Car Key Replacement in Philadelphia, PA

Proving the car is yours

A replacement key starts the car, so have photo ID and a document that ties you to the vehicle ready, such as the registration or title from your state motor-vehicle agency. It helps when the names match. If the car is registered to someone else, such as a parent, a spouse or a leasing company, say so in the request. Registration cards often live in the glove box; if the car is locked, that paperwork can be reached once the door is open, so mention it rather than assuming it is lost.

When the car has vanished after a storm

When the city declares a snow emergency, the Department of Streets says it moves vehicles off the designated routes so plows can pass. If the key went missing around the same time the car disappeared from a street with red route signs, learn where the car was relocated before arranging for a new key.

Salt and older door locks

PennDOT reports an average of 598,094 tons of salt a winter over the last five winters, statewide. Salt spray works into door and trunk lock cylinders, and a car that has lived on salted streets may have a door lock that turns stiffly even with a correctly cut key. When a new key is made, test it in the ignition or start button, every door lock and the trunk.

Keys lost together

The rowhouse manual says rowhouses outnumber all other housing types in Philadelphia, and many 19th-century ones have an entry vestibule, so a single key ring can hold a car key, a street-door key and a vestibule-door key. If the whole ring is gone, the car key is only part of the job; lock rekeying covers the doors.

What to have ready

1. The vehicle identification number (VIN), printed on the registration and visible through the windshield at the driver's side.
2. Model year, make, model and trim, plus whether you start it with a button or a turned key.
3. Any remaining key or fob, even a broken one.
4. Photo ID and the registration or title.

If you still have one working fob and want a spare, key fob programming may be the simpler job. Read more about car key replacement or return to the Philadelphia overview.