Where To Hide Your Spare Car Keys?

When looking to minimize the risk of car lockout, owning a well-functioning spare key is only half the work. To make sure your precious vehicle is safely protected against this potential problem that can be caused by missing or faulty keys or broken locks, you also need to make sure your spares are safely stored at all times.

Ideally, you should keep your car keys on you at all times. This way, you should be able to prevent the risk of accidental lockouts and car thefts. However, realistically, it is almost impossible to carry your keys on you 24/7. Plus, having a set of spare keys for your vehicle can help you rapidly handle an accidental lockout issue caused by a lost or broken key. 

To come to your help, our experts have done all the research for you. Based on their rich expertise in the automotive security field, they have created a list of some of the most risk-free car key hideout places along with a list of the worst places to hide a car key. Without further ado, let’s get started. 

How to Choose the Best Hiding Place for a Car Key

There are some factors you should keep in mind when deciding which is the best place to hide your car key:

1. Accessibility 
Focus on finding a hideout that is not too obvious or easy to spot by passers-by or neighborhood thieves targeting cars like yours. Choose a location with high accessibility that you will have an easy time remembering when dealing with an emergency.

2. Key retrieval request
In some cases, you might need to interact with other people and ask them to retrieve your spare car key for you. This person can be a trustworthy friend, neighbor, work companion, or family member. Your main focus should be to place your spare keys in a location that will not give the chosen person access to confidential personal information or other important keys.

3. The risk of your car getting stolen is still there
The act of hiding your keys may save you from having to call an emergency car lockout service in case of a missing, lost, or stolen car key. However, it will not spare you from the risk of a car thief finding the keys and taking off with your vehicle. If, despite this peril, you still decide to hide a set of spare keys, focus on only hiding keys that can lock and unlock the car without also starting the engine.

Where to Hide Car Keys In or Around the House

Before we can tell you how to hide a key fob on your car, you should know what are the smartest places to hide car keys inside or outside the house. Here is our brief list of suggestions from our technicians: 

• Beneath the deck/patio
  Choose the best location beneath your patio or deck to hide your spare car key, but do make sure to accurately mark the same spot in a unique, personalized manner with a sign that no one else but you would be able to recognize. It is a good idea to put the key inside a box to prevent it from the effects of rust.

• Beneath the dog house
  If you own a dog, hide your key underneath the dog house. No one will want to get near your barking protection dog to look for any spare keys. Just make sure you hide the key in a location that is not accessible to your pet.

• Inside the dryer vent
  Dryer vents are not easily noticed on the exterior structure of a house.  They represent good hiding spots for spare car keys. It is also a good idea to create a fake dryer vent behind a trash can or a piece of furniture inside your yard and use it to hide your keys. 

• Inside a power meter box
  Power meter boxes are normally fitted outside the house and they are rarely tampered with.  This is why they represent good hideout spots for your keys. Just use some sturdy tape to make sure the keys stick to the inside of the box and pay special attention not to damage any of the electrical wirings.

• With a trustworthy neighbor
  You could either use a neighbor’s yard to hide your spare car key or ask them to keep it inside their home, in a safe spot, so they can provide you with the help you need in case of emergency, regardless of time and place.

Best Spots to Hide a Spare Key on Your Car

There are several good locations where you can hide your car key on your vehicle to make sure it is not easily accessible to potential thieves. Our car locksmiths consider the hitch receiver box method to be the best place to hide a spare key. Here is a brief guide to all our suggested solutions: 

Hiding a Spare Car Key - Hitch Receiver Boxes

As previously mentioned, we consider these options to be the safest and most reliable methods of successfully and effectively hiding a key. If your vehicle has an attached hitch and you have enough room to place a spare key in it, use this small vault for more peace of mind.  These boxes work great at inconspicuously keeping keys and other valuable items secure at all times. They are usually made of high-impact aluminum and they can be easily installed with zero tools in just a few seconds.  To get access to your keys, all you need to do is simply release the rubber dust cover, enter your chosen four-number dial combination, and wait for the drawer to be released. These boxes are safer than standard magnetic key holders. 

Hiding a Spare Car Key - The License Plate Solution

Try to find the safest and least obvious spot behind your license place where you can stash your spare key. There are dedicated license plate hiding containers called spare key hiders you could invest in for the best results. Carefully look at the shape of the license plate holder and front bumper and make sure the depth is enough to host a key. 

Hiding a Spare Car Key - Behind the Bumper

Opt for the best magnetic hide key for a car container and place it on your bumper provided it is made of fiberglass or plastic. Before hiding the spare key there, assess the bumpers and see if they are exposed to any type of damage and if they are covered in dust and mud that requires cleaning.

Hiding a Spare Car Key - Tire Wells 

Since car tires have significantly changed over the years, you might have some trouble finding a good spot in the wheel where you can safely stash your key. Create a place, use a frame, or locate a small ledge where you could safely place the key.

Hiding a Spare Car Key - Inside the Gas Tank Flap

Rely on duct tape to fasten your spare key inside the gas tank flap and see that the flap is closing properly so that the key cannot be easily noticed by passers-by.

The Worst Place to Hide a Car Key

The worst spots to hide a car key is any location inside the vehicle. While the exterior of the car also comes with its risks, leaving a spare key inside the ignition switch or the glove compartment is almost an open invitation for potential car thieves to take off with the vehicle.  You should also avoid keeping your car spare key on a single key ring keychain or key case together with the rest of your keys. Losing or having someone steal your key chain would jeopardize your entire security. Finally, besides our previous recommendations, you could also consider using soil bedding, hide-a-key devices, or RFID bags or cases to keep your spare keys safe from thieves.