tfts force-unlock

Release a stuck state lock

Manually release a stuck Terraform state lock.

Usage

npx tfts force-unlock [stack] <lock-id> [options]

Description

The force-unlock command releases a state lock that was not properly released. This can happen when a Terraform operation is interrupted or crashes.

Arguments

Argument	Description
stack	Stack name (optional, uses first stack if omitted)
lock-id	The lock ID to release (required)

Options

Option	Type	Description	Default
--output	string	Output directory	cdktf.out
--force, -f	boolean	Skip confirmation prompt	false

Examples

Basic Usage

npx tfts force-unlock abc123-lock-id

Specific Stack

npx tfts force-unlock production abc123-lock-id

Force Without Confirmation

npx tfts force-unlock --force abc123-lock-id

When to Use

You typically need this command when you see an error like:

Error: Error acquiring the state lock
Lock Info:
  ID:        abc123-lock-id
  Path:      terraform.tfstate
  Operation: OperationTypeApply
  Who:       user@hostname
  Version:   1.5.0
  Created:   2024-01-01 12:00:00.000000000 +0000 UTC

Safety

Only use force-unlock when you’re certain no other Terraform operations are running. Forcing an unlock while another operation is in progress can corrupt your state.

Before using force-unlock:

1. Verify no other team members are running Terraform
2. Check for any stuck CI/CD pipelines
3. Wait a few minutes for any in-progress operations to complete