Car Key Replacement in San Diego, CA

The paperwork behind a new car key

Copying a key you still have is simple. When every key is gone, a new one has to be made from the vehicle itself, and California adds a paperwork step. Penal Code § 466.6 requires anyone who makes an ignition key other than by copying an existing one to record, on a work order you sign:

• your name, address and date of birth
• your driver's license or state ID number
• the vehicle's plate, VIN and description

The record is kept for two years, so bring your ID and the registration for the car.

A car at the curb has a clock

San Diego Municipal Code 86.0137(g) bans storing a vehicle on any street, and it treats a vehicle as stored once it has been left standing for 72 consecutive hours without moving more than 1/10 of a mile. The subsection lists no exception for a lost or broken key. Two practical steps:

1. Write down when and where the car was last moved, and count forward 72 hours.
2. If a new key cannot be ready before then, arrange to move the car to a driveway or private lot, for example by tow.

This is general information, not legal advice.

What to have ready

• year, make, model and trim, and whether it starts with a push button or a turned key
• whether any working key or fob remains, since copying one is simpler than starting from scratch
• the VIN, from the registration or the base of the windshield on the driver's side
• where the car is now: the street and nearest cross street, or the garage with its level and space
• whether the ignition or a door lock was damaged in a theft attempt

See key fob programming for remotes and push-button fobs, and the San Diego page for other local notes.