How to Remove a Lockbox from a Door Knob

Co-authored by Ray Lawrence and Eric McClure

Last Updated: March 24, 2023 References

If you’ve had the unpleasant misfortune of dealing with an absent-minded realtor or contractor, you may end up with a random lockbox on your door knob. While a big, clunky lockbox may look like an insurmountable foe, these things are actually pretty easy to remove—especially if you know the code. If you don’t have the code, reach out to that realtor or contractor and ask them for it. Even if you can’t get the code though, there are other solutions we’ll cover here. Read on to learn how you can get that ugly lockbox off of your door.

Things You Should Know

Enter the number code, pull the black tab on the front of the lockbox to open it, then press on the metal plate at the top of the inside to unlock it.
If you don’t know the code but you have the key for the door, remove the door knob and disassemble it to take the lock off.
If you cannot remove the door knob and you don’t know the code, use brute force and a saw to cut through the lockbox.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Operating a Lockbox

1
Enter the code using the wheel or buttons on the lockbox. There are 2 types of lockboxes. If you have 4 dials on front, turn them to match the code for your box. If there are individual buttons for the numbers, press the buttons in order.^{[1]
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- If you screw up on the order of the code for the button-style lockboxes, just re-enter it.
2
Pull down on the tab on the front of the lockbox to open it. On most lockboxes, like the common Master lockbox, there is a small black tab on the front. Once the code is entered, pull it down to open the box. Some lockboxes have an unlabeled button or a small panel that says “press,” instead. If that’s your box, press the button or the panel to open it.^{[2]
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3
Press the small tab inside of the box near the top. With the box open, look inside of the box at the top where the lock itself feeds into the box. Look for a small, flat metal tab. Press and hold this tab down to release the locking mechanism.^{[3]
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4
Pull down on the lockbox to unlock it from your doorknob. While you’re pressing that metal tab down, pull the lockbox downward to open the latch. Then, lift the lockbox off of the door knob.^{[4]
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- If the lockbox won’t open while you’re pressing the tab down, try jiggling the box while you pull on it. If it has been locked a long time, rain and moisture can get into the lock and cause it to rust.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Removing the Doorknob

1
Open the door and remove the screws on the interior side of the knob. If you don’t know the code to the lock, you can disassemble the door knob to get the lock off. To start, open the door and go inside. Use a Phillips head screw driver to remove the two screws holding the rose plate to the door.^{[5]
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- The rose plate is the bracket that covers up the spindle where it feeds into the door.
- The spindle is the bar that connects the round part of the knob to the knob on the other side of the door. When you turn the door knob, this is the part that rotates to open the lock.
2
Pull the front half of the door knob off. With the back screws off, pull the back knob off of the assembly and set it aside. The front knob is now free. Pull it off of the door and leave the lock mechanism where it is in the door.^{[6]
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- If you close your door and you can’t open it again, slide the front knob into the opening and turn it the same way you normally would.
3
Find the small hole on the side of the door knob. Hold the front knob’s rose plate with your nondominant hand and turn the knob with your other hand. Look at the spindle as you turn for a small, round opening.^{[7]
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4
Pop the knob off by inserting a pin into the hole. Once you find a hole, keep turning the knob until you find another hole inside of the spindle. Line the two holes up and slide a pin or micro screwdriver into the two holes. This will unlock the spindle and the knob will pop off of the rose plate.^{[8]
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- Anything that fits into the holes will work. A thumbtack, unraveled paper clip, or sewing needle will work.
- You must push the pin or screwdriver all the way into both holes.
5
Remove the lockbox and reassemble your door knob. Put the knob back over the spindle and slide the knob into place while turning the knob until it clicks into place. Then, put the two knobs back together in the door and replace the screws on the back to secure the door in place.^{[9]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Destroying the Lock

1
Snap smaller locks off with bolt cutters. Grab a set of heavy-duty bolt cutters and wrap the jaws around the shackle. Close the handles together to see if the shackle snaps under the pressure. It may take 2-3 attempts to fully cut through the lock and remove it.^{[10]
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- The shackle refers to the loop at the top of the lock that’s wrapped around your door knob.
2
Carve through tougher locks with an angle grinder. Buy, rent, or borrow an angle grinder and attach a metal-cutting blade to it by pressing the spindle rotation lock and unscrewing the nut on the blade. Put on gloves and protective eyewear. Then, turn the grinder on and slowly hold the blade against the shackle with both hands on the grinder. Continue to work the grinder against the shackle until the lock breaks.^{[11]
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- This is going to send sparks flying, so take your time, go slow, and take breaks to give the blade time to cool down.
- You can buy an angle grinder online or from any home improvement store.
3
Try using a reciprocating saw as a last resort. Pull out or rent a reciprocating saw. Put on protective gloves and eyewear. Turn the saw on to the lowest speed setting available and slowly begin grinding away at the shackle. Take your time and do your best to avoid accidentally cutting your door. After a few minutes of cutting, the lock should fall off.^{[12]
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- Work very slowly here and do your best to keep the blade from nicking your door.