If you’re a State Farm policyholder and locked your keys in the car, you may be wondering if roadside assistance or locksmith services are covered under your plan.
Getting locked out of your car is a headache that annoys just about everyone at one time or another. One way you can cut down on the stress involved is to know if getting into your locked car is going to cost you extra. It’s also good to know who to call to get it done.
In this article, we’ll discuss…
Will State Farm Roadside Assistance Cover A Locksmith?
What If You Don’t Have Roadside Assistance?
What About the Cost of Stolen Keys or Re-Keying?
Let’s get started….
Table of Contents
Will State Farm Help When You’ve Locked Your Keys In the Car?
The good news is Yes. State Farm will cover locksmith service expenses under their roadside assistance program Coverage H. If you have this plan in your insurance policy you should be covered.
If you get locked out of your car, you can call roadside assistance toll free at 877-627-5757 and take advantage of their program which is designed to “cover common and reasonable expenses.”
They have contracted service providers standing by to respond to such situations and you can expect the following services free of additional charge.
- Locksmith services
- A tow truck
- Gas or oil refill
- Tire change(s)
- Other/Misc. [2]
If your coverage is verified you will not be required to pay anything up front to get your car unlocked or for any of these other services. The insurance company will be billed directly for these basic services. But even if this is true it’s always better to call State Farm directly as opposed to calling a locksmith and assume you will get reimbursed in the end.
Insurance companies usually have existing contracts with service providers and sometimes require policyholders to choose certain locksmiths. In other words, if you choose one outside their network then getting reimbursed 100% may not work.
To check out the roadside assistance options of some other major carriers check out the links below:
What If You Don’t Have Roadside Assistance?
If your insurance plan does not include roadside assistance you will obviously not be entitled to some of the benefits mentioned above. But that doesn’t mean you have no options.
Again from the State Farm website:
“If you do not have Coverage H (Emergency Road Service), you will pay for the services at a competitive rate negotiated by us. This rate will usually be less than what is available in the market.”
So even if you don’t possess the coverage, going through the insurance company may be the cheapest option anyway. This isn’t always true, however, and if you’re not in too much of a pinch calling around may save you some money. On average, a locksmith will charge between $50-100 for a service call to unlock a car (this depends on where you live obviously, make, model, etc).
A lot of newer cars have electronic key systems that make locking the keys inside impossible (but not all of them do). If you managed to lock your keys inside a newer car you may face additional costs as getting inside their security systems is much less straightforward than older cars.
What About the Cost of Stolen Keys or Re-Keying?
Another major hassle can occur if your vehicle keys get lost or stolen. Depending on the circumstances, you might need to get the locks of the vehicle changed (including the ignition) which can cost a fair amount.
In this case, the answer to the question of coverage is going to depend on what your policy says. Some comprehensive plans cover these type of expenses. Read the fine print or ask your agent to clarify for you if you can’t figure it out.
Summary
A lot of State Farm policyholders are covered for locksmith services and roadside assistance and don’t even know it. The first step it to double check your policy and see if you have type H coverage. If you do you’ll know roughly what you’re covered and what steps to take if you lock the keys in the car. Let’s review quickly:
-
- If you have a policy with type H coverage you can receive Locksmith services, a tow truck, gas or oil refill, tire change(s) and other/misc services free of charge (insurance is billed directly).
-
- If you do not have roadside assistance, contacting your insurance carrier still might be the cheapest option as they have negotiated rates and pre-existing relationships with service providers.
-
- Replacing stolen keys or rekeying a vehicle is sometimes covered under a comprehensive policy, but this is something that must be checked on a case-by-case basis.
Sources:
1 – State Farm About Us
2 – State Farm Roadside Assistance
Want to know How Much Your Injury Claim is Worth? Get a free settlement estimate right now.
