What does car key replacement in Burbank actually involve?
Most people call us after one of three things happens: the only key is gone, a key snapped or stopped working, or there is a single key left and they want a second one made before that one disappears too. All three are car key replacement, but the work behind each is a little different, so it helps to know which situation you are in when you call.
A modern car key is usually two things in one. It is a metal blade, cut to match the lock and ignition, and it often carries an electronic part that the car has to recognize before the engine will run. Cutting the blade is the mechanical half. Getting the car to accept the new key is the electronic half. We do both at your vehicle, so you are not towing a car anywhere just to get a key made.
We work as a mobile service and as a storefront. Our shop is at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, and our vans reach Burbank, which is about 16 miles from that base. The van carries the cutting and programming equipment, so for most vehicles the whole job happens where the car is parked, whether that is a driveway, a work lot, or a parking structure.
Spare key, duplicate key, or full replacement: which one do you need?
These terms get mixed up, and the difference affects how the job goes and what it involves. Here is how we use them.
If you are standing next to your car with a working key in your hand, the cleanest time to act is right now. Making a spare while you still have an original is usually the more economical route, because there is a working key to copy from and nothing has to be worked out from scratch.
- Duplicate car key: a copy made from a key you still have. The blade is cut to match, and if the key has an electronic part, the copy is programmed to the car.
- Spare car key: the practical goal behind a duplicate. It is a second key kept in a safe place, ready for the day the first one is lost, broken, or locked inside.
- Replacement key after loss: no working key exists. The key has to be created from the car itself, using the vehicle's identification and the lock or ignition, which takes more steps.
- Ignition key replacement: a new key for an ignition that is worn, or a key that no longer turns it smoothly. We look at whether the key or the ignition is the real problem before cutting anything.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366How we handle car key replacement, step by step
The process is the same in broad terms every time, and we will walk you through it on the phone before anyone drives out. Details change with the vehicle, which is why the first call matters.
- You call (213) 577-1366 and a person answers, any hour. Tell us where the car is, its make, model, and year, and whether you have any working key.
- We ask a few questions: Is it a flip key, a push-button start, or a plain metal key? Does the car start with a key turned in the ignition, or with a button? Is there a key fob with buttons?
- We confirm what we can do on site for that vehicle. If it depends on the VIN, we say so and check it rather than guess. If a particular vehicle is a dealer-only case, we tell you plainly before you spend time waiting for us.
- A technician comes to your vehicle with the van's cutting and programming equipment. We ask for proof that you are the owner or authorized driver, such as ID and registration, before making a key for a car.
- We cut the blade to match the lock, using the car itself or an existing key as the reference.
- We program the electronic part to the car so it recognizes the new key, then test it: turning the door lock, starting the engine, and running the remote functions if the key has them.
- Before we leave, we check that every key you have works, and we talk through where to keep the spare.
How much does car key replacement cost in Burbank?
We do not quote a number on a web page, because it would be a guess, and a guess helps nobody. What we can do is explain what moves the cost up or down so that the figure we give you over the phone makes sense.
The biggest factor is the key type. A plain metal key with no electronics is a simple cut. A transponder key needs to be programmed. A key with remote buttons, a flip blade, or a push-button start system has more parts and more steps. The vehicle's make, model, and year decide which of those you have.
The second factor is whether you have a working key. Copying an existing key is less work than creating the first key from nothing for a vehicle that has no key at all. If every key is lost, the job usually takes longer and involves more steps.
The third factor is how many keys you want. If we are already on site with the equipment set up, adding a second spare is usually easier than calling us back another day. Ask us about this when you call.
Time and location play a smaller role. A call in the middle of the night, a car in a hard-to-reach spot, or a vehicle that has to be verified through extra steps can all affect the total. We tell you the price structure before work starts, so there is no surprise at the end. For a straightforward spare made while you still have a key, the lighter-cost option is almost always to do it before you are stranded.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Can every car key be replaced on site?
No, and anyone who says yes to every vehicle over the phone without asking about it is not being straight with you. Most cars can be handled by a mobile locksmith, but not all of them, and the answer depends on the specific vehicle.
Some makes and model years are workable in the field. Others may need a dealer for certain steps, for example when a manufacturer restricts the security programming to its own tools. We do not carry a list in our head that covers every vehicle and year, and we do not want to give you a wrong answer. So when it is not clear, we confirm by VIN or in person before committing.
What we can tell you for certain is how we handle it. If your car is something we can do, we do it at your location. If a part of the job needs a dealer, we say so up front, and we help you figure out what to bring so the dealer visit is as simple as possible. You should never have to pay for a trip that was never going to work.
Two things help us answer faster: the VIN, which is visible at the base of the windshield on the driver side and on the driver's door jamb label, and a photo of the key or fob you have, if any.
Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a car key
There are plenty of ways to find a locksmith online, and a lot of them route your call to a dispatcher who then hands the job to whoever is available. Here is how we are different, without any hype.
We have been in business since 1987. That is a long time to have a shop address in Los Angeles, and it means we have seen how keys and locks have changed from simple cuts to electronics.
We have a storefront and mobile vans. The storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd is a real address where you can walk in, and the vans take the work to you. We serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and Burbank is one of them.
We are one company. The person who answers is part of the same operation as the technician who arrives, with no dispatch middlemen in between. That makes it easier to give you accurate information, because the person on the phone knows what the van carries.
David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work. If something unusual comes up, such as a vehicle that does not fit the usual pattern, it goes through him.
