Car Key Replacement in Salem, OR

Proving the car is yours

A replacement car key has to be cut to the car's locks and, on most cars from the last few decades, programmed to its immobilizer. Because a new key starts the car, expect ownership to come first, so gather the paperwork before you send the request.

Have ready:

• a photo ID
• the vehicle title or current registration in your name, with a name that matches the ID
• if the car is leased or financed, the registration or the lease paperwork, since the lender may hold the title
• the vehicle identification number (VIN), which appears on the registration and on the dashboard where it meets the windshield

If the registration was inside the car or in a lost bag, a replacement comes from your state motor-vehicle agency. If the paperwork is in someone else's name, that person will usually need to be part of the request.

Where the car is sitting

The location decides how the job is set up. At home, name your neighborhood, whether Grant, Highland, Faye Wright, East Lancaster or another of Salem's neighborhood associations, or give the nearest cross streets. West Salem is across the Willamette River, so say if the car is on the west side. For a car in a garage or a lot, give the level, the space and anything needed to get through a gate.

After the new key

If the lost key was on a ring with house keys and anything showing your address, rekeying the house locks is worth considering. If your car uses a separate remote or fob, ask whether it needs key fob programming too.

Once you have a working key again, keep a spare somewhere other than the car. In fire season, a spare car key or fob packed in an evacuation bag alongside a spare house key is one less thing to hunt for in a hurry. The Salem page names more of the city's neighborhoods.