Car Key Replacement in Buffalo, NY

Proof that the car is yours

A replacement key is cut, and often programmed, for one specific vehicle, so have ready what shows that you own the car or may use it:

• photo ID
• the registration or title in your name, or, if the car belongs to someone else such as an employer or a relative, that owner's authorization
• the vehicle identification number (VIN), printed on the registration and visible through the windshield on the driver's side
• year, make and model, and whether the car starts with a key or a push button

If the car is gone too

Sometimes the key is not the only thing missing. Before assuming theft, use the city's "Has My Car Been Towed?" page, which searches by plate, VIN or general vehicle information. The city notes that a car may instead have been moved to a legal space up to 500 feet away, so walk the surrounding blocks. Keep the VIN handy: it identifies the car for both the tow search and the new key.

A keyless car on a winter bus route

A car with no working key cannot be driven off, which matters on the city's winter bus routes. The overnight ban under Chapter 479, Section 15.45 of the City Code covers November 15 through April 1 on streets where passenger buses operate, and the city says its route list is subject to change. Check your block against that list and, if it is on it, say so in the request. This is general information, not legal advice.

Details for the request

Give the car's location (street and side, driveway, lot or garage), whether any working key or fob still exists, and whether the car uses a remote fob that will also need key fob programming. A working key, even a worn one, usually gives a locksmith more to work from than starting with none. See also car key replacement, automotive locksmith and the Buffalo parking notes.