stops

Often means: The cylinder is turning, but the bolt or latch it drives is meeting resistance, either from the door and frame or from worn parts in the lock body.
Safe to check: Open the door and try the key again. If it turns all the way with the door open, the fit of the door is the likely cause.
Stop if: You hear grinding, or the key feels as though it is about to give way.
Tell us: How far the key turns, and whether the result changes when the door is open.

Full turnOnly with the door held

It turns only if I push, pull or lift the door

Often means: The bolt is rubbing on its strike because the door or frame has moved. The key may be fine; the bolt simply cannot slide freely.
Safe to check: Notice which way you have to move the door, and whether the problem is worse in certain weather.
Stop if: It takes real effort to make it lock. That strain wears out the bolt, the cylinder and the key together.
Tell us: Which way you push or lift, and anything that changed recently, such as paint or new weather stripping.

This is usually an alignment job. See deadbolt and strike plate alignment.

Original (top)Copy with a shallow cut

A new copy won't turn, but the original does

Often means: The copy was cut slightly off, or it was cut from a key that was already worn, so one or more cuts do not match the lock.
Safe to check: Lay the copy on top of the original and compare the cuts. Rough edges or a cut at a different depth are easy to spot.
Stop if: The copy sticks in the lock. Ease it out straight rather than turning it harder.
Tell us: Where the copy was made, and whether it was cut from the original or from another copy.

New keys cut from a good original: see key duplication.

Before you call

Four checks that are safe to make

None of these involve taking anything apart. Each one narrows the cause down to the key, the lock or the door.

Confirm the key
Similar keys on one ring are easy to mix up, especially after a lock has been rekeyed or a new key has been added to the ring.
Look at the key
Check for a bend, a crack, a worn tip or rounded cuts. A damaged key can stop working without much warning.
Try it with the door open
Does operation differ with the door open? A key that turns freely with the door open points to the door fit rather than the lock.
Try another key
Does every authorized key have the same problem, or only one worn copy? If a spare works, use the spare and set the worn key aside.

Has the door recently been painted or had other work? Record these details for the service inquiry, along with what the key does and when the problem started.

Avoid making it worse

What not to do with a stuck key

Applying force to a binding key can break it. A few habits turn a lock problem into a bigger one.

Avoid

forcing the key harder, or using pliers for leverage
spraying a household product into the keyway
rocking a key back and forth once it starts to bend
taking the lock apart while you are shut out

Instead

stop as soon as the key binds or bends
use a spare key if one turns smoothly
leave a snapped piece where it is
call with the symptoms and your address

Do not assume a household lubricant or repeated twisting will solve the fault. Follow the lock manufacturer's maintenance guidance and avoid creating a broken-key problem.

Why it happens

Six common reasons a key stops turning

The fix depends on which of these is behind it, which is why the symptoms matter more than a guess.

A worn key

Keys wear a little with every use. Over time, that wear changes the key's profile, so the pins may no longer align correctly when you turn it.

A worn or dirty cylinder

The pins and springs inside the cylinder wear down and collect grit, so the key starts to feel gritty, stiff or stuck.

The door has moved

When a door drops on its hinges or the frame shifts, the bolt drags on the strike and the key has to fight against it.

A poor copy

A key cut slightly off, or copied from a worn key, can slide in smoothly and still never line up the pins.

Damage to the lock

An impact, a bent cylinder or signs of tampering around the keyway can stop the key from turning at all.

Weather

Cold, ice and humidity affect both the lock and the door, so a key that turns easily in spring can struggle in January.

Lock or door?

If the key turns while the door is open

If the lock works when open but binds when closed, the lock may be in good shape. The bolt is catching on the frame, and the door is putting pressure on it.

the key turns freely while the door stands open
you have to lift the handle or push the door to lock it
it is worse in humid months or after painting
the bolt has left marks on the strike plate

That points to hinge, strike or door adjustment rather than a new lock. Our page on deadbolt and strike plate alignment explains what that work can involve.

Has the key already snapped?

Leave the piece where it is and keep other keys out of the lock. Our guide to a key broken inside a door lock covers what to do next, and our broken key extraction page describes the service.

Broken key help

Shut out because the key won't turn?

If you are locked out, explain that separately and prepare to establish authorized access. When you call, ask which ID and proof of address are accepted for the property.

What to do during a lockout Lockout service

After the assessment

Repair, rekey or replace?

Once the cause is clear, the answer usually falls into one of three kinds of work. Ask which one is proposed and why.

Repair

The lock is sound but sticking

Worn or binding parts in an otherwise good lock may be repairable.

Lock repair Rekey

The keys are the issue

Worn pins or too many old keys in circulation can be dealt with by rekeying to a new key.

Rekey or replace? Replace

The lock is worn out or damaged

A cylinder that is damaged, or a lock worn past repair, may be better replaced.

Lock replacement

When you call

Details that help us assess the lock

A short description over the phone helps separate a key problem from a lock or door problem.

Where the lock is, and whether the property is a home or a business
The door involved, and whether the lock is a deadbolt, a knob or a lever
What the key does: won't go in, won't move, or turns partway
Whether every key behaves the same, or only one
Whether it works with the door open
Whether you can still get in, or are shut out

Talk to Navy Locksmith (571) 202-6721

Call Navy Locksmith at (571) 202-6721 with your address and symptoms so the lock problem and access situation can be checked together.

Hours: Sunday to Friday, 8:00 am to 11:00 pm. Saturday, 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm.

Pricing

What affects the cost

A key that will not turn can need anything from a new key to a door adjustment or a new cylinder, so there is no single price for it.

Ask what the quote covers, and whether new keys or parts are included in it.

What is causing itThe key, the cylinder, the bolt or the door fit

The type of lockDeadbolt, knob, lever or a commercial cylinder

Parts and keys neededNew keys, pins, a cylinder or a strike

How many locksOne door, or several locks on the same key

Where we work

Stuck key help across Alexandria

Navy Locksmith works on stuck keys and locks that won't turn in Alexandria neighborhoods, and in Arlington and Fairfax.

Old Town Alexandria Del Ray Potomac Yard Rosemont Seminary Hill Landmark Carlyle & Eisenhower West End Alexandria North Ridge Arlandria Arlington Fairfax

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Why does my key go in but not turn?

The cuts on the key may no longer line up the pins, the cylinder may be worn, or the bolt may be binding on the frame. Trying a spare key and trying with the door open help narrow it down.

Should I spray something into a lock that will not turn?

Do not assume a household product will fix it, and do not keep twisting the key. Follow the lock manufacturer's maintenance guidance, and describe the symptoms when you call.

Why does my key turn with the door open but not when it is closed?

The bolt is rubbing on the strike when the door is closed, usually because the door or frame has shifted. That is an alignment problem more than a key problem.

Can a worn key stop working?

Yes. As a key wears, its cuts stop raising the pins to the right height. If a spare still works, a new key cut from a good original may be part of the answer.

What should I do if the key breaks in the lock?

Leave the broken piece where it is and keep other keys out, because pushing another key in can drive it deeper. Call and describe what is left of the key.

Can a lock be fixed if the key will not turn?

Often it can, but the cause has to be found first. Depending on what is found, the answer may be a new key, a lock repair, a door adjustment or a new cylinder.

Stuck keys in Alexandria, VA

Key still won't turn? Call Navy Locksmith

Stop forcing it and tell us what the key is doing, which door it is and whether you can still get in. We can talk through whether the key, the lock or the door is the likely cause.