4Keys Locksmith
NASTF VSP · ALOA · 24/7 Dispatch

I lost the only key to my car. There is no spare.

The trade calls this all keys lost, and it is not a copy. With no key to read, there is nothing to clone: the immobilizer has to be taught a credential it has never seen, the blade has to be cut from the factory code instead of traced from an original, and every key programmed before today should be erased. Here is what that involves, what we need from you, and what to check before you pay anyone.

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Mobile locksmith cutting and programming a new car key at the vehicle after all keys were lost

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All keys lost (AKL) is the trade term for exactly what happened to you

It means no working key to the vehicle exists anywhere: not a spare, not a valet key, not a worn one that still turns. The distinction is not paperwork, it decides the method. With one working key the job is a duplication, done by reading the key you already hold. With zero keys, the vehicle security system has to be brought to accept a credential it has never seen, which is a different procedure, a different authorization and a different price.

Book the replacement serviceStill have one key that works? Start here
Check this first

Before you pay anyone, check these five things

Every one of these costs us a dispatch when it works out. Check them anyway.

  1. 1

    Find out whether a second key exists before you call it lost

    A second key is often in the folder from the purchase, in a partner's bag, on a keyring at work, or still with the person who sold you the car. If any key still starts the engine, this is a duplication job and not an all-keys-lost job, and it costs a fraction of one. Ten minutes of looking is worth the call.

  2. 2

    Look for the key code tag from the original sale

    New vehicles ship with a small metal or plastic tag carrying the factory key code, usually handed over in the sale folder rather than attached to the key. It will not start the car, but it lets a blade be cut by code with no decoding work at all. If you find it, keep it somewhere that is not the vehicle.

  3. 3

    Ask whether something you already pay for covers this

    Key replacement is a listed benefit on some auto insurance policies, on some roadside assistance plans, and on manufacturer programs during the warranty period. Check before paying out of pocket, because reimbursement usually depends on the invoice itemising the work a particular way, which is easier to arrange before the job than after it.

  4. 4

    If the vehicle is leased, rented or company-owned, call the titleholder first

    A lease or rental company usually holds a second key, and always holds the title. They may also require their own written authorization before anyone cuts a key for that VIN. That authorization is a document we have to ask you for anyway, so starting there saves a trip.

  5. 5

    Write the VIN down before you call anybody

    The 17-character VIN is on the driver side dash at the base of the windshield, on the sticker in the driver door jamb, and on your registration and insurance card. The VIN is what replaces the missing key: it is the input for the key code and for the security data, and without it nobody can quote you honestly.

Clone vs program

Why this costs a multiple of the copy you made last year

A copy and a new key are not the same operation. Duplication reads the transponder chip inside a key that already works and writes that same identity onto a new chip. The immobilizer is never touched, never told anything and never asked to change its mind: it keeps looking for the identity it already knows, and now finds it in two places.

All keys lost is the opposite operation. There is no transponder to read, so nothing can be cloned. The immobilizer has to be brought to accept an identity it has never seen, and a system whose entire purpose is to refuse that does not do it on request. It takes the vehicle's own security data, which on most makes is held by the manufacturer and released against the VIN through an authorized channel rather than read off the car in a parking lot.

The blade changes too. A copy is cut by tracing or decoding a key that exists. With no key, the blade is cut from the factory key code retrieved for that VIN, or decoded from a lock on the vehicle, which on some platforms means removing a door lock or the ignition lock cylinder to read it. Worth separating two parts that get used as synonyms: the ignition lock cylinder is the mechanical plug the blade turns, and the ignition switch is the electrical component behind it. Decoding the cylinder is not a repair of the switch, and replacing the switch does not give you a key.

One more thing that is true and that almost nobody says out loud: there is no diagnostic trouble code that means "the key is lost". A scan tool will not report one, because losing a key is not a fault in the car. Some platforms do log that fewer than the minimum number of keys are currently programmed, which is a different statement about a healthy system. If someone quotes you a fault code for a lost key, ask which module set it.

The published figures follow the same split. A copy made from a key that still works runs $100 to $250. Programming from zero keys runs $200 to $1,000 across the vehicles we cover, and $400 to $900 on luxury European makes. The spread inside those ranges is the vehicle, not the mood of the technician: the make, the model and the year decide which method the platform allows.

