Car key cutting in Winnipeg. I cut the key at your car — even with no original.

Yes. If you have no key at all, I decode the lock itself to read the cuts and make a fresh blade from scratch — about $90 for the mechanical cut, with ownership verification first. Many vehicles I can also cut to the manufacturer code. If your car has an immobilizer (most since about 2000), the new key also needs programming to start the engine — that's priced like a spare or a lost-all-keys job.

Only if your car has no immobilizer chip, or the chip is also programmed. A correctly cut blade will fit the lock and turn — but a modern car won't start until the transponder chip in the key is paired to the immobilizer. Cutting is the mechanical half; programming is the electronic half. I do both, and I'll tell you in the quote which your car needs.

At RAXO Locksmiths in Winnipeg, a straight copy of a working key starts at $40 — that's the blade duplicated, no programming. Good for a cheap spare blade, a valet key, or a glovebox/trunk backup. Laser-cut (sidewinder) blanks cost a little more than edge-cut, but I carry both on hand. If the key also needs a chip programmed to start the car, that's the spare-key service: $90+ transponder, $180+ smart key.

Two reasons. First, most modern keys are laser-cut (sidewinder) — the groove runs down the middle of the blade and needs a high-security machine most kiosks don't have. Second, if the key has a transponder chip, a copied blade still won't start the car without programming, which a kiosk can't do. A cut from the wrong machine often won't even turn.

They can cut a plain mechanical blade — the metal half — but no retail counter or kiosk can program a transponder or smart key to your vehicle, so a chipped copy turns the lock and won't start the engine. For a pre-immobilizer metal key it's a fine, cheap option; for anything with a chip or buttons it's locksmith or dealer work. I compare every route honestly in my guide to the retail-counter option, including what Canadian Tire and Home Depot can and cannot do.

Yes. I carry laser-cut (sidewinder) blanks and the machine to cut them on hand. Most domestic and Asian vehicles from about 2010 onward use laser-cut keys. The cut is more precise than an old edge-cut key — which is also why a kiosk can't copy one.

A straight copy is 5–10 minutes. Decoding a lock or cutting to code takes longer because I'm building the cut from scratch. Cut-and-program is 30–40 minutes depending on the vehicle and its on-board security. I give the honest time in the written quote before I head out.

Often, yes — I can usually remove the broken piece and cut you a fresh key on-site. Send me a photo and your year/make/model and I'll tell you whether I can handle it before I head out, with the number in writing first.

Often, yes. Metal keys wear — every insertion shaves a little off the cuts, and after enough years the blade sits just shy of the depths the cylinder expects. A fresh key cut by decoding the lock ($90+) restores the factory spec, and a stiff ignition frequently smooths right out. Before you book anything, try the free fix: turn the steering wheel gently left and right while turning the key — a locked steering column is the most common "broken ignition" that isn't. If a crisp new key still fights you, the cylinder itself is worn or failing. That's ignition work I also handle, quoted per job once I've seen the vehicle.

If you're searching key cutting near me, I come to you instead — RAXO Locksmiths cuts and programs car keys at your vehicle anywhere in Winnipeg. Plain copies $40, cut-and-program from $90+, plus tax. No counter queue, no second trip when the kiosk blank fails.