Car Key Replacement in Austin, TX

Proving the car is yours

A replacement key starts a car, so proof of ownership is usually asked for before one is cut. Have photo ID and the title or current registration in your name. If the registration is inside the locked car, say so up front. For a leased, company or family car registered to someone else, have a signed authorization from the owner. If the title is lost, your state motor-vehicle agency can issue a replacement or a record showing who owns the car.

Where the car is parked in Austin

Where the car sits shapes the job.

• Permit streets near the university. Around the UT campus, Orange-area permits govern parking on tight neighborhood streets. Give the nearest cross street and the zone color. Resident permits are digital and tied to plates rather than keys, so a new key changes nothing about the permit.
• Downtown garages. Near the Sixth Street Historic District, say which garage the car is in, on which level and in which space, so the person helping can find it.
• A driveway or carport. Say whether the car can be reached from the street and whether it is blocked in.

Have these ready

• the VIN, readable through the windshield on the driver's side or printed on the door jamb
• the year, make and model, and whether it uses a push-button start, a flip key or a plain metal key
• any keys or fobs you still have, since adding a new key can remove ones that are not present
• whether every key is lost or you only need a spare

If the lost ring also held a house key along with anything showing your address, consider having the home's locks rekeyed too. For a fob that only needs pairing, see key fob programming. Everything about the service is on the car key replacement page, and Austin has the city overview.