If it turns out a working key does exist, the cheaper route is car key duplication, and we will tell you so on the phone rather than after we arrive.

The ignition on-off procedure you found on YouTube needs two working keys

Most of the owner-level key programming procedures published for domestic and Asian makes are on-board procedures: they add a key while two already-programmed keys are present, and those two existing keys are what authorizes the third. With zero keys there is nothing to authorize with, so the procedure never starts. That is not a gap in the video, it is the point of the system. Every route that works from zero keys goes through the vehicle security data instead, which is why it needs an authorized professional and why it is not a driveway job.

How key programming worksWhat NASTF VSP authorization is
What the job actually is

Six things that make an all-keys-lost job different from a key cut

The vocabulary below is the job, not marketing. If a quote does not account for these, it is a quote for something else.

Security data released against the VIN

On most makes the PIN or security code needed to add a key is held by the manufacturer, not stored on the car in a form anyone can read. It is requested by VIN through the NASTF Secure Data Release Model, and the request is logged against that VIN and against the requesting Vehicle Security Professional's own NASTF identity. That log is why the process is traceable, and why it is not available anonymously to whoever answers a classified ad.

A blade cut by code, not traced from a pattern

With no original to trace, the blade is cut from the factory key code for that VIN or decoded from a lock on the vehicle. High-security laser-cut blades, also called sidewinder, and standard edge-cut blades need different machines. The blade profile is specific to the make: HON66 on Honda, TOY48 on Toyota and Lexus, HU66 on Volkswagen and Audi, HU64 on Mercedes-Benz, HU92 on BMW, NSN14 on Nissan. We confirm the exact profile against your VIN, never against the model name.

A programming path the platform dictates

Where the platform allows it, the new key is learned through the OBD-II connector, the 16-pin socket standardised as SAE J1962, using an SAE J2534 pass-thru interface or an equivalent tool. Where the platform refuses from zero keys, the data has to be read from the module itself, which means removing it and reading it on the bench. Which path applies is a property of your vehicle, not a choice we make, and it is the single biggest driver of how long the job takes.

Every previously programmed key erased

On an all-keys-lost job the keys programmed before today should be erased from the immobilizer, not left in place. If they are not, a key that was stolen, or is sitting in a previous owner's drawer, still starts your car. On some platforms the erase happens automatically when the system is relearned; on others it is a deliberate separate step. Ask which one applied to your vehicle, and ask for it either way.

Push-to-start changes the whole job

A proximity smart key, the industry calls the system PEPS, is not a blade in a cylinder. There may be no mechanical ignition to decode at all, the door usually opens with an emergency blade hidden inside the fob and a keyhole hidden under a cap on the handle, and the credential is paired to a different module. Tell the dispatcher whether your car starts with a button before anything else, because it changes the parts that go on the van.

Work vans and trucks are included

We make keys for commercial vans and trucks with no key present, not only passenger cars. One detail that derails parts ordering every time: the same van was sold in the United States badged both as a Freightliner Sprinter and as a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. The badge on the grille does not tell anyone which key and immobilizer system is inside. The VIN does, so give us the VIN and not the badge.
How it is done

How a key is made when there is no key

Six steps. Two of them are yours, and the job does not start without them.

  1. 1

    You give us the VIN and we confirm what the platform allows

    Year, make, model, the 17-character VIN, and whether the vehicle starts with a button or a turned key. We check what that specific vehicle accepts from zero keys before quoting, because the method decides both the price and the time.

  2. 2

    You prove the vehicle is yours

    Title, current registration, or insurance in your name, plus a photo ID that matches it. We check this before any work starts, on every all-keys-lost job, with no exceptions and no "we will sort it after".

  3. 3

    We open the vehicle without damage

    Non-destructive entry so the cabin and the OBD-II connector are reachable. On a push-to-start vehicle the door may open with the emergency blade once that blade is cut, using the keyhole under the cap on the handle.

  4. 4

    The blade is cut by code

    Cut from the factory key code for your VIN, or from a lock decoded on the vehicle, on the blade profile that VIN calls for. Cut on site, in the van, not ordered and waited for.

