A UK replacement car key costs £80 to £250 for a basic or transponder key and £150 to £500 for a remote or keyless fob, programming included.
A spare made while one key still works costs least, and replacing every lost key costs most. The extra cost on a lost key comes from decoding the lock and programming with no original. A mobile auto locksmith charges £100 to £250 for most modern keys, against £200 to £600 at a main dealer.
Keyless fobs, premium makes, night call outs and lock work after a theft add to the price. Ordering a spare early and quoting the registration keep the replacement car key price down. ADC Locksmith Liverpool runs a mobile car key replacement service from £120 with no call out fee.
Car insurance key replacement, what to do with no spare key, spare prices, the car key cut cost and dealer key quality raise five further questions.
The list below gives four key takeaways on replacement car key prices.
- A replacement car key costs £80 to £500 in the UK, programming included.
- A spare key costs far less than replacing every lost key.
- A mobile auto locksmith charges about half the main dealer price for most keys.
- Keyless fobs, premium makes and night call outs push the price up.
What does a replacement key cost by situation?
A replacement key costs least as a spare and most when every key is gone. The table below gives the UK price for five situations.
| Situation | What the job covers | UK price |
|---|---|---|
| Spare key, one key still works | Blade cut and chip copied or programmed | £60 to £180 |
| One key lost, one key left | New key added and the lost key deleted | £100 to £250 |
| All keys lost, standard car | Lock decoded, key cut and programmed at the car | £150 to £300 |
| All keys lost, keyless car | Smart key coded and every old key removed | £250 to £500 |
| Premium or prestige make | Dealer level security and a dearer key | £400 to £1,000 or more |
Every price in the table includes programming, the step that lets a replacement key start the car.
Why does a lost key cost more?
A lost key costs more because the locksmith works with no original to copy and removes the missing key from the car memory.
A working key lets the blade and chip data copy across in minutes. No key at all means decoding a door lock, cutting a fresh blade and programming through the diagnostic port. Deleting the lost key also stops a finder starting the car.
Locksmith or dealer, which costs less?
An auto locksmith costs less than a main dealer for most replacement keys, often by half, and works at the car on the same day. The table below compares the two routes on four points.
| Point | Mobile auto locksmith | Main dealer |
|---|---|---|
| Typical price | £100 to £250 | £200 to £600 |
| Wait | Same day, often within hours | Several days for the key to arrive |
| Location | At the car, home or roadside | At the dealership, often after a tow |
| All keys lost | New key from the lock or the key code | Key ordered from the factory |
Both routes produce a key that starts the car, and a car key replacement service at the car saves the cost of a tow to a main dealer.
What adds to a new key price?
Keyless fobs, premium makes, night call outs, lock work and towing push a replacement key price up. The list below gives five common extras.
- A keyless or proximity fob costs more than a remote key with a blade.
- Premium makes need dealer level security access and a dearer key blank.
- A night, weekend or bank holiday call out adds an out of hours charge with many firms.
- Stolen keys with the home address nearby call for a lock change or recoding.
- Towing a car to a main dealer adds a recovery fee on top of the key.
ADC Locksmith Liverpool charges no call out fee, so the quoted key price matches the final bill.
How do you pay less for a key?
To pay less for a key, order a spare while one key still works and get a locksmith quote before calling a dealer. The list below gives the four steps.
- Order a spare key while the current key still works, the cheapest point to add a key.
- Quote the registration and the key type, so the price covers the right key from the start.
- Compare a mobile locksmith quote with the main dealer price before booking.
- Check the car insurance policy for key cover before paying for an all keys lost job.
A spare key in a drawer turns a future all keys lost job into a cheaper second key job.
What else do drivers ask about key prices?
Insurance, the no spare situation, spare prices, key cutting and dealer key quality raise five further questions about a replacement car key. The five questions below answer each topic.
Frequently asked questions
Does car insurance pay for key replacement?
Yes, many policies pay for key replacement through an optional key cover add on.
Excess and claim limits differ between insurers, and a standalone add on often skips the excess. The terms of car insurance key replacement cover set what a claim pays.
What to do with no spare key left?
Drivers with no spare key left call an auto locksmith, who makes a new key at the car from the lock or the key code.
The order of calls and the documents to bring sit in the steps on what to do with no spare key.
How much does a spare key cost?
A spare key costs about £60 to £180 while a working key still starts the car.
Simple transponder keys sit at the low end of the range, and keyless fobs sit at the top.
What does a car key cut cost?
A car key cut costs £10 to £60 for a plain metal blade, before any chip programming.
Chip keys add programming on top, as the price list for the car key cut cost by key type shows.
Do locksmith keys match dealer keys?
Yes, locksmith keys work the same as dealer keys once programmed to the car.
An auto locksmith fits a replacement car key of the same standard on the same day, while a main dealer orders the key and takes several days.
Based in Liverpool and still stuck?
ADC Locksmith Liverpool repairs, programs and replaces car keys at the roadside across Liverpool and Merseyside, usually on the same day. Craig Evans holds SERMI approval and a 5.0 rating from 341 Google reviews. A call to 07731 544220 brings a fixed price before Craig travels.
Call 07731 544220