How long does car key programming take?

Most vehicles are done in 30 to 60 minutes at the roadside. Cars with rolling-code immobilisers or a manufacturer security delay can take longer, and we tell you the expected wait before we start.

Do I need my original key for a fob to be programmed?

No. A spare is quicker and cheaper to add, but if every key is gone we read the vehicle's data or decode a lock, then cut and code a brand-new key from scratch.

Will programming a new key wipe my existing keys?

On some makes all keys must be re-coded together, which erases any key not present. Bring every working key with you and we keep them all live.

Car Key Programming & Reprogramming — Mobile Service Across Somerset & Wiltshire

New keys, spare fobs and immobiliser coding carried out at your vehicle, seven days a week.

Call 01373 481730

DBS Checked

Fully Insured

Local Mobile Unit

15 Min Call Response

On-Site Within the Hour

Every car built since the late 1990s carries an immobiliser: a chip in the key talks to the vehicle's ECU, and the engine only starts when the two agree. Cutting a blade is the easy half — programming is the part that pairs the new key or fob to your specific car so the immobiliser recognises it.

We do that on your driveway, in a car park or at the roadside using dealer-level diagnostic equipment, so there is no recovery truck and no waiting on a main dealer slot.

When you need car key programming

Programming is required any time a key is added, replaced or has stopped talking to the car.

Lost key replacement — every key gone and a fresh one coded from scratch
Adding a spare so you are never down to a single working key
A fob that unlocks but will not start the car, or has lost its code after a battery change
A used car bought with missing keys, or keys you cannot account for and want deleted
Immobiliser or ECU faults where the car no longer recognises a good key

What happens on the visit

We identify the vehicle and key type, cut the blade where one is needed, then connect to the diagnostic port to write the new key into the immobiliser. Where the manufacturer requires it, we delete keys you no longer hold so an old set cannot start the car. Before we leave, every key is tested on lock, unlock and ignition.

Related work we handle at the same visit

Programming often sits alongside other jobs — a snapped blade that needs extracting, a lock that needs decoding, or a brand-new key that needs cutting first. All of it is done from the van in one visit rather than across separate appointments.

Common questions

How long does car key programming take?: Most vehicles are done in 30 to 60 minutes at the roadside. Cars with rolling-code immobilisers or a manufacturer security delay can take longer, and we tell you the expected wait before we start.
Do I need my original key for a fob to be programmed?: No. A spare is quicker and cheaper to add, but if every key is gone we read the vehicle's data or decode a lock, then cut and code a brand-new key from scratch.
Will programming a new key wipe my existing keys?: On some makes all keys must be re-coded together, which erases any key not present. Bring every working key with you and we keep them all live.

Where we regularly carry this out

See every area we cover across Somerset, Wiltshire and Dorset, or browse all our locksmith services.

Need a key programmed today?

Free quote before we arrive — tell us the vehicle and we will confirm what is involved.

Book a call-out

Pay However Suits You — On-Site, No Hassle

Standard Payments

All major cards and contactless accepted on-site via mobile card reader.