  5. 5

    Security data is requested and the key is learned

    The vehicle security data is requested against the VIN through the authorized channel, then the new key is learned to the immobilizer by the path that platform allows. Some platforms impose their own timed security wait before they will accept a new credential, and no tool shortens it. We tell you on the phone if yours is one of them.

  6. 6

    Previous keys are erased and the result is verified

    Keys programmed before today are erased so they no longer start the vehicle. We then test start, lock, unlock, panic and, where fitted, remote start, and leave the paperwork with you so the job is documented against the VIN.

Proof of ownership

What we have to see before we cut anything

A locksmith who will make a key from scratch without asking for any of this is the warning sign, not the bargain. Making a working key for a car is making a working key for a car, whoever is standing next to it.

The title, or the current registration

Either one, in the name of the person standing with the vehicle. A clear photo of the document is fine when the original is locked inside the car, which is where it usually is.

Or insurance in the caller's name

Accepted in place of the title or the registration when neither is reachable, because it ties the same person to the same VIN through a third party.

Photo ID that matches the document

A government-issued photo ID in the same name as the ownership document. The two have to agree. When they do not, we stop and explain exactly why rather than inventing a reason.

Written authorization for leased, rented or company vehicles

If the vehicle is leased, rented, or titled to a company, we need written authorization from the titleholder. Fleet and rental managers usually have a standing form for this, so it is one email rather than a problem.

What to have in front of you when you call

Six things, and the quote stops being a guess: the 17-character VIN, the year, the make and the model, whether the car starts with a button or a turned key, where the vehicle is actually parked, and the ownership document with your ID. The VIN is the one that matters most, because it is what replaces the missing key. If you have the key code tag from the original sale, mention it, because it removes a whole step.

See published pricesPick your dispatch area
Dealer route

Do I have to tow it to the dealer?

No, and the tow is the part nobody prices in. A dealership works on vehicles at the dealership, so a car that cannot be started has to arrive on a flatbed, and it leaves the same way if the key is not finished that day.

The dealer route is a sequence of queues: the vehicle is towed in, a key is ordered against the VIN because the correct blank and blade profile are rarely on the shelf, the parts department waits for it, and the service department programs it when a bay and a technician are free. The proof of ownership you would show us is required there too. None of that is the dealer being difficult, it is what happens when the car has to come to the tools.

A mobile all-keys-lost job removes the transport and the parts queue by bringing the blanks, the cutting machine and the programming tools to the vehicle. It does not remove the two things that belong to the car rather than to the provider: the authorization step, and any timed security wait the platform imposes. Anyone who tells you those two disappear is selling you something other than a legitimate key.

We put the two routes side by side in locksmith vs dealer for car keys, including what each one does with the car itself.

Real vehicles

Vehicles we have made keys for with no key present

Taken from our own service records, with the year spans we actually worked on. Ordered by make, not by how often we see them.

