Chevrolet Camaro Spare Key in Irving TX: Fifth Gen (2010–2015) vs. Sixth Gen (2016–2024)

Short answer. As of October 2026 in Irving, a spare key for a fifth-generation Camaro (2010–2015) is a folding remote-head key that costs roughly $150 to $275, cut and programmed. A spare for a sixth-generation Camaro (2016–2024) is a proximity fob that costs roughly $300 to $500. A second spare made on the same visit costs about half the first. If you wait until the only key is lost, add roughly $100 to $200.

One Nameplate, Two Completely Different Keys

The Camaro returned for the 2010 model year after an eight-year absence, and it was redesigned for 2016. From a key standpoint, those two generations have almost nothing in common.

The fifth generation, 2010 through 2015, starts by turning a key. The key is a folding "flip" design: a blade that swings out of a remote head with lock, unlock, trunk, and panic buttons, and on some cars remote start. There is a transponder chip inside the head. The car will not run without a chip it recognizes, even if the blade turns the ignition perfectly.

The sixth generation, 2016 through 2024, starts with a button. The key is a proximity fob that stays in your pocket. Antennas in the car detect it, unlock the doors when you touch the handle, and enable the start button. There is a small emergency blade hidden inside the fob for the door lock.

That difference decides the cost of a spare, how it is programmed, and what can go wrong. So this guide treats the two generations separately. Camaro production ended after the 2024 model year, which means every Camaro on the road is now a car whose keys will only get harder to source over time. That is one more reason to sort out a spare now.

Call or text 817-842-1751 with your year and whether you have one working key or two.

Camaro Spare Key Cost by Generation

Every price includes the key or fob, cutting, and programming at the vehicle in Irving or the surrounding cities.

Generation and Years	Key Type	Spare Key, Programmed	Second Spare, Same Visit	If the Only Key Is Lost
Fourth generation, 1993–2002	Metal key with a resistor pellet in the blade	Quoted by phone; no programming needed	Quoted by phone	Quoted by phone after we confirm parts
Fifth generation, 2010–2015	Folding remote-head key with transponder	$150–$275	Roughly half the first	Add $100–$200
Sixth generation, 2016–2024	Proximity fob with emergency blade	$300–$500	Roughly half the first	Add $100–$200
Customer-supplied key or fob, any year	A new, correct-part-number key you bought	Programming and cutting only; quoted by phone	Not applicable	Not applicable

The bands include mobile service during standard business hours. After-hours calls may carry a premium that we disclose before dispatch.

Fifth Generation (2010–2015): The Flip Key

What you have

A folding key with a high-security blade. The blade has a groove milled into its face rather than notches cut into its edge. Cutting it takes a laser-style key machine, which is why a hardware store kiosk usually cannot help. Our guide to laser-cut high-security car keys explains the difference.

How a spare is added

There are three parts to the job: cut the blade, program the transponder so the engine will run, and program the remote buttons so the doors respond. With a working key present, all three are done at the car.

Many General Motors vehicles of this era also allow an owner to add a key using a working one, and a slower route that uses three ignition-on cycles of about ten minutes each when a programming tool is not used. The owner's manual for your model year is the authority on whether your car supports it. Even where it does, the blade still has to be cut on the right machine and the key must be the correct part for the car. If you want to understand the timed procedure, we explain it in our guide to anti-theft lockout wait times by make.

What goes wrong

The flip mechanism wears. The pivot and the release button take a beating. A blade that wobbles or will not lock open is a worn case, and the electronics inside are often fine. Sometimes a new shell is all that is needed.

The buttons wear through. The rubber pad cracks, usually at the unlock button first.

A cheap online key fails to program. The usual causes are the wrong chip type, the wrong frequency, or a used key. The Federal Communications Commission requires an FCC ID on the key; match it to your original before buying. Our comparison of replacement key fob cost by source covers what you get at each price point.

Sixth Generation (2016–2024): The Proximity Fob

What you have

A smooth fob with lock, unlock, trunk, and panic buttons, plus remote start and a convertible-top button on cars so equipped. The button layout must match your car. A coupe fob on a convertible will start the car but will not run the top from the fob.

