Lost All Your Car Keys? Here's What It Actually Costs (and When It's Not an Insurance Job)

I get this call a lot: someone's lost every key to their car, not just the spare, and they're not sure what to do first. Ring the insurer? Ring me? Ring the dealer? Here's the honest answer, from someone who deals with this exact situation across Durham and the North East most weeks.

First: is this even an insurance claim?

Most of the time, no. If your keys have just gone missing, dropped on a walk, left somewhere, fallen out of a coat, that's not something your car insurance is built for. There's no damage and no theft, so your comprehensive policy generally won't touch it. It's a cost you cover yourself, the same as if you lost your house keys.

I'd actually go further than that: I'd think twice before even mentioning it to your insurer. On a lot of policies, "lost keys" gets logged as an incident on file even when nothing's paid out, and that can sit there and affect you at renewal. If nothing's happened to the car itself, there's often nothing to be gained by making the call at all.

When it does become an insurance matter

Stolen keys are a different situation entirely. A break-in, a burglary, keys taken from a bag or coat pocket, that's a genuine theft risk to the car, and it's exactly what your policy is meant to cover.

This is also where a lot of people get caught out on cost. According to MoneySuperMarket, the average cost of replacing a lost manual car key in the UK is around £160, and closer to £320 for a remote key. But if your keys were stolen, your insurer usually won't settle for two new keys and calling it done. Uswitch notes that some insurers won't reinstate full cover after a key theft until a complete lock change has been carried out, on the reasoning that if a copy of the old keys is still out there, the car's still vulnerable. In practice that usually means a full lockset change: new ignition barrel, new door locks, and new keys to match.

That's a significantly bigger job than most people picture when they hear "lost my keys," and it's worth knowing before you're halfway through a claim and surprised by the scope.

Should you get key cover?

Worth checking before you need it, not after. Some comprehensive policies include key cover as standard; on others it's a paid add-on, typically with a claim limit around £1,500 according to MoneySuperMarket's guide. Uswitch and the RAC both cover the ins and outs if you want the full detail. It's a five-minute check with your insurer, and the useful bit most people don't know: claiming on key cover generally doesn't touch your no-claims bonus.

Why "all keys lost" needs more than a key cutter

Whether it's an insurance job or you're paying yourself, there's a separate technical problem sitting underneath all of this. Modern cars don't just need a metal key cut, they need every old key wiped from the immobiliser and new ones properly programmed in. We call it an "all keys lost" job, and it's a different skill set to normal key cutting.

For newer cars specifically, the ones with dealer-level security systems, that job needs a locksmith who's SERMI registered. Read why I became SERMI registered if you want the full story, but the short version is: it's the only legitimate route to the manufacturer security data those cars require. Older vehicles without dealer-level immobiliser security can sometimes be done without it. If you're not sure which camp your car falls into, ask for SERMI anyway. Better than finding out on the driveway that whoever's turned up can't actually do the job.

What I actually do on an all-keys-lost call

Most of these jobs I can sort on-site, at your home, workplace, or wherever the car happens to be, without it needing to go anywhere. I cut and program a full new set there and then, and if an insurer's asked for a full lockset change after a theft, I can do the ignition barrel and door locks as part of the same visit rather than you needing a separate garage booking on top. One visit, one invoice, car back on the road the same day in most cases.

If you want a sense of typical costs before you call anyone, I've broken it down properly in my Car Key Cost North East: 2026 Price Guide.

Recent All Keys Lost Jobs

Here are some recent all keys lost jobs I have completed on site across Durham and the wider North East, without the vehicles needing to be recovered to a dealer.

Lost every key to your car? Call me on 07464 070776 or WhatsApp me, I cover Durham and the wider North East and I'm SERMI registered for exactly this kind of job. No call out fee, no VAT, 12 month warranty on all work.