ModelYearsKey TypeWhat We Do
Acura TL2004 - 2009Blade transponder keyAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
BMW 535i2010 - 2017Proximity smart key on most trimsAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
BMW M42016 - 2023Proximity smart key on most trimsAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Chevrolet Cruze2014 - 2015Blade transponder keyAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Chevrolet Equinox2010Blade transponder keyAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Chevrolet Malibu1999 - 2017Blade transponder or proximity smart key, by trimAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Chevrolet Silverado2015 - 2023Blade transponder or proximity smart key, by trimAll keys lost on a work vehicle: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Ford Explorer2009 - 2020Blade transponder or proximity smart key, by trimAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Ford F-1502012 - 2020Blade transponder or proximity smart key, by trimAll keys lost on a work vehicle: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Ford Fusion2007 - 2015Blade transponder or proximity smart key, by trimAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Ford Ranger2021 - 2023Proximity smart key on most trimsAll keys lost on a work vehicle: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Freightliner / Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 25002016Blade transponder key, badge does not decide the systemAll keys lost on a work vehicle: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Honda Accord1998 - 2019Blade transponder or proximity smart key, by trimAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Honda Civic2010 - 2022Blade transponder or proximity smart key, by trimAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Honda CR-V2003 - 2014Blade transponder keyAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Hyundai Sonata2008 - 2017Blade transponder or proximity smart key, by trimAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Land Rover Discovery2008 - 2025Proximity smart key on most trimsAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Land Rover LR32008Blade transponder keyAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Lexus RX3502013 - 2024Proximity smart key on most trimsAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Mercedes-Benz C-Class, including C3001999 - 2023Blade transponder or proximity smart key, by trimAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Mercedes-Benz E3502014 - 2021Proximity smart key on most trimsAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Nissan Altima2014 - 2021Blade transponder or proximity smart key, by trimAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Nissan Rogue2011 - 2023Blade transponder or proximity smart key, by trimAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Nissan Sentra2010 - 2025Blade transponder or proximity smart key, by trimAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
RAM 25002012 - 2025Blade transponder or proximity smart key, by trimAll keys lost on a work vehicle: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Toyota 4Runner2001 - 2022Blade transponder or proximity smart key, by trimAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Toyota Camry2008 - 2020Blade transponder or proximity smart key, by trimAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Toyota Corolla1999 - 2018Blade transponder or proximity smart key, by trimAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Toyota RAV42009 - 2016Blade transponder or proximity smart key, by trimAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Toyota Tacoma2015Blade transponder keyAll keys lost on a work vehicle: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Volkswagen Atlas2024 - 2025Proximity smart key on most trimsAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased
Volkswagen Jetta2007 - 2020Blade transponder or proximity smart key, by trimAll keys lost: key code by VIN, blade cut by code, key learned to the immobilizer, previous keys erased

Key type varies by trim and by build date inside the same model year, so we confirm the exact key, the blade profile and the programming path against your VIN before quoting. The years shown are vehicles we have worked on, not a limit on what we cover. Gasoline and diesel vehicles only.

What it costs

All-keys-lost pricing, next to the copy it is not

The duplication line is in this table on purpose. It is the comparison that explains every row below it.

ServiceDay RateNight / Weekend
Car key duplication (transponder or fob)Copy made from a key that still works$100 - $250+$120 night
Car key programming (domestic transponder)Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chevy, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia$150 - $250+$50 night
Smart proximity key programmingPush-to-start fobs on domestic and Asian makes$250 - $500+$50 night
Car key programming (luxury European)Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Range Rover, Porsche, when a working key still exists$250 - $450+$50 night
Luxury European, all keys lostNo working key exists. OEM data licensed through NASTF VSP$400 - $900+$50 night
All-keys-lost programmingFull new system pairing. The spread is the make: a Toyota key and a Ferrari key are not the same job$200 - $1,000Varies by vehicle

*Prices shown are reference only. Final cost varies based on the complexity of the service, the specific hardware involved, the vehicle make, model and year, and the time of service. We provide an exact phone quote before our technician is dispatched. Automotive prices depend on the make, the model and the year of the vehicle. A key for a Toyota and a key for a Ferrari are not the same job, and the ranges above reflect that spread. The dispatcher confirms the exact total on the phone before a technician is sent.

Every automotive job has its own page

If your situation is not this one, start from the page that matches it. Each one carries the process, the published range and what the van brings.

Car Lockout

Mobile car lockout 15-30 min, no damage

See service

Lost Car Key Replacement

Mobile cut and OEM programming on-site

See service

Car Key Programming

Transponder, smart key, proximity fob pairing

See service

Smart Key & Key Fob

Push-to-start, proximity fobs, 2014+ vehicles

See service

Ignition Repair

Cylinder replacement, Mercedes ESL, BMW EWS

See service

Broken Key Extraction

Snapped key removal without drilling

See service

Car Key Duplication

Spare keys, copies, transponder cloning

See service

Trunk Lockout

Mobile trunk opening 15-30 min

See service

ECU & Module Programming

ECU, BCM, PCM, TCM flashing and coding

See service

Luxury Key Programming

Mercedes, BMW, Range Rover, Audi, Porsche, Bentley

See service

FAQ - All Keys Lost: the questions people actually ask

Got questions? We have answers. If you don't see your question below, call us anytime - we're available 24/7.

