What to Do When Your Keys Are Stolen

There are many times in people's lives where they have lost car keys. In most cases, it is a matter of simply looking around and figuring out where they were misplaced to. Sometimes children take them to play with, and sometimes they slip in between the cushions of the couch. Over time, or in other situations, if the keys are not found quickly and efficiently, a person may feel that their keys were stolen. Regardless of whether you have lost your keys or you feel they have been stolen, there are a number of things that you can do to help the situation.

If you feel, or know, your automobile keys have been stolen, the first thing that you should do is call the police. In many areas of the country there is an emergency police line, often 911, and there is also a nonemergency line as well. If your car keys being stolen is not a larger emergency, give the nonemergency police line a call. The police representative on the other can direct your call to assist you best. This representative will guide you, step-by-step, through the process of filing a police report if needed. They can also assist you and provide a contact that you can follow up with at a later point in time.

What To Do If Your Car Keys Have Been Stolen

If your car keys have been stolen, the first thing that you should do is notify the authorities. Call the police and let them know that your keys have been stolen. They will guide you through filling out a police report, where you'll want to give as much detail as possible. Information that you might be asked about includes the location you feel the keys may have been stolen, whether anyone would be motivated to steal your keys, and there are numerous other questions the officers may ask.

There may be other precautions and steps you should take, depending on the situation. If, for example, your house keys are on your keychain and your car insurance card or registration card are in your vehicle, there may be a safety concern. The person who has stolen your keys may have been able to find out where you live and may also have a way to access your home. If you have any questions about how to best protect yourself in this situation, ask the police representative for advice.

In addition, if your home key was also stolen, you should let your homeowner's insurance company know. This is in addition to contacting your car insurance provider to let them know and get more information about what the auto insurance company covers for the insurance policies you have purchased. In some cases, the insurance companies will cover replacement locks for your vehicle and/or your home.

What To Do If You Lost Your Car Keys

Losing your car keys is a different situation, and if you do not suspect that someone has stolen your automobile keys, you may choose to go another route. Losing keys can be a very frustrating ordeal, leading to a lack of access to transportation, and in some cases being late to meetings, family events, and other things. Some people choose to use applications and accessories to help them find their keys when they are lost. Other people check with their insurance companies before buying an auto insurance policy to see if locks and/or keys are covered in the policy. There are even insurance policies that are specific to car keys.

Buying car key insurance, insurance that is specifically provided to cover automobile keys, is something that many people choose to do. Fortunately, people breaking into cars is pretty rare on average, and in most cases, it just leads to a little bit of frustration until you find your keys. Consider having a spare set of keys or two around just in case, maybe even think about giving a trusted friend one.

If you have lost the last set of keys that you have, you may need to go to a dealership to have another one made. Other companies also do this too; third-party companies that may be cheaper.

How To Prevent Your Car Keys Being Stolen?

There are a few tips that can help you prevent your auto keys from being stolen. Most of these are simple to administer and do not take a lot of time to implement. Find a place in your home that is not extremely obvious for your keys and your spares. Leaving your keys in an obvious place makes it easier for them to be seen and to be grabbed by someone accidentally or stolen by someone who comes into your home. This includes avoiding leaving them near your front door or your window. Additionally, it is recommended to keep your home key and your automobile key on different keychains. Another piece of advice is to not leave your bags unattended or your keys in your coat pockets when your coat is unattended. Following these tips can heavily reduce the likelihood of your car keys being stolen.

Do I Need To Change My Locks?

Another question many people have if their car keys have been stolen is whether or not they will need to change their locks. Most modern cars have safety features in the vehicle so that it is not only more difficult to steal the car itself, but also to make it easier to reprogram your vehicle locks with new and different keys. A locksmith for automobiles can generally reprogram the immobilizer in your vehicle and give you replacement car keys without having to change your locks. Remember, this is only for newer vehicles. Older vehicles that do not have the modern features described may need a full lock replacement.

When it comes to car insurance companies, they may tell you that you need to replace your locks if you have an older vehicle where keys cannot be reprogrammed easily. This does not happen often, but it is something to keep in mind during the process.