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Nowadays, the majority of safes are electronic, meaning that instead of a key being used to open them, they rely on an electricity-based mechanism. Most come with a keypad, while a few others use biometrics.

You might be wondering what to do if the electronics on the safe fail, however; how would you get the safe open?

Override keys for safes are special keys that when inserted, enable you to bypass the electronic system embedded in the lock, and if you need to get into your safe and the electronic lock isn’t working or you’ve forgotten the code, they can be a real godsend. However, if you opted for an electronic safe because it eliminated the need for a key – which can easily be stolen, lost or damaged –doesn’t having an override key make it more vulnerable?

Let’s begin by looking at how override keys work, before deciding whether they make your safe more vulnerable, and whether you should have one or not:

How does an override key work?

You might not realise it, but safes with electronic locks operate with sliding deadbolts in the same way that safes with mechanical locks do. With an electronic lock, however, electricity activates a motor which moves the bar and unblocks the deadbolt, whereas in a safe with a mechanical lock, it’s the turning of a key that does the same.

What happens to an electronic safe without an override key, that fails to open?

In the majority of instances, a locksmith will be needed to help you get into an electronic safe that you’re not able to open, unless the problem is as simple as dead batteries, in which case they can simply be replaced. If the electronic lock has failed, or you’ve forgotten the code, a locksmith can help reset the lock and create a new code.

Should you have an override key for your electronic safe?

Going keyless may sound like a simple security advantage, but as you’ve just read, even a keyless, electronic lock can be bypassed. If you’re trying to weigh up the pros and cons of having an override key for your electronic safe, your decision should probably be based upon the level of security risk.

In the majority of instances, burglars are able to bypass a standard linear pin tumbler lock by picking it, while most criminals will be unable to get past an electronic lock. Since override keys often use tubular locks that are more difficult to pick and require the use of specialist tools, they may be at a lower risk of being picked.

All told, because there are options for getting into a safe if the electronic lock fails, there’s no real need for an override key, and as long as you have a licensed, local locksmiths number programmed into your cell, you’ll be able to get into it whatever happens, and whenever it happens.

So, while override keys for electronic locks are not necessarily a bad thing, they are rather obsolete and certainly not necessary for anyone concerned about accessing their safe should the electronic lock fail.