How to Open a Door With a Card

Need to get inside your house but forgot to bring the keys to your door? What if it’s in the middle of the night and you can’t call a professional to help you out?

When you lose your keys accidentally, you might opt for professional help or try DIY methods to save you money (especially if your door is not made of complex door locks).

There can be many ways to open your door, especially if it’s a simple doorknob (the traditional slanted-latch lock). One way is to open it using a card, which we all commonly have! Other methods might require other tools like a screwdriver. In this post, I’ll teach you one of the easiest ways to unlock your door with a card.

A Word of Warning

Please note that this tutorial is for educational purposes only! The methods mentioned in this post should not be used for breaking someone’s house illegally.

Learning how this trick works will not only save you during those desperate times but also learn how to defeat this technique commonly used by burglars!

A card (expired gift cards, membership cards, etc.) that are less valuable. Make sure it’s lightweight and flexible. We don’t recommend using a credit card because you might break it in the process!

Slightly insert the card between the cracks of the door. Make sure that the card is straightened and perpendicular to the door. Aim to hit the strike plate using the edge of the card.

Slide the card further inside by bending it and pushing it a little more towards the doorknob.

Bend the card on the opposite side to reach the angled end of the slanted latch.

Wiggle the card back and forth to pick the door lock. If you’re having difficulty to pop the door open, try to lean against the door while bending and wiggling the card to apply more pressure on the latch. Do this until the door opens.

This method only works if your door has a simple door lock. If you have a deadbolt or other more complex door locks, then we recommend calling a professional to help you out. If you like this tutorial and would love to learn how to defeat this technique, you can check out this post.