Car Key Replacement in Fort Collins, CO

Time limits for a car without a key

The City of Fort Collins says vehicles left unattended on public property for more than 48 hours may be towed at the owner's expense. If the only key to a car on a city street is lost, that is the window to plan around: get a new key made, or have the car moved, before it closes.

Downtown the clock is shorter. Most on-street spaces there have a two-hour limit, enforced Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and once a car leaves a time-restricted space it cannot park again on the same block face or in the same lot for four hours. Mention the kind of space in your request. A car in a driveway, a home garage or a private lot is under less pressure, though the lot owner's own rules still apply. This is general information, not legal advice.

Proof that the car is yours

A new key gives full access to a vehicle, so expect to show that the car is yours before one is cut or programmed. Have ready:

• Photo ID with a name that matches the ownership papers.
• The title or current registration. If both are locked in the car, say so; they can be checked once it is open.
• For a leased or financed car, the paperwork showing your name. For a company car, a letter from the business.

Details that decide the job

• The VIN, which is on the registration and can also be read through the windshield on the driver's side.
• Year, make, model and trim, and whether the key is a plain blade, a remote-head key, a flip key or a push-button start fob.
• How many keys existed and whether any still work. Adding a key while one still works can be simpler than starting with none.
• Where the car sits: street and cross street, lot or garage, and any time limit.

If the key is locked inside rather than lost, see car lockout; a fob that only needs pairing falls under key fob programming. The car key replacement page describes the service, and the city's other parking rules are on the Fort Collins page.