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You have loaded the shopping into the boot, closed it, and the keys are inside. Or you opened the tailgate of your hatchback, put your bag in, and the door swung shut behind you — with the keys sitting on the parcel shelf. Or you put the keys down on the boot floor "for a second" and the wind caught the tailgate.
Keys locked in the boot is a slightly different situation to keys locked in the passenger compartment — and it has its own set of solutions worth trying before you call a locksmith. This guide walks through all of them in order, explains which car types have more options available, and tells you when it is time to stop trying yourself.
Check every door before doing anything else. It sounds obvious, but a surprising number of "boot lockout" calls turn out to have an unlocked rear or front door. Many cars lock differently depending on whether the central locking was engaged. Walk around the entire car first.
Step-by-Step: What to Try When Your Keys Are in the Boot
Check every single door — including the rear doors
Walk around the car and try every handle. This includes the rear passenger doors, which sometimes do not lock automatically when central locking engages. On many older cars, the rear doors default to unlocked unless you explicitly lock them. Do not assume — physically try the handle on every door.
Try the spare key fob (if you have it with you)
If your spare key is at home and reachable, call someone who can bring it. This is almost always the quickest solution if someone is available. While you wait, stay with the vehicle and keep yourself safe — particularly if you are in a remote area or it is late at night.
Look for the fold-down rear seat access
This is the most underused DIY solution for a boot lockout. Most hatchbacks, saloons and estate cars have rear seats that fold flat to extend the boot space. If any rear door is unlocked, you may be able to reach through the fold-down seat gap into the boot to retrieve the keys. On some cars the fold-down release is accessible from the rear passenger footwell even if the seat back itself is locked.
Try every combination: rear left door, rear right door, both folded together. The key may only be a short arm-reach away.
Check for an internal boot release
Modern cars manufactured after 2008 are required by EU safety regulations to have an internal emergency boot release — a glow-in-the-dark handle or tab inside the boot that opens it from the inside. This is designed to prevent accidental entrapment, but it is only useful if you can access the boot interior. If you have managed to get into the car via a rear door, look for this release inside the boot lining.
Check your breakdown cover for a lockout callout
If you have AA, RAC or Green Flag cover, call and check whether your policy includes lockout assistance. Note the ETA they give you — in rural Devon, Dorset and Somerset this can be 60–120 minutes during busy periods. Compare that to an auto locksmith ETA before deciding how to proceed.
Call a mobile auto locksmith
If none of the above has worked, call a specialist. A mobile auto locksmith can open the vehicle non-destructively using specialist tools that do not damage the locks, window seals or bodywork. They will give you a confirmed price before travelling and an honest ETA. The job typically takes 10–20 minutes once they arrive. See the emergency vehicle unlocking page for what the process involves.
Do not try to force the boot, door or window
Attempts to pry the boot lid, force a door, or push a coat hanger around a window seal almost always cause more damage than the lockout itself. Body damage, torn seals and damaged locking mechanisms can cost hundreds of pounds to repair — far more than a locksmith call-out. If the DIY steps above have not worked, stop and call a professional.
Does It Make a Difference What Type of Car You Have?
Yes — significantly. The fold-down rear seat option is the key variable. Here is how different car types compare:
🚗 Hatchback & Estate
Best chance of DIY resolution. Most hatchbacks (Ford Focus, VW Golf, Vauxhall Astra, Toyota Yaris) have fold-down rear seats accessible from the passenger cabin. If a rear door is unlocked, reaching through for the keys is often possible.
🚌 Saloon
Harder. The boot is physically separate from the passenger compartment. Some saloons have a ski-hatch or fold-down armrest that gives limited access, but reaching all the way to the boot floor is difficult. Usually needs a locksmith.
🚗 SUV & Crossover
Similar to a hatchback in most cases. Fold-down rear access is common. The internal boot release handle is often accessible if you can reach through. Most modern SUVs (Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, Ford Kuga) offer reasonable DIY options.
🚙 Van
Load area is usually completely separate from the cab. Rear door locks on vans (Ford Transit, Vauxhall Vivaro, Mercedes Sprinter) are independent of the cab lock. If the cab doors are locked, a specialist is needed. See the emergency unlocking page.
🏈 Coupe
Often the hardest of all. Two-door coupes have limited rear access and no rear doors to check. Boot access from inside is usually only via a fold-down rear seat, if fitted. Most coupe boot lockouts need a professional.
🚌 Electric Vehicle
EVs add an extra variable: the frunk (front boot) on some models (Tesla, Hyundai Ioniq). If your keys are locked in the frunk specifically, call a specialist — the frunk does not have a mechanical release on most EVs.
Special Cases Worth Knowing About
Smart Key / Keyless Entry Cars
If your car uses a proximity smart key (you press a button on the door handle to lock/unlock rather than pressing the fob), the key communicates via radio frequency with sensors around the car. If the key is in the boot, the sensor near the boot lid may detect it — which means pressing the button on the boot lid release could open the boot. This works on some vehicles and not others. It is worth trying before calling anyone.
Child Locked in Vehicle
If a child or vulnerable person is locked inside a vehicle in warm weather, this is an emergency. Call 999 immediately. Do not wait for a locksmith — police and fire services can open a vehicle far faster in a genuine emergency. Time is critical in a hot car.
Pet Locked in Vehicle
A dog locked in a car in warm weather is also a serious emergency — the RSPCA advises calling 999 if an animal is in distress in a hot car. Call a locksmith immediately for fast non-emergency response; call 999 if the animal is showing signs of heat distress.
How to Prevent a Boot Lockout in Future
- Get a spare key and keep it somewhere accessible — at home, with a trusted person, or in a key safe near your property. A spare car key is significantly cheaper than a late-night locksmith callout.
- Use a key hook by the front door. The leading cause of keys in the boot is putting them down while loading. A fixed key hook at home builds a consistent habit that avoids this entirely.
- Enable the "key in boot" alert if your car has it. Some modern vehicles will warn you (beep or display a message) if the fob is detected in the boot when you try to close it. Check your vehicle handbook to see if this feature exists and how to enable it.
- Never put keys down in the boot when loading, even for a moment. Pocket them or hand them to someone else while you load.
Frequently Asked Questions
On most modern cars, yes — there is usually a boot release button on the dashboard (often near the driver's left knee) or on the door panel. Some cars also have it in the centre console. This will open the boot electromechanically without needing the key. If you can access the cabin via any unlocked door, look for this button first.
The most common reason: you put the keys down in the boot while loading, closed the boot, and the central locking either auto-engaged or you pressed the fob out of habit. On cars with auto-locking (which locks all doors after driving away or after a set time), the boot can lock independently of whether keys are present. Some keyless entry cars will also lock automatically if the fob is not detected outside the vehicle within a certain range.
Possibly. A fold-down armrest pass-through (ski hatch) gives a narrow opening into the boot — typically wide enough for ski poles or a long item but not for retrieving something from the boot floor. If your keys landed close to the rear seat wall and the pass-through is open, a thin arm or a long flexible tool might reach. If the keys have slid to the back of the boot, it is less likely to be useful without specialist tools.
For most vehicles, opening the car (which then allows boot access) costs £60–£150 depending on vehicle type and time of day. The boot itself is not opened separately — the locksmith opens the car door and you then open the boot from inside. See the full car locksmith cost guide for a breakdown of prices by vehicle type.
A professional auto locksmith uses non-destructive entry techniques — specialist tools that work through the door gap or window seal without leaving marks. There should be no damage to paintwork, window seals or locking mechanisms. Always confirm that the locksmith uses non-destructive methods before they start. See more on the emergency vehicle unlocking page.
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