Frequently Asked Questions

Standard keys start at $165, transponder (chip) keys start at $245, and remote or smart/high-security keys start at $195. Extra copies are cheaper — from $10 for a standard key, from $65 for a transponder key. Exact price depends on your vehicle's year, make, and model. See our full price list for details.

Fob and remote programming starts at $195. Some vehicles' systems take longer to program than others, which can affect the final price — call with your year, make, and model for a firm quote.

ECU and module programming starts at $250 for Kia/Hyundai and $300 for Toyota, with other makes quoted by phone. This covers immobilizer and module programming work beyond a standard key or fob.

All-keys-lost is one of our most common calls. We work from your vehicle's information — not from an existing key — to cut a brand-new key and program it on-site. Have your year, make, model, and proof of ownership ready when you call.

It varies by vehicle, since some immobilizer systems take longer to program than others. We can typically give you a rough time estimate over the phone once we know your year, make, and model.

A standard key is a plain mechanical cut key with no electronics. A transponder (chip) key has a small chip inside that communicates with your vehicle's immobilizer system and must be programmed to start the car. A smart key (proximity key/fob) lets you unlock and start the car without inserting a key at all, and is generally the most expensive and complex to program.

Yes, in almost all cases. We can cut a new key using your vehicle's lock, its VIN, or its key code, and program it to your car's immobilizer system — the original key isn't required. This is exactly what an all-keys-lost job involves.

Typically your vehicle registration and a photo ID that matches the name on it. If the registration isn't in your name (a family member's car, for example), call ahead and we'll tell you what else works — proof of ownership is a standard, sensible precaution before cutting a key to a vehicle we don't already have a relationship with.

Because a car key is effectively the ability to drive away with someone else's vehicle. Verifying ownership protects you as much as it protects us — it's standard practice for any legitimate automotive locksmith.

We're based in Genoa City, WI, on the Wisconsin–Illinois line, and serve Southeast Wisconsin (Walworth, Kenosha, Racine, Rock, and Milwaukee counties) and Northern Illinois (McHenry and Lake counties, plus the northwest Chicago suburbs). See our service areas page for full coverage.

No separate trip fee is added on top of published prices for standard weekday service within our normal radius. Calls further out or outside normal hours are quoted when you call, factoring in travel.

We typically offer same-day service — call for today's availability. We don't promise a specific number of minutes over the phone because travel time genuinely depends on where you are and what else is on the schedule that day, but we'll give you an honest estimate when you call.

We offer emergency service — call anytime. Our published $95 lockout price applies specifically to weekday, business-hours calls within a 15-mile radius; other times and distances are quoted when you call.

Payment is collected on-site once the work is complete. Call to confirm accepted payment methods for your specific job.

In most cases, yes — our published prices are typically well below general dealership pricing for the same key, fob, or programming job, and you avoid the cost and hassle of a tow. See our locksmith-vs-dealership comparison for a full breakdown.

Some brand-new models and certain warranty situations are genuinely better handled by the dealer, since a small number of very new key/immobilizer systems aren't yet supported by independent locksmith equipment. If that applies to your vehicle, we'll tell you honestly when you call rather than take the job anyway.

Not necessarily. Some vehicles need their key or fob re-synced to the immobilizer system after a battery replacement or disconnect, which is a programming job, not a new key. Call with your year, make, and model and we can tell you what's likely going on.

Often, yes. If an ECU, immobilizer module, or ignition switch has been replaced or repaired, the key or fob usually needs to be reprogrammed (or a new one cut and programmed) to work with the new hardware. This is standard ECU/module programming work for us.

Yes. We provide on-lot key origination for trade-ins and auction vehicles, fob and module programming, and sublet overflow key work for dealership service departments across Southeast Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, priced as a volume account. See our dealerships page.

We regularly work on GM (Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, Cadillac), Ford/Lincoln, Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus, Nissan/Infiniti, and Kia/Hyundai, plus additional makes on request. Call with your vehicle and we'll confirm.