How to Get Copies of Lost Car Keys Made
by Justin W. SandersYou wake up excited. Big trip ahead. Just need to shower, eat breakfast, grab your bags, and out the door you go... only... wait... where are the car keys? They're not in the usual spot, on the little table next to the door. They're not on the dresser or in your purse. They're not under the fridge or lodged in the cat's food bowl. They're nowhere. They have vanished without a trace! You're all packed with a place to go and no way to get there. Looks like you'll need to get some new car keys made. But how does you get a copy of a key when there's no key to copy?
Using a Dealership
Step 1
Locate your VIN (Vehicle Identification Number.) This lengthy alpha-numeric code will most likely be in the vicinity of the driver's side dashboard.
Step 2
Call a local dealership. Many dealerships that sell your vehicle's make and model, or have done so in the past, offer key duplication services.
Step 3
Provide your VIN. With this information the dealership can duplicate your key without using the original. You will have to pay a nominal fee for this service, but it's a small price to pay to have your car back.
Step 4
Find a way to get to the dealership and back home again. Without the use of your car, you'll need to hitch a ride with a kind friend or take a bus or taxi.
Using Your Insurance
Step 1
Make sure your insurance policy includes Roadside Assistance Coverage, which generally includes 24-hour locksmith services for when you lose your keys or lock them in the vehicle. If you don't have it, call the company and add it, or do it through their website.
Step 2
Keep copies of your car insurance documents in a place other than the car itself. If you've lost your keys, chances are you're locked out of your vehicle and do not have access to the insurance forms tucked away in your glove compartment. They will come in handy when you need to call your insurance company for key duplicates.
Step 3
Call your insurance company if/when you lose your car keys. They will dispatch a locksmith professional to come to your car's location and make duplicates. You'll need only pay for the cost of the duplicates.
Locksmiths
Step 1
Call a locksmith company such as Pop-A-Lock or 24 Hour Emergency Locksmith. These businesses are generally open all day and night and can make a duplicate of your key and dispatch someone to deliver it to your vehicle's location.
Step 2
Have your VIN on hand. The locksmith company will need this information to make your new key.
Step 3
Prepare to pay a pretty penny. Locksmith companies are the most expensive route to obtaining car key duplicates, and should be used only as a last resort.
