Commercial & property management
Eviction lockouts in New Jersey: what to expect on the day
By the time a landlord gets to the morning of an eviction, they have usually spent months getting there. The lockout itself takes minutes. Making sure it happens on the day is the real job.
By Timmy Creighton, founder and licensed locksmith · Major Key Locksmith · October 2026
Who is there
The lockout is carried out with the court officer present: a constable, a sheriff’s officer or a Special Civil Part officer, depending on the court. Your attorney or the court officer is the authority on the legal steps. The locksmith’s job is the doors.
The timing problem
The officer is scheduled for ten. Sometimes they arrive at one. When they do arrive, they expect everything to move immediately. If the locksmith is still forty minutes away, the whole day can collapse and be rescheduled.
That is why we arrive thirty minutes early and hold for up to an hour past the scheduled time. It is built into the price. We are already standing there when it starts.
What we do
- Secure each door, by rekeying or fitting a new lock, our choice on the day, hardware included.
- Hand the new keys to you or your representative.
- Give you an itemised invoice naming the property, the doors secured and the officer’s attendance.
What it costs
$450 for standby and secure, which replaces the usual mobile service charge rather than adding to it, then $200 per door secured, hardware included. A typical three-door single-family property is $1,050. Each additional 30 minutes of waiting past the first hour is $150.
How to prepare
- Book the locksmith as soon as you have the date and time.
- Know how many doors need securing, including basement, side and garage doors.
- Have someone authorized to accept the keys on site.
- Tell us about anything unusual: high-security locks, a smart lock, a door that is barricaded.
More on our eviction lockouts page.
Questions people ask
What if the eviction is cancelled or rescheduled on the morning?
Call us as soon as you know. The eviction page sets out how that is handled.
Do you secure apartments as well as houses?
Yes. Units, houses and commercial spaces.
Can you do it same day?
Evictions are scheduled by the court, so they are usually booked ahead. Call with the date and time and we will confirm.
Want a straight answer about your building?
Tell us what you are dealing with. We will say what it needs, what it costs, and whether it is a job for us at all.
Keep reading
Any price mentioned here is the one published on our pricing page as of October 2026. The final price is always confirmed with you before any work begins. More answers from the blog →