Car keys come in several types: a plain metal key, a key with a chip in its head, a key with a groove milled down the middle of the blade, a key and remote in one piece, a smart key that stays in your pocket, and on some cars a card or a phone. The type decides how a new key gets made. Some keys only need to be cut, some only need to be programmed, and many need both. We make and program keys for almost every vehicle on the road today, including smart keys, transponder keys, key fobs, and car remotes.
Plain metal keys
The oldest type is a single piece of steel with nothing electronic inside. The notches along the edges of the blade, called the bitting, match the pins inside the lock, so only the right key turns it. You find these keys on older cars. A new one only has to be cut to match the locks.
Transponder keys
A transponder key looks like a metal key with a plastic head, and the head holds a small chip. When you turn the key, the car reads a code from that chip, and the engine starts only if the car recognizes the code. That is why a copy that is only cut can open the doors and still fail to start the car. A new transponder key is cut to your locks and then programmed to your car.
Not every key with a plastic head has a chip, so the head alone does not tell you. Our guide to transponder keys explains how the chip and the car's immobilizer work together.
Sidewinder (laser-cut) keys
A sidewinder key has its cuts milled into the blade instead of notched along the edges. Some have a groove that winds down the center of the blade; others have their cuts milled along its edge. Locksmiths also call them laser-cut or high-security keys. Mercedes-Benz introduced the design, and by 2013 Locksmith Ledger, a trade magazine for locksmiths, reported that almost every major car manufacturer except Mitsubishi had adopted it.
Cutting a sidewinder key takes its own kind of key machine, which Locksmith Ledger compares to a stationary router. Most cars on the road today also use a transponder chip, so the new key usually has to be programmed after it is cut.
Remote head keys and flip keys
A remote head key puts the lock and unlock buttons and the key blade in one piece. The blade can stick out of the remote, fold into it and spring out at the press of a button (a flip key, sometimes called a switchblade key), or slide out of the remote altogether. A new remote head key has to be programmed to the car, not just cut.
Many drivers call any key with buttons a key fob, and the names overlap. What matters for a new one is that its buttons, and its chip if it has one, are programmed to your car.
Smart keys (push-to-start)
A smart key, also called a proximity key, never goes into the car. You keep it in a pocket or bag, the car detects it through antennas in its body, and you unlock the doors and start the engine with a button. Siemens developed the system, and Mercedes-Benz introduced it in 1998 as Keyless Go.
We program proximity smart keys for push-to-start vehicles using professional diagnostic and programming tools, and for certain vehicles we can also use factory diagnostic and programming software when required. Before the job is finished, we test every function of the new key, including the remote features, push-to-start, and the full start cycle.
Key cards and phone keys
Some newer cars do without a traditional key. Tesla's Model 3 owner's manual lists three kinds: a phone key that talks to the car over Bluetooth, a key card for unlocking and driving the car when the phone's battery is dead or the phone is lost or stolen, and on some cars a key fob. With us, a Tesla key card starts at $349 and a Tesla smart key fob at $499.
How to tell which key you have
These names get used loosely, and one key can be more than one type: a flip key, for example, is a remote head key, and it can have a transponder chip inside as well. As a rough guide:
| If your key | It is probably |
|---|---|
| Is all metal, with no plastic head | A plain metal key |
| Has a plastic head and no buttons | A metal key that may have a transponder chip in the head |
| Has a groove milled down the middle of the blade | A sidewinder (laser-cut) key |
| Has lock and unlock buttons and a blade | A remote head key, or a flip key if the blade folds away |
| Stays in your pocket while a button starts the car | A smart key |
| Is a card or your phone | A key card or a phone key |
The surest way to know is to call with the year, make, and model. You can also find your make on our brands page.
What a new key costs
The type of key sets the starting price. For most domestic, Japanese, and Korean makes:
| Key | Starting price |
|---|---|
| Regular car key, usually with a transponder chip | Starting at $129 |
| Remote key or key fob | Starting at $159 |
| Smart key (push-to-start) | Starting at $189 |
| Programming a key or fob you already have | Starting at $99 |
Some makes start higher, and our car key replacement cost guide lists every group. We check a photo ID and proof that the car is yours: the registration, insurance card, title, or bill of sale. We confirm the final price on-site before any work begins.
Need a new car key in Atlanta?
Call (470) 668-2196 with the year, make, and model, and tell us whether any key still works. We cut and program the new key where the car is parked and test it before the job is finished. We work Tuesday through Sunday from 7 AM to 7 PM, Wednesday until 5 PM, and we are closed on Mondays.
We cover Atlanta and more than 20 surrounding cities, listed on our service area page. Do not see your city? Call and we will confirm. You can read more on our car key replacement page, our guide to lost car keys with no spare covers what happens when every key is gone, and if the key belongs to a semi truck, our semi truck locksmith guide covers trucks.