Lost your only car key? Do these three things first

Losing the only key to a vehicle feels worse than it is. In most cases a mobile locksmith can originate a new key at the roadside, no tow required. What slows the job down is almost never the key — it is paperwork and information.

1. Confirm you can prove ownership

We will ask for photo ID and something linking you to the vehicle: registration, title, or insurance card. This is not bureaucracy for its own sake. Originating a key from scratch bypasses the vehicle's security, so verifying who you are is the part of the job we never skip.

2. Find the VIN and note the year, make and model

The VIN is visible through the windshield on the driver's side, and on the door jamb sticker. With the VIN we can look up the key code and bring the right blank and the right programming profile the first time.

3. Tell us how the car starts

There is a real difference in the work between:

• A mechanical key with no chip — the simplest case.
• A transponder key, which has a chip that must be matched to the immobilizer.
• A push-to-start proximity fob, which has to be paired to the vehicle electronically.

Prices and time on site vary between them, and knowing which one you have lets us quote you accurately over the phone instead of guessing.

What happens on site

We cut the key to code, program it to your vehicle with diagnostic equipment, and test it — start the engine, lock and unlock, check the trunk release — before we leave. If you want a spare made at the same time it costs far less than a second call-out later.