Auto locksmith

What the job covers

• Opening a car with the keys locked inside, without damage to the door or paintwork
• Cutting and programming a new key when every key to the car has been lost
• Taking out a key that has snapped in a door lock or the ignition
• Repairing or replacing a worn ignition barrel or a sticking door lock
• Programming a spare key or remote fob to the car's immobiliser

An auto locksmith works on vehicle locks and keys: opening cars, vans and motorbikes when the keys are locked in or lost, cutting and programming replacement keys, taking out snapped keys, and repairing door locks and ignition barrels. Most work from a van fitted out as a mobile workshop, with key blanks, a cutting machine and diagnostic programmers, so the job is done at the roadside, on a drive or in a car park.

Opening a locked car is done with specialist tools, and leaving no mark on the door, seal or paintwork is the aim. Breaking a window is not how a careful auto locksmith works. If a child or an animal is shut inside, call 999 first.

Keys are the bigger part of the work. Most cars built since the late 1990s have a transponder chip in the key that the immobiliser must recognise, so a new key has to be cut to the locks and then programmed to the car, usually through the diagnostic (OBD) port. Remote fobs and keyless proximity keys add a further step. When every key has been lost, the old keys should be deleted from the car's memory so a found or stolen key can no longer start it.

Since 1 April 2026, UK SERMI has controlled access to manufacturer key and immobiliser data for some makes, starting with Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Nissan and Toyota. The Crime and Policing Act 2026 also made it an offence to possess or supply electronic devices for vehicle theft. Both are reasons a careful auto locksmith asks for the V5C logbook and photo ID before opening a car or making a key, and checks that the names match.

Ask for the total before anyone sets off: the opening or the key, programming, any call-out charge, VAT, and whether a night or weekend rate applies. Give the make, model, year and registration so the auto locksmith can say whether they can cut and programme that key, and whether it needs manufacturer data through UK SERMI. Have the V5C logbook and photo ID ready; a careful auto locksmith asks to see both before opening a car or making a key, and turns the job down if neither can be produced. Ask whether lost keys will be deleted from the immobiliser, and what guarantee comes with a new key.

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