Lock picking facts for kids

A deadbolt lock that has been picked, showing that the plug has been turned without the key.

Lock picking is a cool skill that lets you open a lock without using its key. The goal is to do it without breaking or damaging the lock or the door it's attached to. Usually, locksmiths use this skill to help people who have lost their keys or accidentally locked themselves out of their home or car.

While you might see it in movies, lock picking is actually very rarely used by criminals. That's because picking a lock is quite tricky and takes a lot of practice. Other ways to get into a place, like breaking a window, are much easier for them. For many people, lock picking is a fun and challenging hobby, like solving a puzzle! It's important to know that picking locks you own is usually legal. However, it's against the law to pick locks you don't own or don't have permission to open.

How Different Locks Are Picked

Picking Warded Locks

A padlock skeleton key (warded lock pick) that can open any lock with this keyhole (right), compared to a normal key that can only open the lock that it was made for (left).

Warded locks are some of the simplest locks to pick. They work by having metal "wards" inside that block the wrong key from turning. To pick them, you use a special tool called a "warded lock pick" or a "skeleton key." This pick is designed to avoid all the wards, letting you turn it just like the real key. You can even make a simple warded pick by filing down most of the teeth on a regular key, leaving only the last one or two.

Opening Pin-Tumbler and Wafer-Tumbler Locks

Lock picks for pin-tumbler and wafer-tumbler locks

Pin-tumbler and wafer-tumbler locks are more common and a bit trickier. Inside these locks are small pins or wafers. When you use the correct key, it pushes all these pins or wafers up to a special line called the "shear line." Once they are all aligned at this line, the lock's inner part (the plug) can turn, and the lock opens.

To pick these locks, you usually need two tools: a tension wrench and a pick.

• The tension wrench applies a small, steady turning force to the lock. This helps to "set" the pins as you lift them.
• The pick is used to gently push each pin or wafer up, one by one, until it reaches the shear line. When all pins are in place, the lock will turn, just as if you used the key!

There are other ways to pick these locks too:

• A rake pick is an S-shaped tool that you move quickly through the keyhole. This vibrates the pins, hoping to bounce them all to the shear line at once.
• A pick gun is a tool that uses a quick, sharp bounce to push all the pins up at the same time.
• A bump key looks like a regular key but has a special cut. When you insert it and tap it with a hammer, it "bumps" all the pins to the shear line for a brief moment, allowing the lock to turn. Be careful not to hit it too hard, or the key might break!

Some newer locks have special pins that make them harder to pick. These pins might be shaped like spools, which can get stuck and make it harder to feel when a pin is set correctly.

Other Types of Locks

Lock pick made from an umbrella hinge. Used in car theft in Helsinki

• Padlocks: Many simple padlocks can be opened by sliding a thin piece of metal, called a "shim," between the shackle (the U-shaped part) and the lock body. This shim pushes aside the locking latch, letting the lock open. High-security padlocks often have special features, like ball-bearing latches, that prevent shimming.
• Door Locks: Some door latches can be pushed aside with a credit card or a similar thin plastic object. You slide the card between the door and the doorframe to push the latch back.
• Combination Locks: These locks don't use keys, so they can't be "picked" in the traditional sense. However, sometimes you can figure out the combination by carefully listening or feeling for small clicks inside the lock as you turn the dial. Some older or cheaper combination locks might even have tiny gaps where you can peek inside to see the parts and figure out the numbers.
• Disc-Detainer Locks: These locks use rotating discs instead of pins. They are known for being very secure. While special picks exist for some less expensive ones, well-made disc-detainer locks are considered almost impossible to pick.
• Lever Locks: These locks use a series of levers that must be lifted to the correct height. They are generally difficult to pick and often require special tools.
• Tubular Locks: These locks have a round keyhole with pins arranged in a circle. They can be picked with a special tubular pick. Surprisingly, some poorly made tubular locks can even be opened with a regular writing pen!
• Car Locks: Many car locks are wafer-tumbler locks, similar to door locks, and can be picked in the traditional way. Some older cars might also be opened by sliding a thin rod with a hook into the door and pulling the inside lock lever. Modern cars often have electronic security systems that make picking or "hotwiring" (starting the car without a key by connecting wires) much harder or impossible.

Images for kids

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  A set of lock picks and tension wrenches for pin/tumbler locks.

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  A common set of skeleton keys used to open most types of warded padlocks.

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  Two types of rake pick, the double and triple peak, sometimes known as Bogota rakes.

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  A typical bump key.

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  A snap gun.