Car Key Replacement in Raleigh, NC

First, check the car is where you left it

Before ordering a new key for a car left on a Raleigh street, make sure the key is the actual problem. Raleigh tows cars that are parked in tow-away zones, travel lanes or other places a posted notice restricts. It also boots vehicles with three or more outstanding citations at least 90 days old; the fines must then be paid in person within a day, or the car is towed at the owner's expense. A boot comes off through Raleigh Parking, not through a locksmith, and a new key does nothing for a towed or booted car. If the car is missing or booted, contact Raleigh Parking before anything else.

Proof of ownership

A replacement key is cut and programmed for one vehicle, so have proof that the car is yours ready:

• photo ID
• the registration or title showing you as the owner
• for a car bought recently, the bill of sale and any temporary registration from the dealer or your state motor-vehicle agency
• for a leased or company car, paperwork showing you may have a key made

If the registration is locked in the glove box, say so; it can be checked once the car is open.

Where the car is parked

On a downtown street, give the block and cross street. In a parking deck, give the deck name or address and the level. At a home driveway or garage, say whether the car can be reached and whether it is blocked in.

What to have ready

• the year, make and model
• the VIN, visible through the windshield at the base of the driver's side, or printed on the registration
• whether any working key or fob remains, and how many keys you want in total
• push-button start or a turn-key ignition
• whether the lost key was on a ring with house keys, which may call for rekeying at home too

Once a new key exists, spare remotes can be added through key fob programming. The Raleigh page sets out the boot and tow rules in more detail.