Perhaps you were in some accident and on gaining consciousness you realize that your key is gone, or it’s a frosty morning and you haven’t been able to find your car keys but you need to retrieve some important item from it as soon as possible, but where is your locksmith when they are most needed, right? Well, whatever your reason is for needing an answer to the question how do you unlock your car door with a bobby pin is, we are here to put to rest your curiosity.
Note: This trick work for conventional cars and may not work for car doors that have more complicated locking mechanisms, sop Yes, opening a car door with a bobby pin is limited. However, if it after attempting this on your car door and it doesn’t lock, you still have the option of calling a locksmith to help out. Also, if the procedure is done right your car door lock should still work the way it worked before you opened it with a bobby pin.
What You Need
Items needed are:
- Metallic Bobby pins to serve as picking tools.
- Alternatively, sturdy metal paper clips
- A pair of needle-nose pliers
Instructions To Unlock A Car Door With A Bobby Pin

Spread the wavy and straight ends of the bobby pin apart so that it bends at the center and looks like an L. This bobby pin will serve as the pick that you’ll use to unlock the door.
Step 1: Create Pick And Tension Lever
Open up a bobby pin and bend it at a 90-degree angle, or ⅓ of its top until it appears like a hook. Spread the wavy and straight ends of the bobby pin apart until it takes an L shape.
Step 2: Remove The Rubber Tip On The Straight End Of The Bobby Pin
With a knife or razor blade remove the rounded rubber tip on the straight side of the bobby pin, before proceeding to sticking 1cm or (0.39 in) of the tip of the bobby pin in the lock to pick it. Then, focus on creating a tension lever and a pick tool, by folding the rest the bobby pin until it’s flush against the face of the doorknob and turn clockwise.
Step 3: Disengage The Pins In The Lock
This will bend the tip at an angle, then use the bent end of the pin to disengage the pins in the lock, while exerting the right amount of pressure to the tension lever. Move the pick upward and downward but note this may take you some time to get the right combination and move the barrels. Keep doing this, until you have successfully opened the door of your car.
Step 4: Bend The Wavy End Of The Bobby Pin Into S Handle For More Control
Using straight-head needle-nose pliers is sufficient for this work, because the ideal cutters are 6 inches long and you aren’t working in a tight space. Also, if you do not have a needle nose plier, you can use your bare hands to bend the bobby pins, but you need to apply care to prevent injury.
Tip: Make sure that the pressure consistent throughout the procedure since exerting too much or little will prevent you from opening the car lock.