Get a Spare Car Key in Auburn While You Still Have One

Get the spare made now, while one key still starts the car. Copying a working key is the quick, cheap job. Replacing the last key is the slow, costly one.

Straight Answer

Two working keys let many owners add a third at home.
Down to one key? A locksmith can copy it at the car.
No keys left means a new key made from the car itself.
Kelley Blue Book puts a chip key at $125 to $250, as of July 2025.
A plain metal key with no chip runs $5 to $15.
Get the metal blade inside the fob cut too.

Most people call us about a car key on a bad day. The key is gone, and the car will not start without it. A spare made on a calm afternoon skips that day. It also costs less, because a working key gives us something to copy.

Why One Key Is a Bigger Risk in Auburn

Auburn runs on one car per home more often than the rest of the state. The Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 survey counts 30,174 households in Auburn. Of those, 11,168 have exactly one vehicle. That is 37.0 percent, against 31.6 percent statewide, per this Census vehicles table. In Opelika it is 32.2 percent.

In those homes, one lost key can park the only ride. That can mean a missed shift, a missed class or a tow bill.

Built from Census Reporter's Table B08201, ACS 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates. No vehicle is 4.1 percent in Auburn, 8.4 in Opelika and 5.4 statewide.

Cars also stay on the road longer now. S&P Global Mobility put the average U.S. light vehicle at 12.8 years old in its May 2025 report. Passenger cars averaged 14.5 years. An old key gets carried, dropped and sat on for a long time. A worn blade or a cracked shell can quit with little warning.

Copying a Key Beats Replacing the Last One

A working key gives us a pattern to copy. It is also a key the car already trusts. KeyMe's guide makes the same point. A key you still have shows the shape and the functions. With every key gone, it says the job can need vehicle details, proof of ownership and electronic programming.

Kelley Blue Book makes the point from the other side. It says a locksmith will likely need a second working fob to program some keys. So the count of working keys decides the job.

Working Keys You Hold	What Usually Happens	Where
Two or more	Many cars let you program a third key from the owner's manual	In your driveway, once the new key is cut
One	A locksmith or dealer copies it and programs the new key	At the car, or at the dealer
None	A new key is cut and coded from the car itself	At the car, or towed to the dealer

Two keys is the line to stay above. Drop to one, and the cheap home method is gone. Drop to zero, and the car is stuck where it sits.

What a Spare Car Key Costs

Price follows the key, not the car's sticker. Kelley Blue Book's July 2025 report gives these totals for parts and programming.

Key Type	How to Spot It	KBB Total
Basic metal key	No buttons and no chip, mostly older cars	$5 to $15
Transponder key	A plastic head with a chip inside	$125 to $250
Switchblade fob	The blade folds into the remote	$150 to $300
Smart key	Push to start, stays in your pocket	$200 to $400

Consumer Reports priced a full spare setup in 2019. It used a 2017 Hyundai Ioniq. An aftermarket fob, dealer programming and a cut backup key came to $272.42. The all dealer route came to $428.92. The laser cut backup key alone was $72.47 at the dealer. That is from its fob replacement report.

We do not post prices here, because the year, make and model set the price. Call with those three and we quote on the phone before a technician rolls. As our key page puts it, a spare made today costs a fraction of a lockout call at night.

Can You Program a Spare Yourself?

Sometimes, if you already hold two working keys. Ford says owners with two programmed keys can program a new one from the owner's manual. Without two, Ford sends you to a dealer.

Ford's steps for its keyhead key run like this, in short.

Insert the first working key. Turn the ignition on for 3 to 10 seconds, then off. Remove it.
Within 10 seconds, do the same with the second working key.
Within 20 seconds, insert the new key. Turn the ignition on for at least 6 seconds.
Test it. The new key should start the engine and work the remote.

Check your own manual first, since steps change by model and year. Ford says to wait 10 seconds and try again if it fails. If it still fails, it says to see a dealer.

Consumer Reports found the same two key rule on many cars. It says Chrysler owners with two working fobs can add one with the manual. It says Chevrolet's steps also skip the dealer, with the car present.

The new key still has to be cut first. Car Keys Express sells a do it yourself key through stores. It says the key is cut on a standard cutter, then paired through the car's diagnostics port. Its page does not say what happens with no working key. Ask before you buy one.

A remote head car key and a new key blank clamped side by side in a key cutting machine — The working key on top guides the cutter for the new blade below. Photo by Christian Heimig, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.

Do Not Forget the Blade Inside the Fob

Most smart keys hide a metal blade inside the case. It opens the door when the fob battery dies. A new fob often comes with that blade uncut.

Consumer Reports describes a $14.30 Chrysler fob bought online with an uncut key. The owner never paid to have it cut. That spare can start the car. It cannot open a locked door with a dead battery.

A Ford smart key taken apart, showing the slide out metal emergency blade, the case and a CR2450 coin battery — A Ford smart key with its emergency blade pulled out. Photo by Benbur121, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Not sure your fob has one? Look for a small release button or slide on the case. Ask for the blade to be cut on the same visit as the chip.

Where to Get a Spare Made Around Auburn

Option	Works For	You Bring	Watch For
Hardware store or kiosk	Metal keys, and some chip keys	The working key	A cut key that is not programmed will not start the car
Do it yourself	Cars that allow owner programming	Two working keys and a cut new key	Most steps need two working keys
Licensed locksmith	Most chip keys and fobs	One working key, ID and registration	Check the state license and badge
Dealer	Keys for its own brand	ID and papers with the VIN, in person	Prices vary by dealer

Ford lists what its dealers want to see. That means a photo ID, plus papers with the VIN and your name. The registration, title or insurance card all work. Bring the same papers to anyone who makes you a car key.

Hiring a locksmith? The Alabama board tells people to ask about a current license on the phone. It also says to ask for the board's ID badge when the locksmith arrives. Our key replacement page covers the chip keys and fobs we stock.

Before You Pay for a Spare

Count your working keys. Two or more? Check the manual for home programming.
Know the key type. Metal, chip, flip or push to start.
Have the year, make, model and VIN ready. The VIN is on your registration.
Ask if the price covers the cut, the chip and the blade.
Test the spare before anyone leaves. Lock, unlock, then start the car.
Keep the spare out of the car. A key in the glove box helps a thief, not you.
Save a licensed locksmith's number in your phone. The Alabama board says the same.

What to Ask Next

How much does a spare car key cost?

It depends on the key. Kelley Blue Book puts a metal key at $5 to $15 and a chip key at $125 to $250, as of July 2025. Smart keys run $200 to $400.

Can a locksmith make a spare key from my one key?

Usually, yes. We copy and program chip keys and fobs at the car for most domestic and import vehicles. Bring the working key, your ID and the registration.

Can I program a spare car key myself?

On many cars, yes, if you already have two working keys. Ford and Chrysler both allow it with the owner's manual. With one key, you need a locksmith or a dealer.

Is a spare cheaper than replacing a lost key?

Usually. With a working key, the job is a copy. With no key, the new key has to be made from the car. That takes more work and proof you own it.

Should I keep a spare key in my car?

No. A spare in the car goes wherever a thief takes the car. Keep it at home or with someone you trust.

What if I already lost my only key?

We can still make one from the car, with no original. Our post on locksmith vs dealer for a lost key covers that choice.

Need a Spare Key Made?

Call (334) 655-1300. Tell us the year, make and model, and how many keys still work. You get the price before a technician rolls. We make keys at your location in Auburn, Opelika and across east Alabama. We are open 6am to 9pm daily, with 24-hour emergency service.