Nissan Key Types by Year: Which Key Your Nissan Actually Takes

Nissan has used three key generations on the vehicles still on the road: bladed NATS transponder keys from roughly 1999 to 2009, proximity keys from 2010, and the BCM-paired Intelligent Key that has been the norm since 2014. As of October 2026, a spare runs $145 to $305 depending on which you have, and an all-keys-lost job runs $185 to $400. Two Nissan-specific steps explain most of that spread: a PIN stored in the body control module, and an extra reset on certain 2018-and-newer models.

Nissan is the third-largest Japanese brand in the United States after Toyota and Honda, and the Altima and Rogue account for a large share of the calls. That concentration is helpful, because once you know which generation those two models fall into for your year, you know most of what there is to know. This guide explains the three generations, where the common models land, how to identify yours in a few seconds, and when the dealer is genuinely the right call.

The three generations at a glance

These bands come from our Nissan make page and are total on-site prices.

Key type	Roughly	How you start the car	Spare, working key present	All keys lost
NATS gen 5 bladed transponder	1999 – 2009	Insert and turn	$145 – $205	$185 – $255
NATS gen 6, proximity introduced	2010 onward	Blade or button, by model and trim	$195 – $280	$260 – $365
BCM-paired Intelligent Key	2014 onward	Fob in pocket, press start	$195 – $280	$260 – $365
Intelligent Key with IMI reset	2018+ Murano, Maxima, Pathfinder	Fob in pocket, press start	$215 – $305	$295 – $400

The years overlap on purpose. Nissan did not move every model in the same year, and within one model year a base trim and an upper trim can carry different keys. The VIN, not the model name, is the reliable answer.

NATS gen 5: roughly 1999 to 2009

NATS is the Nissan Anti-Theft System, Nissan's name for its immobilizer. On vehicles from this era the key is a cut metal blade with a plastic head, and the transponder chip lives in the head. You insert it and turn it. The immobilizer reads the chip, and if it is not one the car knows, the engine will not run.

These are the cheapest Nissan keys. A spare runs $145 to $205 and all keys lost runs $185 to $255, and any Nissan-capable specialist handles them. The gap between the two figures is small because there is no PIN step on this generation.

What goes wrong on these cars is usually age rather than electronics. A worn blade or a worn ignition cylinder produces a key that turns on some attempts and not others, and a new chip does nothing for that. Our make page puts an on-site cylinder rekey or replacement at $175 to $385 depending on the model. Our guide to a key that will not turn in the ignition explains how to tell wear from an immobilizer fault.

NATS gen 6 and the arrival of proximity: 2010 onward

From 2010, Nissan moved to an architecture built around the body control module, the BCM. On earlier cars the immobilizer was its own system. From this point the BCM owns the immobilizer state, and that is the change that matters for everything afterward.

It introduced the BCM PIN: a per-vehicle code stored in the module. When a working key is present, the car already trusts something, and adding another key is a short handshake. When no key is present, the PIN has to be presented before the car will accept a new one.

Vehicles in this window can carry either a bladed key or an Intelligent Key depending on the model and trim, which is why the year alone does not tell you which you have. How you start the car does.

The BCM-paired Intelligent Key: 2014 onward

Intelligent Key is Nissan's name for its proximity fob. It stays in your pocket or bag, the car unlocks at the door handle, and you start the engine with a button. Inside the fob is a small emergency blade that opens the driver's door when the fob's battery dies.

From 2014 it is the standard arrangement across most of the range, paired directly with the BCM. A spare with a working key present runs $195 to $280. All keys lost runs $260 to $365. The make page's example is a 2014 Altima Intelligent Key spare at $195 to $260.

Because the fob runs on a coin cell, the most common false alarm on an Intelligent Key Nissan is a flat battery. It shows up first as shrinking range, then as a No Key Detected message. Our guide to a key fob that only works up close covers the early stage, and our guide to key not detected on a push-to-start car covers the backup start method. On most Intelligent Key Nissans that means holding the fob against the start button; some earlier cars have a slot in the dash for the fob instead. Your owner manual shows which.

The two Nissan-specific steps

The BCM PIN

Per our make page, there are three legitimate ways for a specialist to obtain the PIN on an all-keys-lost job:

1. Nissan's Consult-III+ factory tool reads it directly from the BCM.
2. An aftermarket tool with a BCM bypass cable, a dedicated piece of hardware that connects at the module.
3. A request through NASTF, the industry's secure data programme, which takes 24 to 48 hours.

The first two are done at the vehicle in one visit. The third is a wait. That is why it is worth asking any specialist quoting a Nissan all-keys-lost job whether they carry the bypass cable. With it, the job is 60 to 75 minutes on site. Without it, you are waiting two days or going to the dealer.

The PIN is also why the spare is such good value on a Nissan. A spare job never needs it.

The IMI reset

On 2018-and-newer Murano, Maxima and Pathfinder models, there is an additional reset step. Our make page describes the failure plainly: without it, the programming completes and the engine will not crank. The key looks finished and the car does not start.

This is the reason those three models have their own price rows, $215 to $305 for a spare and $295 to $400 with all keys lost, the top of the Nissan band. The make page's example is a 2024 Pathfinder all-keys-lost at $310 to $400. If you own one of the three, say so when you call, and ask whether the specialist's tool handles the reset. Our network routes these to partners with Consult-III+ for that reason.

