Can a locksmith open a deadlocked door without damage?

Written by Magnus Aller, owner of Amco Locksmiths. WA Police-licensed security installer (licence 30629), 25 years’ experience as a locksmith in Perth, Western Australia. Reviewed October 2026.

Deadlocks are common on Perth homes for a reason: Consumer Protection WA’s rental security rules list a deadlock as one of the minimum options for the main entry door of a rental in Western Australia. So it is a fair thing to ask before you ring.

What does “deadlocked” mean?

A door is deadlocked when its bolt is locked in place and can’t be pushed back without the key or inside turn. Deadbolts and deadlatches both do this. Some, like the Lockwood 001, can also lock the inside knob, so a key is needed on both sides.

ASSA ABLOY’s product page for the Lockwood 001 deadlatch lists three modes: Secure (locked from inside and outside), Safety (locked from outside, free to leave from inside) and Passage (free both ways). A door left in Secure mode is the one people most often mean by “deadlocked”.

How does a locksmith open a deadlocked door?

A locksmith opens a deadlocked door through the lock’s own cylinder, usually by picking it with a tool made for that lock, so the lock still works afterwards. If drilling is ever needed, we tell you before we start and explain why.

We won’t describe technique here. What matters to you is the result: the door open, the lock still working, and the price agreed before we started. Our lockout service page explains what happens when you call.

When does a deadlocked door need drilling?

A deadlocked door only needs drilling when its lock can’t be opened through the cylinder, for example because it is already broken or jammed. If a barrel does need drilling, you’ll hear it from us first, then the new one is matched to your current key, free of charge.

The barrel is the cylinder your key goes into. Some newer cylinders are built to resist picking: ASSA ABLOY lists the Lockwood 001 as “bump and pick resistant”, its Kinetic Defence feature. That is good for your security.

What if a key has snapped in the deadlock?

If a key snaps in a deadlock, we remove the broken piece from the cylinder and cut a new key on site. Don’t dig at it with a pin or wire first: that usually pushes the piece further in.

Our broken keys guide covers why keys snap and how to stop it happening again.

Can a deadlocked digital lock be opened if the battery is flat?

If Amco fitted it, usually yes, without calling anyone. Every digital lock we fit keeps a second way in: most take a key, and some let you hold a nine volt battery against the front to wake the lock and enter your code. Most warn you for weeks first.

Our guide on whether smart locks are safe explains the backup options in more detail.

Should I leave the key in the deadlock when I’m home?

WA’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) advises leaving a key in the deadlock when you’re home, if it can’t be seen from outside, and making sure doors, security doors and screens open easily from inside.

Both points are on the DFES fire prevention page, under escape routes and doors. Some locks help here too: ASSA ABLOY says the Lockwood 001’s SafetyRelease automatically unlocks the inside knob when you come in, to reduce the risk of being locked in.

Do I need new locks after a locked door is opened?

Often not. Once a locked door is open, the existing locks can be kept and rekeyed so a lost key stops working. On a Perth storeroom job, Magnus opened the locked entrance set, then keyed it and the deadbolt to a key the customer already had. Nothing was replaced.

That door had a Lane deadbolt above the entrance set (a knob lock). Rekeying changes the pins inside a lock so old keys stop working, while the lock itself stays on the door.

We’re a mobile locksmith covering Inglewood and across Perth, with a 24 hour emergency service for lockouts. If you’re locked out right now, our guide on what to do when you’re locked out of your house runs through the first steps.