Does a new car key need programming? How it works at the car

Checked and approved by Magnus Aller, owner of Amco Locksmiths. WA Police licensed security installer (licence 30629), 25 years’ experience as a locksmith in Perth, Western Australia. Reviewed October 2026.

We cut and program car keys at the car across Perth, Western Australia, with the keys cut in the van. If you already know you need a key made, our car key programming in Perth page covers the service, and car key replacement covers spare and lost keys by make.

What is car key programming?

Car key programming is coding a new key’s chip, and any remote buttons, to your car so the car accepts it. The blade turns the lock. The chip is what the car checks before it lets the engine start.

We cut the blade and code the chip where the car is parked. A remote or flip key gets one more step: the buttons are paired so one key locks, unlocks and starts the car.

Does every new car key need programming?

No. A plain blade key on an older car has no chip, so it’s cut from the lock or the key code and there’s nothing to program. Most cars since the late 1990s use a chip key, and those keys do need it.

Not sure which one you have? A photo of the key, with the make, model and year, is usually enough for us to tell you.

Does a spare key need programming if I still have the original?

Yes, if the car uses a chip key. A spare is cut to match your working key, then its chip is coded to the car too. A working key makes it the simpler job, but programming is still needed.

Sometimes the parts you already have can be used. On one Mitsubishi job, we made the key only, using the customer’s existing remote buttons and chip. Our guide to the benefits of a spare car key explains why one is worth having.

Why does a cut copy open the door but not start the car?

A cut copy can open the door because door barrels are mechanical. Starting the engine is different. On a car with a chip key, the car has to recognise the chip, and a blade copy without a coded chip won’t do it.

So a key that turns in the ignition can still leave the engine off.

What does programming change in the car?

Programming codes the new key to the car’s computer, so the car accepts that key. On the same visit we can also delete a lost key from the car’s computer, and a deleted key can no longer start the engine.

If a key has gone missing, ask about deleting it when you book. It’s done on the same visit as the new key.

Will my old or lost key still work after a new one is programmed?

A deleted key won’t start the engine. When Amco programs a new key, we can delete the lost one from the car’s computer. A deleted key may still open the doors, because the door barrels are mechanical, so tell us if the keys were stolen.

Theft changes what we recommend, so mention it when you ring. Our guide on whether a locksmith can cut and program a car key without the original covers the all keys lost case in full.

Can a locksmith program a car key when every key is lost?

Yes, for the makes Amco covers. We make a new key at the car with nothing to copy from, then code and test it, so no tow is needed. All keys lost costs more than a spare and is quoted on the car.

Our guide on what to do first when you’ve lost your car keys has a real all keys lost job from Bayswater, a Holden VE Commodore. Prices are in our guide to what a car locksmith costs in Perth.

Which cars can Amco program keys for?

Amco programs keys for Japanese makes, Hyundai, Kia and most American cars, including Ford and Holden. Volkswagen spares we do while you still have a working key. European and Chinese cars we open without damage, but we don’t make their keys.

If yours is one we can’t do, we’ll say so on the phone rather than drive out for a job we can’t finish. We don’t do ignition work.

Do all cars in WA have an immobiliser?

Most do. In WA a vehicle must have an approved immobiliser when it is licensed or changes hands, and one fitted at the factory counts. Some vehicles are exempt, including vehicles more than 25 years old, motorcycles and mopeds.

That’s from the WA Department of Transport’s immobiliser page, updated 4 August 2026. The same page says your car’s handbook should confirm whether the immobiliser was fitted at the factory.