Motorcycle and Scooter Locksmith at UC San Diego

UC San Diego is a big campus with parking spread across numbered lots and named structures, and a lot of students and staff ride in because the motorcycle permit is open to everyone. When a key goes missing between Geisel Library and the Price Center, or snaps in a seat lock after a lab that ran late, the bike is usually sitting in a marked motorcycle zone where the parking rules keep applying whether it runs or not.

We work only on motorcycles and scooters. We cut replacement keys, program chip keys, extract broken keys and repair ignitions at the bike. Have your photo ID and registration or title ready. The sections below cover what UC San Diego Transportation Services publishes about motorcycle parking, so you know where a stranded bike stands while you sort out a key.

Motorcycle permits at UC San Diego

UC San Diego Transportation Services sells an M (Motorcycle) permit, and its eligibility is listed as everyone. The office states that anyone parking a motorcycle, motorized scooter or motorized bike is eligible to buy one, undergraduates included.

An M permit is valid in motorcycle designated zones only. It does not cover a car space, and no permit is valid in restricted or undesignated spaces. Permits are tied to your license plate and are bought online, by the term or by the day. Check Transportation Services for the permit options and how to buy them.

Where the motorcycle spaces are

Motorcycle zones are marked on the pavement and by signs inside lots and structures. On the campus map, surface lots carry P numbers and the structures carry names, and that map is the reference for what is where.

That is why the location you give us matters. A structure such as Athena or Campus Point on the health campus has several levels, and a P-numbered surface lot can be a long walk from the next one.

Parking during a service call

Parking on campus is by permit, and the rules for the academic campus and the UC San Diego Health sites are not the same. Some lots are restricted and not open to the public at all. We cannot promise that our vehicle will be allowed next to your bike, so tell us the lot or structure and the level, and check with the parking office whether a service vehicle needs a permit there.

Your own permit matters too. The rules still apply to a bike that will not start, so keep your M permit or daily session valid while it sits, and contact Transportation Services if the bike is somewhere it should not be.

Mopeds, motor scooters and e-scooters

A motorized scooter or motorbike that you park in a lot falls under the M permit. Stand-up electric scooters are handled separately as micromobility, with their own registration and riding rules, and they are not what we work on.

What to tell us when you call

The lot number (P followed by digits) or the structure name, and the level.
The nearest building or college, since lots with similar numbers can be far apart.
Whether the bike is in a marked motorcycle zone or somewhere it could be cited.
Year, make and model, and whether you have any working key left.
That you have photo ID and registration or title with you.

Motorcycle key services at UC San Diego

Everything is done at the bike at UC San Diego: no tow and no waiting on a dealer order. Tell us the year, make and model and whether you have any key, and we will tell you what the job involves.

Where we come to you at UC San Diego

Common call-out spots	Geisel Library, Price Center and Library Walk, Warren Mall, Athena Parking Structure, Campus Point Parking Structure, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego Health La Jolla campus
ZIP codes	92093, 92037

Stuck at UC San Diego without a key?

Call or text with your year, make, model and where the bike is parked.

Call (619) 775-1858 Text your year, make and model

Or read first: all services · common questions · about us · contact details

Local notes for UC San Diego riders

An M permit is valid only in motorcycle designated zones, so a bike pushed into a car space to get it out of the way can still be cited.
Enforcement on the health campuses in La Jolla and Hillcrest differs from the main academic campus. Read the posted signs where the bike is parked.
Lots are numbered and structures are named on the campus map. Read the sign at the entrance and send us exactly what it says.
If the registration is locked under the seat, tell us. We can open the seat first and check the paperwork there.

Riding roads near UC San Diego

Interstate 5: The main commuter route to campus, with exits at La Jolla Village Drive, Gilman Drive and Genesee Avenue.
Gilman Drive and La Jolla Village Drive: The south and east approaches to the academic campus.
North Torrey Pines Road: Runs along the west side of campus and continues north down the Torrey Pines grade toward Del Mar.

Makes we cut and program keys for at UC San Diego

UC San Diego motorcycle key FAQ

My motorcycle is in an M space at UC San Diego and I lost the key. Can you make one there?

That is the work we do, including when no key is left to copy, as long as we can reach the bike. Tell us the lot or structure and level, and check with the parking office whether a service vehicle needs a permit. Bring photo ID and registration or title.

Do I need a permit for a scooter at UC San Diego?

Transportation Services says anyone parking a motorcycle, motorized scooter or motorized bike is eligible for an M permit, which is valid only in motorcycle designated zones. Stand-up e-scooters are handled separately by the university.

Will my bike get a ticket while I wait for a key?

The permit rules still apply to a bike that will not start. Keep your M permit or daily session valid, and contact Transportation Services if the bike is somewhere it should not be.

Helpful guides

Motorcycle Key Turns but the Bike Won't Start: Key or Not?Watch the immobilizer or key light in the first seconds after you switch on.
Motorcycle Key Won't Turn in the Ignition? Causes and FixesWhen a motorcycle key will not turn, the usual causes are a steering lock under tension, a worn or bent key, worn wafers inside the ignition, dirt or corrosion in the cylinder, or simply the wrong key.
Motorcycle Keys Stolen but the Bike Is Still There?If your motorcycle keys were stolen and the bike is still there, assume the thief may come back for it.

Nearby areas we also cover

Sources

Page last updated November 14, 2026.