How a spare is added

With a working fob present, a new fob is enrolled into the car's list of authorized keys with programming equipment at the vehicle, and the emergency blade is cut to match the door lock. General Motors owner's manuals for this era also describe an owner procedure for adding a fob when two recognized fobs are already present. That is useful for adding a third, and no help for adding a second, which is the situation most people are in.

The backup pocket

If the fob battery dies, the car can still start. There is a designated pocket in the cabin where a dead fob can be placed so the car can read it at very close range. The owner's manual shows the exact spot for your year. It is worth finding it now, before you need it. Our guide to dead key fob backup start by make covers how these work.

What goes wrong

Low fob battery. A "No Remote Detected" message is very often a weak coin cell. Replace it before assuming the fob has failed.

A used fob. A sixth-generation fob that was enrolled to another car generally cannot be enrolled to yours. Sellers do not always mention it.

Lost fob, no spare. With both the fob and its spare gone, the job becomes all keys lost, and the car must be brought into a learn state without a working fob. That is the $100 to $200 add-on.

Fourth Generation and Earlier: The Pellet Key

Irving has a healthy population of older Camaros, and their keys are different again.

A 1993–2002 Camaro uses General Motors' earlier anti-theft design: a metal key with a small resistor pellet set into the blade. The car measures the resistance when the key is turned. There were fifteen possible pellet values. A spare has to be a key blank with the same pellet value as your original, cut to match. There is no electronic programming.

If a copy of your pellet key turns the ignition and the car will not start, and the security light is on, the copy has the wrong pellet value or no pellet at all. The car then imposes a wait before it will try again. Our article on the GM security light no start explains that behavior.

Because parts availability for cars of this age varies, we quote these by phone after confirming we have the right blank.

Why a Camaro Deserves a Spare More Than Most Cars

Three reasons, all specific to this car.

It is a theft target. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Highway Loss Data Institute has repeatedly listed high-horsepower Camaro variants among the vehicles with the highest theft claim rates. In 2024, police departments reported a spike in thefts of late-model Camaros using electronic devices that imitate a key, and General Motors responded with a security software update for affected model years. If you own a 2020–2024 Camaro, check with a Chevrolet dealer and run your VIN through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's recall lookup to confirm your car has the current software. That update is a dealer matter and should not cost you anything.

For a spare key, the relevance is this: if a key is ever stolen rather than lost, you want the missing key removed from the car's memory, not just a new one added. With a working key in hand, that is a routine request. Our guide to stolen car keys explains the process.

Production has ended. With no new Camaros being built, original fobs and keys become a finite supply. Prices for discontinued-model keys tend to drift upward, and aftermarket quality varies.

All keys lost is the expensive way to learn this. The add-on is $100 to $200, and the inconvenience is larger than the money. A Camaro parked in an apartment garage in Las Colinas with no key is not going anywhere until someone comes to it.

"Camaro owners tend to have one key they guard carefully and no second key at all. Then the one key goes through the wash, or the flip blade snaps, and it is an all-keys-lost call on a car they love. Ten minutes of planning would have made it a spare-key call." — a senior technician on our Irving crew

A Second Key for a Second Driver

If the spare is for a new driver in the household, the sixth generation offers something useful. General Motors' Teen Driver feature, available on later Camaros through the infotainment system, lets you tie settings such as a speed warning and a volume limit to a specific fob. It needs a fob of its own to be registered as the teen key, which is a good reason to get the spare made first. Our guide to spare key cost for a teen driver covers how these systems work.

Rental Camaros: A Note for Visitors

The Camaro convertible has long been a popular rental, and we get calls from visitors near DFW Airport who have lost the fob to one. Do not have a spare made for a rental on your own. The car belongs to the rental company, and a legitimate locksmith will not make a key for a vehicle you do not own without the owner's authorization. Call the rental company's roadside line first. Our guide to a lost rental car key explains who pays for what.