Our phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round, including holidays. Car keys do not get lost on a schedule.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Car key replacement around Burbank: where the calls come from
Burbank is a city where people park in a lot of different places, and each place changes how a key problem plays out. The local patterns we see are tied to how the city is laid out.
Hollywood Burbank Airport is a common one. Travelers park for days, and a key lost on a trip or left in a bag that gets sent somewhere else is a real problem when the car is sitting in a lot. For that, we come to the car, confirm who you are, and make a key there, so you do not have to arrange a tow just to get home. If the key is only misplaced and the car is locked, our car lockout service may be all you need.
Around Downtown Burbank and along the Chandler Bikeway corridor, many residents live in apartment buildings and condos with assigned or garage parking. A lost key there often turns into a call from a parking structure, where we need to check access and park the van safely. If you give us the building name and parking level, it makes the visit smoother.
In the Media District and near the studios, people often have work vehicles or share cars, and keys get passed around. It is common for a second key to go missing in a shared arrangement. A spare cut and programmed ahead of time saves the scramble.
Magnolia Park, with its older bungalows, and the flats of the 91505 and 91506 ZIP codes, tend to have driveway or street parking. That makes on-site work simple: the van pulls up and the technician works beside the car. In the hillside district above Glenoaks Boulevard, the streets are narrower and steeper, so tell us where exactly you are parked.
The Burbank ZIP codes we serve are 91501, 91502, 91504, 91505, and 91506. Give us the ZIP or the nearest cross street when you call, and we will get the right van headed your way. Our mobile locksmith service covers the whole city.
What to have ready, and how to avoid a stranded-car call
A little preparation shortens the job. Here is what we ask for, and what you can do before you ever need us.
- Have the make, model, and year of the car, and the VIN if you can read it.
- Have your ID and proof of ownership or authorization, such as registration or insurance card. We need this before we make a key for any vehicle.
- Tell us exactly where the car is: street, lot, or parking level, and any gate or access code we will need to get in.
- Mention what kind of key the car uses: a plain metal key, a key with a plastic head, a flip key, or a push-button start with a fob.
- Keep any key you still have. Even a worn key is useful for copying and for confirming the key type.
- Do not wait for the last key. Making a spare while one still works is the simplest scenario and the easiest on the budget.
- Store the spare somewhere other than the car and not in the same bag as the first key.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Related key work that is not the same job
Car key replacement sits next to several related services, and sometimes the real problem is one of those. If you lost every key and need a key made from nothing, our page on lost car key replacement covers that path in more detail. If you only need a remote or fob, see key fob replacement. If the car already has a key but needs it programmed, transponder key programming is the page to read.
If the key goes into the ignition but will not turn, or a piece of it has broken off in the lock, the fix may be the ignition or an extraction rather than a new key. In those cases, see ignition repair or broken key extraction. We would rather figure out the real problem with you on the phone than cut a key that will not solve it.
Choosing a locksmith for your car key: ask about the license
California requires locksmith companies to hold a locksmith company license (known as an LCO) issued through the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, or BSIS. You should ask any locksmith you call for that license number, and you are right to be careful about anyone who will not give it. This applies to us as much as anyone else, and you are welcome to ask.
A few other signs separate a straightforward company from a risky one. A real company gives you a business name when it answers the phone, rather than a generic greeting. It asks for ID before making a car key. It explains what affects the price before the work starts. And it tells you honestly when a vehicle may need a dealer. If any of that is missing, keep looking.
Frequently asked questions
Can you make a car key in Burbank if I have lost all my keys?
Often yes, but it depends on the vehicle. A key can usually be created from the car itself, using the VIN and the lock or ignition, and then cut and programmed on site. Some vehicles need extra steps or a dealer. Call (213) 577-1366 with the make, model, year, and VIN, and we will tell you plainly which case yours is.
Do you offer same day car key replacement in Burbank?
We answer the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and we send a mobile van to Burbank from our Westwood base. Whether your specific key can be finished the same day depends on the vehicle and the parts involved, so we confirm that on the first call rather than promise it blindly.
Is a duplicate car key cheaper than a replacement after I lose the key?
Usually, yes. Copying a key you still have is less work than creating a key for a car with no working key. It is typically the more economical route, which is why we suggest making a spare before you are stranded. The exact cost still depends on the key type and the vehicle.
Will the new key work with my car's push-button start?
Many push-button start systems use a fob or smart key that has to be programmed to the car. Whether we can do that on site depends on the make, model, and year. We confirm by VIN or in person before we start, and if the vehicle is dealer-only for that step, we say so.
What do I need to show you before you make a car key?
We ask for ID and proof that you own the vehicle or are authorized to have a key made, such as registration or an insurance card. This protects you as much as it protects us, because it keeps someone else from getting a key to your car.
Can you cut a car key at Hollywood Burbank Airport or in a parking structure?
Often we can work where the car is parked, including lots and garages, as long as we can reach the vehicle safely. Tell us the lot, level, and any access requirements when you call. Some facilities have their own rules, so it helps to know them before we arrive.
Do I need a new ignition if my key is worn out?
Not always. A worn key can make an ignition feel rough even when the ignition is fine, and a new cut key sometimes fixes it. If the ignition itself is worn, a new key will not solve the problem. We check both before cutting anything, and our ignition repair page covers that side.
Does the locksmith have to be licensed to make car keys in California?
California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, and you should ask any locksmith for the number before they start work. A company that will not give it to you is one to avoid.
More locksmith help in Burbank
Car Key Replacement near Burbank
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.