Safe lock help · AMSEC
Safe lock troubleshooting › AMSEC › ESF1214 fingerprint (biometric) safe lock
The AMSEC ESF1214 is a small safe with a fingerprint reader on the door. There is a small display just above the reader, a silver button under it, a green programming button and a red button on the hinge side of the door, and a hidden emergency key lock under the AMSEC badge. It stores up to 120 fingerprint users and runs on four AA batteries. This guide covers how to enroll a finger, open and close the safe, replace the batteries, and use the emergency key or the power override box.
- How to open
- Battery
- Enroll and delete fingers
- Display messages
- Lockout
- Opening with the emergency key
- Troubleshooting
- Manuals
Want the whole manual? Jump to the manufacturer download links.
Is this your lock?
- A small black safe with a round fingerprint reader (a display above the sensor and a silver button under it) and an AMSEC badge down and to the right of it.
- It stores up to 120 users. A finger is enrolled with the green programming button on the hinge side of the door.
- The red button, also on the hinge side of the door, is used to delete users.
- It uses four AA batteries behind a cover on the back of the door. A power override box is supplied for dead batteries.
How to open it
- Press the silver button on the front of the lock, just under the reader. The display reads “Put Finger.”
- Place your enrolled finger on the sensor.
- The display reads “Finger Ok” and then “Opening” if the fingerprint is accepted.
- Open the door.
Closing and locking the safe
- Close the door. (If the door was locked open, unlock the safe first as above so the bolts can retract.)
- Press the silver button under the reader. The display reads “Closing.” The door should now be locked.
- Six bad finger reads in a row lock out the safe for 5 minutes. Make sure you are enrolled and use the finger you enrolled with.
- Remove the emergency key from its lock before you use the fingerprint reader. AMSEC says that when you remove the emergency key, the safe is locked open.
- Before you close the door, test your newly enrolled fingerprint.
How to change the battery
The safe is shipped without batteries to prevent corrosion. It uses four AA (1.5 volt) alkaline batteries (we recommend Procell) in the cover on the back of the door. When the batteries are low, the reader screen flashes after you press the silver button.
- Open the door (use the emergency key if the batteries are dead and the safe is locked).
- Take off the battery cover on the back of the door.
- Put in four new AA alkaline batteries and put the cover back.
If the batteries are too weak to open the safe
- Plug the power override box cable into the port on the underside of the fingerprint reader.
- Press the silver button and place your finger on the sensor to open the safe.
- Then replace the four AA batteries in the door.
- Keep the emergency keys somewhere safe, but not in the safe.
How to enroll and delete fingerprints
Do this with the door OPEN.
Test your newly enrolled finger before you close the door.
Enroll a finger (set up a user)
- Open the safe door. The green programming button is on the hinge side of the door.
- Press the green programming button. The display lights up and says “Enroll.”
- Place your finger on the sensor just under the display. Keep movement to a minimum. The display shows “Put Again.” Do not move your finger: it is taking a second scan.
- The display shows a user number and “Enroll OK.” Take your finger off the sensor.
- If enrolling fails, the display shows “Enroll Again” and tries again.
Delete users (this deletes ALL users)
- Open the safe door and find the red button on the hinge side of the door.
- Press and hold the red button the whole time. When the display says “Delete Finger,” place your finger on the sensor.
- The display reads “Delete Ok.” All users are deleted.
- The lock can now be opened just by pressing the silver button: no enrolled fingerprint is needed until you set up a new user.
- You can enroll up to 120 users. Deleting users removes everyone at once, so enroll the fingers you want again straight away.
Display messages
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| Put Finger | Place your finger on the sensor. |
| Finger Ok, then Opening | The fingerprint was accepted and the safe is opening. |
| Closing | The door was closed and the bolts are locking. |
| Enroll | The lock is ready to enroll a finger (green button pressed). |
| Put Again | A second scan is being taken. Keep your finger still. |
| Enroll OK | The finger was enrolled and a user number is shown. |
| Enroll Again | The enrollment failed and the lock tries again. |
| Delete Finger, then Delete Ok | You are deleting users (red button held). All users are gone. |
| Screen flashes after the silver button | The batteries are low. |
Bad reads
Six bad finger reads in a row lock out the safe for 5 minutes. Wait, then try again with an enrolled finger.
Opening with the emergency key
If the fingerprint reader will not open the safe:
- Find the AMSEC logo plate just down and to the right of the fingerprint lock.
- Use a screwdriver to take out the 2 screws holding the plate and show the emergency lock.
- Use the emergency key to open the safe door.
- Take the key out of its lock before you use the fingerprint reader again. AMSEC says that when you remove the emergency key, the safe is locked open.
If it still won’t open
The reader does not respond
Press the silver button first. If the screen does not light up, the batteries are dead. Use the power override box or the emergency key, then change the four AA batteries.
My finger is not accepted
Use the finger you enrolled with, and keep it flat and steady on the sensor. After 6 bad reads in a row there is a 5-minute lockout. You can enroll more than one finger as separate users, up to 120.
Download the full manufacturer instructions
This page is a quick-reference summary. For every feature and diagram, use the official manual for your model:
- AMSEC ESF1214 Operating Instructions (PDF)Part 4305281, revised 05/10. Hosted by AMSEC.
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More lock guides
About this guide. This is an independent guide from Steve’s Lock, Safe and Alarm, a safe and lock dealer. Brand and model names belong to their owners and are used only to help you identify your lock. We are not affiliated with the manufacturers. These steps summarize the manufacturers’ own instructions; your lock may be a different version, so if anything here does not match what your lock does, follow your manual or call us. Always change codes with the safe door open, and test the new code several times before you close the door.
Steps last checked against the manufacturer documents on October 19, 2026.