If a newly programmed key on one of these cars unlocks the doors and will not start the engine, the missing reset is a likely explanation. Our guide to a new key that unlocks the doors but will not start covers what to ask for.

Where the common Nissans land

• Altima. Earlier bladed-transponder cars sit on the gen 5 row at $145 to $255. A 2014 Intelligent Key spare runs $195 to $260. The sixth generation from 2019 carries the Intelligent Key on SR and SL trims.
• Rogue. The highest-volume Nissan crossover, built from 2008, and Intelligent Key territory for recent years. Expect $195 to $280 for a spare with a working key present.
• Sentra. Older cars are gen 5 transponder work. The eighth generation from 2020 carries the Intelligent Key on the SR trim.
• Murano. The third generation from 2015 is where the IMI reset applies on 2018-and-newer cars.
• Pathfinder. The fifth generation from 2022 requires the IMI step. A 2024 all-keys-lost is the top of the band at $310 to $400.
• Maxima. 2018-and-newer cars need the IMI reset.
• Frontier. Older trucks are bladed transponder keys. The third generation from 2022 carries the Intelligent Key on SV and Pro-4X trims.
• Leaf. The electric car, built from 2011, uses the same Intelligent Key family as the rest of the range.
• Z NISMO and Ariya. Our make page lists the 2026 Z NISMO and the Ariya electric SUV as dealer-only for now, because aftermarket tool support lags the newest platforms.

If your model is not listed, or it sits on a boundary year, the specialist confirms the key family from the VIN before anyone is dispatched. Our guide to what the VIN changes about your quote explains why that question comes early.

Identifying yours in ten seconds

1. Look at how you start the car. A blade you turn means a transponder key. A start button means an Intelligent Key.
2. Check the year. A bladed key on a car from before 2010 is gen 5, with no PIN step. A car from 2010 onward has the BCM PIN regardless of key style.
3. Check the model. A 2018-or-newer Murano, Maxima or Pathfinder adds the IMI reset.
4. Check the trim. On recent Altima, Sentra and Frontier models, the upper trims are the ones with the Intelligent Key.

That is enough for a price range on the phone. If you are still unsure which you hold, our guide to transponder versus smart key walks through it with nothing but the key in your hand.

Nissan compared with the other Japanese makes

Because this site is built around comparisons, here is how Nissan sits beside its neighbours, using the bands from each make page and our smart key page.

Make	Proximity spare	Main complication	Where to read more
Nissan Intelligent Key	$195 – $305	BCM PIN on all keys lost; IMI reset on three models	This guide
Toyota / Lexus Smart Key	$280 – $420	Chip family changes by generation	Toyota key types
Honda / Acura Smart Entry	$300 – $450	Generation-dependent programming	Honda key types
Subaru Push-Button-Start	$245 – $325	BIU lock on some 2020+ all-keys-lost	Subaru key types

On published bands, a Nissan proximity spare is the least expensive of the four. The trade-off is the all-keys-lost job, where the PIN step means the specialist's equipment matters more than it does on a Toyota or a Honda. For full model-by-model pricing on the neighbours, see our Toyota key replacement cost guide and Honda key replacement cost guide. The Nissan equivalent is our Nissan key replacement cost guide, which goes deeper on what moves the number.

What about Infiniti?

Infiniti is Nissan's luxury brand, and its vehicles share Nissan's architecture. The Intelligent Key concept, the BCM PIN and the general procedure carry over. The parts do not: an Infiniti fob is a different part number, and our Infiniti make page publishes a higher band of $275 to $625. If you drive a QX50, QX60, QX80 or Q50, quote it as an Infiniti rather than as "basically a Nissan", so the specialist brings the right fob.

What the visit actually looks like

These windows come from our Nissan make page.

• Spare with a working key present: 20 to 35 minutes.
• All keys lost, using the bypass cable: 60 to 75 minutes.
• All keys lost with the IMI reset: 75 to 90 minutes in total.
• PIN requested through NASTF: add 24 to 48 hours before the job can be completed.

Have your registration and a matching photo ID in the car. A legitimate specialist verifies ownership before programming a key.

Dealer versus mobile on the same Nissan

For most Nissans the mobile route is the lower total cost, and with every key lost it saves a tow as well. The dealer is genuinely the right call in three cases, all listed on our make page:

• You hold a Nissan Security+Plus extended warranty that covers the fault.
• There is an open recall on the Intelligent Key or the BCM. Check the VIN against the NHTSA recall database; a recall remedy is free at the dealer.
• The vehicle is a 2026 Z NISMO or an Ariya, which are dealer-only for now.

Before you assume you need a key

• Replace the fob battery on an Intelligent Key car before anything else.
• Try the spare. If the spare works and your usual key does not, the fault is that key, not the car.
• Think about recent battery work. Our make page notes that a clumsy battery disconnect or a reversed-polarity jump start can occasionally upset the key data stored in the BCM. A key that worked yesterday and is rejected today, straight after battery work, points at the module rather than the key.
• Mention any aftermarket remote start. A degrading bypass coil in an add-on kit can imitate a failing key.

Getting an accurate Nissan quote

Tell whoever you call the year, model and trim, whether you turn a key or press a button, and whether any working key exists. For an all-keys-lost job, ask whether they carry the BCM bypass cable, and for a 2018-or-newer Murano, Maxima or Pathfinder, whether their tool handles the IMI reset. We match Nissan owners with specialists across 15 states, including Tennessee, Arizona, California and Georgia. Start at get help, or read how it works first.