Car Key Replacement in Erie, PA

When no working key is left

A lost car key takes more than cutting metal. Most cars built in recent decades also need the new key or fob programmed to the car's immobilizer, and a key cut without that step may open the door but not start the engine. Before any of it, whoever makes the key needs proof the car is yours.

Winter can speed up the wear that leads here. PennDOT reports an average of 598,094 tons of salt spread on Pennsylvania roads each winter over the last five winters, and salt and grit on door locks and key blades wear both down. A key that works only after some wiggling is close to failing; a spare made while it still works is simpler than starting over.

Proof of ownership

• Photo ID
• The title or current registration card for the car, in your name
• The VIN, which appears on the registration and on a plate at the base of the windshield, readable from outside
• For a leased or financed car, the lease or loan paperwork if it lists you

If the registration is in the glove box of a locked car, say so in the request.

Where the car sits in Erie

A car with no working key cannot be driven, and Erie's parking rules expect cars to move. In the inner city, from the shore to 32nd Street and between Baur Avenue and East Avenue, odd-even parking applies from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays: the north or west side of the street on odd days, the south or east side on even days. When a snow emergency is in effect, § 512.02 of Article 512 allows the city to extend odd-even rules to Saturday and Sunday, and the city says they then apply day and night until the emergency is lifted. Say which side the car is on and when it has to move. This is general information, not legal advice.

With the request, also include:

• Make, model and year, and whether the car is push-to-start
• Any old key, even broken or worn
• How many keys you want made

For a remote that no longer responds, see key fob programming. If the key is simply locked inside, it is a car lockout. More on car key replacement and the Erie page.