Key duplication: spare keys, restricted keys, and car fobs

Everyday house key copies

For an ordinary house key, duplication is simple and inexpensive. Hardware stores, dedicated kiosks, and locksmiths can all cut a copy in minutes. The main thing that goes wrong with cheap copies is accuracy: a copy made from a copy, or one cut on a poorly maintained machine, can come out slightly off and stick or fail to turn. If a new copy does not work smoothly, have it recut from your original rather than forcing it, since a bad key can wear or jam the lock over time.

The practical advice is to keep at least one good spare and store it sensibly: with a trusted neighbor or family member, in a quality lockbox, rather than under the obvious doormat or flowerpot that any opportunist checks first. Making a spare while you still have a working original is far cheaper and calmer than being down to your last key. If you find you are constantly copying keys for different people, that is often a sign you would be better served by a keypad lock or a small master-key setup.

Why some keys cannot be copied at a kiosk

Not every key can be duplicated at a hardware store, and that is by design. High-security and restricted keys use patented or controlled keyways, and copies can only be made by authorized dealers, usually requiring proof that you are allowed to request one. If a kiosk refuses your key or it is stamped do not duplicate, that restriction is doing its job: it means no one else can quietly cut a copy of your key either. To get a legitimate duplicate, you go back to the authorized provider with proper authorization.

This is a feature, not a flaw, for anyone who cares about key control. It is common on commercial systems, higher-end residential locks, and master-keyed properties. If you own restricted keys and need more copies, a locksmith who is an authorized dealer for that system can make them properly, and they can also tell you whether your current locks support this kind of control or whether upgrading would give you the key security you are after.

Car keys, transponders, and fobs are a different job

Copying a modern car key is not the same as copying a house key. Most vehicles built in the last two decades use a transponder chip the car must recognize, so a key that is only cut, with no programmed chip, will open the door but never start the engine. Remote-head keys and proximity fobs add remote functions that also must be programmed to your specific vehicle. That is why car keys cost more to duplicate and why a simple kiosk cannot do it; the work is part cutting and part electronic programming.

An automotive locksmith can typically cut and program a spare for a wide range of vehicles, often on site and frequently cheaper than the dealership, though luxury and very new models can cost more and a few systems still require a dealer. The strong recommendation is to make a spare car key while you still have a working one, because programming a brand-new key from scratch when you have lost every key is a bigger, costlier job. Our automotive guide covers what to expect for your specific situation.