The UK’s best key cover providers

They are among the smallest components of any car and yet their importance is massive. For something so vital, how is that car keys are so easy to lose?

It’s a regular occurrence that has surely happened to us all at some time: that sinking feeling as the key goes missing and the house has to be turned upside down to find it.

Of course, some keys get lost for good – dropped and disappeared forever, perhaps fallen through a drain cover, stolen or damaged in some other way.

And it’s not just the inconvenience of losing a key that is so frustrating – there’s a real cost to it too. A modern car key is packed with technology that allows so much more than the ‘old days’ of simply inserting a key into a lock, twisting it and opening your car.

Today, there’s keyless entry which means there’s no need for a door lock at all. You can unlock your vehicle from a distance, open just the boot lid, get in and start the engine without removing the key from your pocket… all this is possible thanks to the transponder inside, which helps the car to recognise its unique key and the code that it’s transmitting.

That’s one of the reasons why millions of motorists now keep their car keys safely in a lead-lined box. That not only keeps the key safe from loss at home; it also blocks its transponder signal, preventing hi-tech thieves from harnessing the unique code and using it to open their next victim’s car.

Modern keys are very clever pieces of equipment, so even a ‘regular’ push-button transponder version can cost up to £250. A new keyless ‘entry and start’ key is likely to be priced between £400 and £600 depending on type and vehicle. Keys for higher end, luxury cars – with specialist security built in – can now cost over £1,000 each. Bentley’s ‘Diamond Key’ is said to cost £8,000, although this is encrusted with jewels.

Key replacement is big business: automotive research shows that two million drivers have lost a car key at least once, while the RAC motoring group found that the annual cost of replacing car keys in the UK is around £180 million.

Key insurance

So are you one of the millions of drivers that has mislaid their car key at least once? Or do you do it often? And is there a way to protect yourself from the cost of replacing this vital and expensive component?

Yes… key insurance, or key cover, is available from various providers. It protects you against the financial loss of your car key, covering simple loss, through to theft or damage. Most policies will also provide you with onward travel in the form of a hire car or use of a taxi or public transport, which is especially useful if you can’t get into your vehicle.

You will almost certainly need alternative transport for a few days anyway, because most modern keys can take a few days to be ordered, set up and delivered.

Key cover does not automatically come with your car’s insurance policy so it’s worth checking what arrangements you have when renewing your vehicle cover. Some policies cover stolen keys only – not lost ones.

However, an insurance policy can be taken out separately with your cover provider, and there are specialist companies available too, to provide you with cover to which you can add other keys – such as your house or business.

The Car Expert has put together this list of potential websites that offer key cover and locked-in peace of mind all year round.

ALA Insurance*

ALA Insurance is best known as a GAP insurance provider, but they offer other forms of cover too, such as car warranty including electric vehicles (EVs), UK-wide breakdown assist and key insurance.

It’s known as ‘Keycare’ and can be found across the top of the landing page, along with ALA’s other insurance offerings. Clicking on the tab takes you to the specialist ‘ALA Keycare’ section.

ALA provides insurance against lost or stolen keys with a 24-hour, 365-day helpline, and will cover missing keys, replacement locks and many associated charges.

There are two types of cover available: one includes a ‘standard’ key fob containing instructions on how to get missing keys back to you if they are found. A reward is paid by the company as an incentive to the finder. The other policy is a more comprehensive service that has a ‘SmartFob’ which links with your mobile phone to make keys easier to locate.

It covers all keys attached to the fob and includes reprogramming of infrared handsets, immobilisers and alarms. Replacement keys and a locksmith, if necessary are included while there’s optional cover for vehicle hire charges.

Cover applies all over the world and is for immediate family who live at the same address as the policyholder, with a maximum £1,500 limit over 12 months. There is no excess charge to pay. Pricing is via a ‘Get my ALA Quote’ tab on the website.

• Get a quote for key cover from ALA Insurance*

Keycare

More than two million people have insured their keys with Keycare, the company says. Sign up to the service and you get a unique identifier which can help to reunite you with your car key if it goes missing. The company handles the return to you, and offers a £10 reward to the finder if the keys are handed in.

