What an Auto Locksmith Actually Does
An auto locksmith cuts and programs car keys, opens locked vehicles by non destructive entry, extracts broken keys, and repairs the locks, ignition and immobiliser faults that stop a car from being opened or started.
Inta-Lock Car Key Guides. Updated October 2026.
The trade covers three parts of a vehicle, the key, the lock and the immobiliser that reads the key. A problem in one of the three leaves a car shut, or open and unable to start. Each problem has its own job, and the jobs are set against the problems in one table below.
The work is mobile, so it is carried out where the vehicle stands. Identity and authority to request the work are checked before a key is made or a door is opened, and the credentials a customer can ask to see are listed with what each one covers.
What Does an Auto Locksmith Do?
An auto locksmith makes, repairs and programs the keys of cars and vans, opens locked vehicles without damage, and repairs the locks and ignition that those keys operate.
A modern car key does two jobs. The blade turns the door lock and the ignition lock. A transponder chip inside the key head is read by the immobiliser, and the engine starts only when the immobiliser recognises that chip.
The work of the trade follows those two jobs. Cutting shapes a blade to fit the locks of one vehicle. Programming pairs the chip, the remote buttons or a keyless fob with the electronics of that vehicle. Lock work covers the door locks, the boot lock and the ignition barrel.
Entry work is the third strand. A locked vehicle is opened through its own lock, so the glass, the door and the seals stay as they were.
Which Jobs Does an Auto Locksmith Carry Out?
Eight problems bring a driver to an auto locksmith, and each one maps to a job on the key, the lock or the immobiliser.
| The problem the driver has | The job | The part worked on | What the vehicle leaves with |
|---|---|---|---|
| No key is left, lost or stolen | Lost key replacement | The door lock, a new blade and the immobiliser memory | A new working key, with the missing electronic keys removed from the immobiliser memory where the vehicle supports it |
| One key works and there is no second key | Spare key | A new blade and the pairing of a second chip | Two working keys in place of one |
| A key is worn, cracked or damaged | Replacement key | The blade, the chip and the remote | A new key that opens and starts the vehicle |
| The keys are shut inside the car or the boot | Non destructive entry | The door lock, through its own keyway | An open door and the same keys back in the hand |
| The blade has snapped in a lock or the ignition | Broken key extraction | The lock that holds the fragment, then a new blade | A clear lock and a key cut to replace the broken one |
| The remote buttons do nothing | Key fob repair | The battery, the buttons, the case and the circuit of the fob | A remote that locks and unlocks the doors again |
| The key does not turn, or the lock is stiff or damaged | Ignition and door lock repair | The ignition barrel, the door lock or the boot lock | A lock that turns for its key |
| The key turns and the engine does not start | Key programming and immobiliser diagnosis | The chip in the key and the immobiliser of the vehicle | A key the immobiliser recognises, or a named fault |
The third row is the job that joins both halves of the trade, a replacement car key cut and programmed at the vehicle. Vehicle security sits beside the key work, and Inta-Lock fits the Autowatch Ghost 2 immobiliser as part of it.
How Does an Auto Locksmith Differ From a General Locksmith?
An auto locksmith works on vehicle keys, vehicle locks and immobilisers, while a general locksmith works on the locks of buildings, such as house doors, windows and safes.
The difference is the electronics. A house key is a piece of cut metal, and a copy works as soon as it is cut. A car key cut to the same accuracy opens the door and still leaves the engine dead until its chip is programmed to the immobiliser.
The equipment differs for the same reason. An auto locksmith carries key cutting machines for vehicle blade profiles and diagnostic equipment that connects to the electronics of the vehicle. Neither is part of the kit for a front door lock.
A key, a lock or an immobiliser problem on a car or van in Leicester or Leicestershire? Matt carries out the work at the vehicle.
Call Matt on 0116 442 2084Where Does an Auto Locksmith Carry Out the Work?
A mobile auto locksmith carries out the work where the vehicle stands, at a home, a workplace, a car park or the roadside.
A mobile auto locksmith carries key cutting machines and programming equipment in the van, so a key is cut and programmed beside the car it belongs to. A car with no working key stays where it stands while the key is made.
Inta-Lock is a mobile auto locksmith serving Leicester and Leicestershire. Matt is with you within the hour in Leicester, and the same day across Leicestershire. The phone is answered 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
What Does an Auto Locksmith Check Before Starting Work?
An auto locksmith checks identity and authority to request the work before a key is made or a locked vehicle is opened.
The check exists because a new key is a way into a vehicle and a way to start it. The V5C vehicle registration certificate, which names the registered keeper, and photo identification are common examples, and what applies is confirmed on the call.
The V5C records the registered keeper of a vehicle. DVLA states that it does not show who owns the vehicle, which is why the check looks at identity and authority together and not at one document alone.
A quote is agreed before work begins, so the figure for the key or the lock work is known before the work starts.
