Car Key Replacement in Aurora, CO

Proving the car is yours

Before cutting or programming a key for a car, a locksmith needs to see that you own it or have the owner's permission. Plan on showing:

• photo ID with a name that matches the registration or title
• the current registration, or the title, issued by your state motor-vehicle agency
• the vehicle identification number (VIN), printed on the registration and visible through the windshield on the driver's side

If the registration is in the glove box of a locked car, say so and mention both problems in the same request. If the car is registered to someone else, such as a spouse, a parent or an employer, ask ahead whether written authorization will be accepted.

Where Aurora cars wait for a new key

Give a street address or the nearest cross streets, not just the city name; near I-225 or E-470, name the cross street as well as the highway.

• Houses in Hoffman Heights. Two of the models in the city's 2012 survey of this 1950s neighborhood, which lies between Peoria and Potomac streets, were built without an attached garage. A car at a house like that may be in a driveway or at the curb, so say which, and on which side of the street.
• Apartment and condo lots. Name the complex, the lot or garage level and your space number, and explain how a visitor gets through any gate.
• Home garages. If the car is in a closed garage, say whether the garage can be opened without the lost key ring, since openers and house keys often travel with the car key.

What to have ready

1. The documents above, or a note of where they are.
2. The year, make and model, and whether the car uses a turn key, a key with remote buttons or a push-button start fob.
3. Any keys or fobs that still work. A new key may need to be programmed alongside them.
4. Whether every key is gone or you only want a spare.

If a fob stopped working but the key is not lost, key fob programming may be the better fit. See car key replacement and Aurora.