Of course, some keys never turn up again or are stolen and lost forever. If that happens the Keycare insurance gives up to £1,500 of cover to replace keys, locks and pay for locksmith charges.

There’s a 24-hour emergency helpline, £50 a day for up to three days hire car or a taxi ride, and up to £100 ‘onward transport costs’ to help get you and your car to your original destination.

Keycare starts at £48 a year for the basic package. ‘Keycare Plus’ which extends beyond keys and provides tracking of mobile phone, wallet and/or purse costs £54. And there’s ‘SmartFob’ an app-based system which tracks and traces your keys via your phone, making it more likely you will actually find them. It costs £64.

Arkwright

There are all sorts of products on offer from Arkwright insurance brokers, including more unusual ones such as left-hand-drive cover, kit car, convicted driver and motorhome insurance.

Key insurance is tucked away but, from the landing page, scroll down past all the insurance products until you come to ‘Browse our insurance products’ and it’s there, listed as ‘Keycare cover’.

Covering the cost of lost or damaged keys and locks, the system works using the key fob principle. If your keys are found the company pays a reward to the finder and gets your keys recovered and returned to you, with the help of a 365 days a year helpline number.

‘Approximately’ £1,500 of cover is provided per year which includes all keys attached to the special fob, replacement key, locksmith fees, and reprogramming of immobilisers. There’s also cover of the cost of onward transport or a hire car if your vehicle is not usable.

There is ‘virtually’ no excess to pay and, as it’s a separate policy, your normal No Claims Discount will not be affected if you make a claim. As with many providers, pricing is not given on the site, but you can ask for a price using the ‘Get a quote’ button or by calling the company’s help team.

A Choice Insurance

Midlands-based A Choice Insurance specialise in high risk drivers such as learners, young motorists, students and people with driving convictions. But those people are just as likely as anyone else to lose a key so any motor insurance policy taken out with A Choice can be embellished with key cover too – they don’t sell the insurance on its own.

Search for ‘key cover’ and you’re taken to a separate page. The insurance covers key replacement, lock replacement and locksmith charges and includes your house keys as well as your car, up to a total of £1,500. There’s three £40 days of car hire available if yours can’t be driven along with £75 financial assistance for onward transport costs if needed.

There are also accommodation costs of up to £120 if you can’t get into your house and a UK helpline to assist with advice and guidance. There’s no excess to pay.

The policy covers keys belonging to any immediate family member living at the same address as the main policyholder and costs from £17 a year. This cover is separate from any motoring insurance from A Choice and therefore does not affect its No Claims Discount if you had to make a claim on it.

Dial Direct

Buy car insurance through Dial Direct and replacement car door and boot locks are covered, as are costs of stolen car keys. However, you can opt to upgrade your policy to include a much wider-ranging offering, called Keycare cover.

It includes your house keys, other vehicles such as motorbikes, business premises locks and even keys you might have for padlocks. There’s a maximum of £1,500 on offer, with access to a national network of locksmiths through a 365 days/24 hours emergency helpline.

You are covered for keys that are permanently lost, stolen or locked in a building or vehicle. The policy will pay for new locks and reprogramming of your car’s immobiliser, with no excess to pay. Wear and tear is not covered and lost keys will only be replaced if they haven’t been found within 48 hours.

As the extra cover only comes with a car insurance policy, pricing is only available when a quote for the vehicle has been obtained. It’s simple to do from the website.

Rias

RIAS is best known for its car, home and travel insurance, so you won’t see key cover when you first go to the landing page. Indeed, its formerly optional ‘Key protection’ is no longer available to buy.

Replacement locks and keys are now covered within RIAS’ standard car insurance. It includes cover for new items to be supplied and fitted including up to £500 for lost or stolen car keys.

The cover is subject, though, to a £100 excess charge and it only applies to the vehicle insured on your policy, not extending to other vehicles or property.

There’s a useful on-line ‘Help hub’ for assistance and a ‘News & guides’ section with helpful tips and advice about RIAS and its insurance products.

This article was originally published in July 2023. It was last updated in May 2026.

*The Car Expert has a commercial partnership with ALA Insurance. If you click through to their site and buy anything, we may receive a small commission. This does not affect the price you pay, but helps us keep the site running.