Which Credentials Does an Auto Locksmith Hold?
Five credentials tell a customer who is working on the vehicle, and each one covers a different question.
- A locksmith qualification. A qualification shows that the locksmith was trained and assessed. Matt is NCFE qualified, with locksmith training since 2011 and automotive work since 2019.
- Trade body membership. Membership of a trade body places the locksmith inside a named network of the trade. Matt is an NNAL member.
- A DBS check. An enhanced DBS check shows spent and unspent convictions and cautions, plus any information held by local police that is considered relevant to the role. Matt is Enhanced DBS checked.
- Public liability insurance. Public liability insurance covers damage or injury caused while the work is carried out. Inta-Lock is insured to £5 million public liability.
- SERMI accreditation. SERMI is the scheme that approves and authorises independent operators to access the security related repair and maintenance information of vehicle manufacturers. Matt is SERMI accredited.
A customer can ask to see each credential. At Inta-Lock, Matt handles and attends the work himself, so the five credentials above belong to the person who arrives at the vehicle.
What Does an Auto Locksmith Ask on the Call?
Four details on the call tell an auto locksmith which key, which lock and which equipment the job involves.
- The registration. The registration identifies the make, the model and the year, and those three decide the key type and the lock type.
- The state of the keys. One working key, a damaged key, a key shut inside and no key at all are four different jobs.
- The symptom. A key that does not turn points to the lock. A key that turns with no start points to the chip or the immobiliser.
- The place the vehicle stands. The address or the location tells a mobile auto locksmith where the vehicle stands, since the work is carried out there.
The call to Inta-Lock goes to 0116 442 2084, and what applies to one vehicle is confirmed on the call.
Which Parts of the Trade Have Their Own Guide?
Four parts of the trade have their own page, the difference between key cutting and key programming, the checks on the person, entry without damage and the main dealer comparison.
How Does Key Cutting Differ From Key Programming?
Key cutting shapes the metal blade so that it turns the locks, while key programming pairs the chip or the fob with the immobiliser so that the engine starts. A key that is cut and not programmed opens the door and does not start the car.
Most keys made today take both steps, in that order. The electronic step is the work of car key programming, which covers transponder chips, remote buttons and keyless fobs on supported vehicles.
Who Is Checked Before a Key Is Made?
A key made for the wrong person is a theft risk, so the person is checked as well as the vehicle. The documents, the edge cases and the reasons are set out under how an auto locksmith verifies car ownership.
How Is a Locked Car Opened Without Damage?
Entry work is the part of the trade with no key made at all. The door is opened through its own lock and the keys inside go back to the driver. The mechanism, and the reason it leaves no repair behind, is explained under unlocking a car without damage.
When Is a Main Dealer the Other Route?
A main dealer and an auto locksmith both supply keys, and they differ in where the work happens and in what each asks of the owner. An auto locksmith works at the vehicle, while a dealer works at its own premises. The comparison is set out under auto locksmith or dealership.
Car and van keys are cut and programmed at the vehicle across Leicester and Leicestershire, and the phone is answered 24 hours a day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an auto locksmith the same as a car locksmith?
Yes, an auto locksmith and a car locksmith are the same trade, and vehicle locksmith is a third name for it.
The work covers cars and vans alike, since both use the same kinds of key, lock and immobiliser.
Does an auto locksmith make a key with no original?
Yes, an auto locksmith makes a key with no original on supported vehicles, by cutting a blade to the locks of the vehicle and programming a new chip to the immobiliser.
When keys are lost or stolen, missing electronic keys are removed from the immobiliser memory where the vehicle supports it. A mechanical blade still turns a physical lock unless that lock is changed or rekeyed.
Does an auto locksmith work on vans?
Yes, an auto locksmith works on vans as well as cars, including van keys and the lock points of a van.
Inta-Lock cuts and programs van keys at the vehicle across Leicester and Leicestershire.
Does an auto locksmith repair an ignition?
Yes, an auto locksmith repairs ignition barrel and ignition switch faults, which are the faults behind a key that does not turn or does not come out.
The fault is identified at the vehicle, and a quote is agreed before work begins.
How much does an auto locksmith charge?
An auto locksmith charges by the job, and a quote is agreed before work begins.
The key type, the make, the model, the year and the number of working keys left all move the figure. A key with a chip and a remote involves more work than a plain blade. No price list is published.
Does an auto locksmith fit vehicle security?
Yes, vehicle security is part of the trade for locksmiths who offer it, and Inta-Lock fits the Autowatch Ghost 2 immobiliser.
The key work and the security work meet at the immobiliser, the part of the vehicle that decides whether the engine starts.
What does SERMI accredited mean for an auto locksmith?
SERMI accredited means the locksmith is approved and authorised under the SERMI scheme to access the security related repair and maintenance information of vehicle manufacturers.
That information covers the security side of a vehicle, which is the side key work touches. Matt is SERMI accredited.