Key Broke Off?
Don't Touch It. Call Us.
Key snapped in the ignition, door, or trunk lock? The fragment can be extracted safely — but only if it isn't pushed deeper first. We remove broken keys without damaging your lock and cut a brand-new key on-site in the same visit. One call, back on the road.
Read This Before You Do Anything
The DIY Attempt Costs More
Than the Extraction
Here is what we see constantly: a key snaps off in the ignition or door lock, the driver searches "how to remove a broken key," finds a DIY trick online, and tries it. By the time we arrive, a five-minute extraction has become a destroyed lock cylinder.
The key fragment sits inside a precision mechanism of spring-loaded pins and wafers. Professional extraction tools are designed to grip the fragment and slide it straight out along the keyway without touching those components. Household tools do the opposite — tweezers and pliers are too thick for the keyway and push the fragment deeper with every attempt. Each millimeter deeper makes extraction harder.
The worst offender is the super glue trick — putting glue on the broken key head and pressing it against the fragment to pull it out. The glue almost never holds the fragment, but it almost always drips into the cylinder and bonds to the pins. A glued cylinder cannot be repaired — only replaced. What would have been a simple extraction becomes a full ignition replacement costing several times more.
The smartest move costs nothing: leave the fragment exactly where it is, and call (202) 993-9919. An untouched fragment is almost always a fast, clean, damage-free extraction.
Where Keys Break & Why
Every Extraction Scenario —
Handled On-Site
Keys don't break randomly — metal fatigue builds for years, then fails at the worst moment. Wherever the fragment is, we extract it at your location.
How It Works
From Snapped Key to Driving Away —
One Visit
Extraction plus a new key, completed on-site. You don't need a tow, a dealer, or a second appointment.
FAQ
Broken Key Extraction —
Most Asked Questions
The questions DC and Maryland drivers ask most when a key snaps.
My key broke off in the ignition — what should I do right now?
Stop and don't attempt removal. No super glue, tweezers, pliers, magnets, or paper clips — every DIY method pushes the fragment deeper or damages the cylinder. Leave it exactly where it is, keep the broken key head, and call (202) 993-9919. An untouched fragment is almost always a fast, clean extraction.
Why is the super glue trick so dangerous?
The glue almost never bonds strongly enough to pull the fragment — but it almost always drips into the cylinder and hardens on the internal pins and wafers. A glued cylinder cannot be repaired, only replaced. The super glue trick is the #1 reason a simple extraction turns into a full ignition replacement costing several times more.
Can you remove the broken key without damaging my lock?
Yes. We use professional extraction tools — spiral extractors, hooked probes, and precision picks — designed to grip the fragment and slide it straight out along the keyway without contacting the lock's internal components. No drilling. When the fragment hasn't been pushed deeper by DIY attempts, extraction is typically quick and completely damage-free.
Can you make me a new key after the extraction?
Yes — in the same visit. Every Capitol Locksmith DC vehicle carries key cutting and programming equipment. After extracting the fragment we cut a brand-new key on-site, program the transponder chip if your vehicle requires it, and test everything before leaving. One call, one visit, back on the road. Call (202) 993-9919.
Why did my key break in the first place?
Metal fatigue — years of daily turning create microscopic cracks at the shoulder where the blade meets the head. Worn ignition cylinders that need extra force, cold DC winters making metal brittle, stiff or dirty locks, and using your key to open packages all accelerate it. If your remaining key is cracked or bent, get a duplicate made now — before it fails too.
How fast can you arrive in DC or Maryland?
Typically 20–40 minutes in most of Washington DC and Montgomery County, 30–50 minutes in Prince George's and Howard County areas. We dispatch immediately on your call and confirm an accurate ETA for your exact location. Call (202) 993-9919 — 7 days a week including Sundays.
We Fix It in One Visit.
Call now — free quote in 60 seconds, technician dispatched with professional extraction tools, new key cut and programmed on-site. Don't risk the DIY attempt. Available 7 days a week.