Car Key Replacement in Charleston, SC

Showing the car is yours

A replacement key can start the car, so ownership has to be shown before one is cut or programmed. Have these ready:

• a photo ID
• the title or current registration, in your name
• the VIN, printed on the registration and on a plate at the base of the windshield on the driver's side, readable through the glass

If the registration is in the glove box of a locked car, say so; it can be checked once the car is open. If the name on the papers is not yours yet, as with a recent private sale or an inherited car, settle that with your state motor-vehicle agency first.

Where Charleston keys go missing

Where a key was lost changes what the request must say, because the car's location matters as much as the key. If you parked in the Midtown garage at 558 King Street and lost the key somewhere downtown, name the garage and the level. In West Ashley, where major retailers built on large lots along Savannah Highway and Ashley River Road, the car may sit in a wide store lot far from the entrance. Retrace your steps and ask at the store first; a found key is the simplest fix.

Storm season spares

Hurricane Hugo, a Category 4 storm, came ashore on the South Carolina coast in 1989. If an evacuation is called and you have only one key, losing it can leave you stuck. Put a spare in the evacuation kit along with the house keys, and if you are down to one key now, have a second made while the first still works. Copying a working key is a smaller job than making one when every key is lost.

What to include

• the vehicle, its year, and whether it starts with a push button or a turned key
• whether any working key or fob is left
• the VIN, and where the car is parked
• the type of key: plain metal, a chip key, a key with remote buttons, or a smart key

If the key is fine but the remote has stopped working, key fob programming may be all you need. See car key replacement for the service and the Charleston page for garage and storm notes.