Yes. An all-keys-lost key can be made at the vehicle, wherever it is parked, because the blanks, the cutting machine and the programming tools travel in the van. What cannot be skipped is the authorization step, where the vehicle security data is requested against your VIN, and any timed security wait the platform imposes before it accepts a new key. Those belong to the car, not to whoever is doing the work.
Open the door without damage, cut a blade from the factory key code for your VIN or from a lock decoded on the vehicle, request the security data for that VIN through the authorized channel, teach the immobilizer the new key through the OBD-II connector or, where the platform refuses that, by reading the module on the bench, and then erase every key programmed before today. Nothing is drilled and nothing is bypassed.
Because a copy and a new key are different operations. A copy reads the transponder in a key that already works and writes the same identity onto a new chip, so the immobilizer never has to be told anything. With every key gone there is nothing to read, so the immobilizer has to be made to accept an identity it has never seen, which takes the manufacturer's security data for your VIN, a blade cut from the factory code rather than traced, and an erase of the old keys. Three steps that a copy skips entirely.
Because those published on-board procedures add a key while two already-programmed keys are present, and the two existing keys are what authorizes the third. With zero keys there is nothing to authorize with, so the procedure never begins. It is not a trick that stops working, it is the system doing its job.
It is normal, and it is the single easiest way to tell a legitimate operator from one you should not let near your car. Making a key from scratch means making a working key for a vehicle, so we ask for the title, the current registration, or insurance in your name, plus a photo ID in the same name. A locksmith who will do an all-keys-lost job without asking for any of that is not doing you a favour.
Not if the job is done properly. On an all-keys-lost job the previously programmed keys are erased from the immobilizer, so anything still in circulation stops starting the vehicle. On some platforms that erase happens automatically when the system is relearned, and on others it is a separate deliberate step. Ask which one applied to your car, because a new key that leaves the old ones working is only half the job.
The 17-character VIN, the year, the make, the model, whether the car starts with a button or a turned key, where the vehicle is parked, and the ownership document with your photo ID. The VIN matters most because it is what replaces the missing key: it is the input for both the key code and the security data. You will find it on the driver side dash at the base of the windshield, on the driver door jamb sticker, and on your registration and insurance card.
Yes, and it is the first thing to tell the dispatcher. A proximity smart key system, PEPS in the trade, may have no mechanical ignition to decode at all, and the credential pairs to a different module. There is almost always a keyhole, but it is hidden under a cap on the driver door handle and it is opened with the emergency blade stored inside the fob, which we have to cut first. Different parts, different path, different quote.
Yes, and it is a common all-keys-lost case. We need the same proof that the vehicle is yours: the title or the bill of sale and registration in your name, with a matching photo ID. If the vehicle is still titled to the auction house or to a company, we need written authorization from whoever holds the title before we cut anything.
Yes. We make keys with no key present for commercial vans and trucks, not only passenger cars. One warning that saves a wasted trip on this exact vehicle: the same van was sold in the United States badged both as a Freightliner Sprinter and as a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, and the badge on the grille does not tell anyone which key and immobilizer system is inside. Give us the VIN rather than the badge and the right parts arrive the first time.
It depends on which programming path your platform allows, and that is knowable from the VIN before anyone is dispatched. Where the key can be learned through the OBD-II connector it is a short job. Where the platform refuses from zero keys and the module has to be read on the bench, it is a longer one. Separately, some platforms impose a timed security wait before they accept a new key, and no tool shortens that. We tell you which case yours is on the phone rather than on your driveway.
The blade can be cut from the key code for your VIN away from the car, but the key still has to be learned to your immobilizer, and that happens at the vehicle. So the trip ends at the car either way. It also ends with you there, because the proof of ownership is checked in person against a photo ID before the programming starts.

Read next

The price table, the authorization chain, and the dealer comparison, each in full.

Automotive Locksmith Prices

Every published automotive rate, day and night, in one table with what moves each number.

Read guide

What Is NASTF VSP?

The authorization chain that releases manufacturer security data against a VIN, and how to verify it.

Read guide

Locksmith vs Dealer for Car Keys

The two routes side by side: what the dealer does with the car, and what a mobile job does instead.

Read guide
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24/7 Live Dispatch

No key, no spare. Start with the VIN.

Give us the VIN, the year, the make, the model and whether it is push-to-start, and we tell you which method your vehicle allows and what it costs before anyone is dispatched.

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