Dealer or Mobile Locksmith?

A Chevrolet dealer can supply and program any Camaro key. For the security software update mentioned above, the dealer is the only place to go. For a spare key, the practical differences are scheduling and travel. A dealer needs the car at the dealership. A mobile locksmith comes to your driveway or workplace and does the job there. AAA and other motor clubs point out that for a car with no working key, towing is a real cost on its own, and a mobile visit avoids it.

For other General Motors vehicles in the household, see our Chevy and GMC key replacement guide and, for the truck owners, Silverado and Sierra spare key cost. If you have a Buick as well, the fob logic is the same as the sixth-generation Camaro's; see Buick key fob programming.

What to Have Ready Before You Call

• Model year. 2015 and 2016 are different jobs.
• Coupe or convertible, and whether the car has remote start.
• How many working keys you have.
• The VIN, from the base of the windshield or your insurance card.
• Proof of ownership: registration or title in your name and a matching photo ID. Locksmiths who program keys through the National Automotive Service Task Force's secure system are required to verify this, and the Associated Locksmiths of America treats it as a baseline standard.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Chevrolet Camaro spare key cost in Irving, TX?

As of October 2026, roughly $150 to $275 for a 2010–2015 folding remote-head key and $300 to $500 for a 2016–2024 proximity fob, cut and programmed at the vehicle. A second spare on the same visit costs about half the first.

Can I program a Camaro key myself?

Sometimes, in part. Some model years allow an owner to add a key when working keys are already present; the owner's manual says whether yours does. The blade still has to be cut on a laser-style machine, and the key must be the correct new part. Most owners with only one key need programming equipment.

Will a 2015 Camaro key work on a 2016 Camaro?

No. The 2010–2015 Camaro uses a folding key that turns in an ignition. The 2016–2024 Camaro uses a proximity fob with push-button start. They are different parts and are programmed differently.

Can you program a used Camaro fob I bought online?

For the 2016–2024 fob, generally not, because a fob enrolled to another car usually cannot be enrolled again. A new fob with the matching FCC ID and part number is the safe purchase. Send us the listing before you buy and we will tell you whether it is a good candidate.

What do I do if my Camaro says No Remote Detected?

Replace the fob's coin cell first. If the message remains, place the fob in the backup pocket shown in your owner's manual and try to start the car. If it starts there, the fob's battery or transmitter is weak. If it does not, call us for diagnosis, which runs $75 to $145 on-site.

How long does it take to make a Camaro spare key?

With a working key present, most Camaro spare key jobs take under an hour at the vehicle. All-keys-lost jobs take longer. We give a time estimate with the price before we drive over.

Should I worry about the Camaro key-cloning thefts?

If you own a 2020–2024 Camaro, confirm with a Chevrolet dealer that the security software update has been applied, and check your VIN on the NHTSA recall site. Keep fobs away from exterior doors and windows at home. If a key is ever stolen, have it removed from the car's memory.

Get a Camaro Spare Made Before You Need It

Irving Locksmith Pros cuts and programs Camaro keys on-site across Irving, Las Colinas, Grand Prairie, Coppell, Euless, and the surrounding DFW cities. See our Chevrolet page and our car key replacement service for more.

Call or text 817-842-1751 or email contact@irvinglocksmithpros.com with your model year and how many working keys you have.

References

• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Highway Loss Data Institute — theft claim frequency by vehicle model: https://www.iihs.org
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — recall and service campaign lookup by VIN: https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls
• National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) — secure key and immobilizer data access for locksmiths: https://www.nastf.org
• Federal Communications Commission — equipment authorization and FCC ID marking for key fobs: https://www.fcc.gov
• AAA — roadside assistance, towing, and vehicle ownership resources: https://www.aaa.com
• Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA) — professional automotive locksmith standards: https://www.aloa.org
• SAE International — keyless entry and vehicle security engineering standards: https://www.sae.org

Reviewed by a licensed automotive locksmith technician at Irving Locksmith Pros. Texas DPS Private Security regulated. Mobile service; ownership verification required.