Car Key Replacement in Athens, GA

Proof that the car is yours

A replacement key is made for one specific vehicle, so expect to show that it is yours. Have photo ID ready, plus the registration or title for the car. The vehicle identification number, or VIN, appears on the registration, and it is often what a locksmith needs to look up the right key. If the paperwork is missing, say so in your request.

A car with no key cannot leave its spot

A car with no working key cannot be driven away, so the parking rules around it start to matter. Downtown, it may sit at a metered curb or in a public deck. On campus it sits in a UGA lot, and UGA Transportation and Parking Services says a few lots, the Tate Surface Lot among them, must be cleared on Thursday or Friday of a home football weekend. A car that stays past a deadline is exposed to a citation or a tow at the owner's expense. If the key goes missing in game week, say so in your request and give the lot number.

What to have ready

• Every key you still have, including a damaged one or a spare. Working from a spare is a different job than starting with none.
• The VIN, make, model and year.
• The key type, if you know it: a metal-blade key, a transponder key, a remote fob or a push-button start card.
• The exact spot: street and cross street, deck name and level, or campus lot number.

After the new key is made

A spare kept at home gives you a fallback. Transponder keys and fobs need programming to the car, not just cutting, so read key fob programming if yours has buttons. If you only need to get back into the car, see car lockout.

The car key replacement page covers the service, and the Athens page has the local notes.