What is the Patrol Car Key?
The Patrol Car Key is an uncommon item that allows you to unlock the rear door of a patrol car. In gameplay terms, this gives you access to the patrol car’s loot, which can include weapons, crafting materials, or other gear depending on the map and current loot rotation.
In the Blue Gate area specifically, the patrol car is located on the northern side of the underground complex. Using the key lets you bypass the locked doors, saving time and reducing risk if you would otherwise need to fight your way in.
Key stats in practice:
Rarity: Uncommon
Stack size: 1
Weight: 0.25 (light enough not to impact mobility)
Sell price: 100 coins
This makes it a light but valuable item, especially for scavenging-focused builds.
How Do You Get a Patrol Car Key?
The primary source for Patrol Car Keys is scavenging. Players often overlook this because scavenging feels random, but here’s what I’ve noticed through regular runs:
Keys appear more often in mid-tier loot zones.
You don’t need to specifically target patrol cars—collect keys as they spawn while looting crates or small containers.
Keys do not respawn quickly, so if you find one and don’t use it, consider holding onto it until you see a patrol car with valuable loot.
In multiplayer runs, it’s common to see teams split responsibilities: one player focuses on scavenging keys and materials while others clear enemies. This strategy ensures that when a patrol car appears, someone on the team already has the key.
How Does Using the Key Work?
Once you have a Patrol Car Key, unlocking the car is straightforward:
Approach the patrol car door.
Use the key from your inventory.
The rear door opens, giving you immediate access to the loot inside.
From experience, the car itself is often unguarded, but nearby enemies can spawn depending on the map. Always check your surroundings before opening the car. Teams that rush in without situational awareness often lose key items to enemy encounters.
Is It Worth Collecting?
Whether the key is “worth it” depends on how you play:
Solo players: Keys are still useful, but you need to weigh the risk of carrying a low-drop item through dangerous zones.
Team players: Keys are generally worth grabbing. A single key can give your team access to rare loot without requiring direct combat, especially in high-level scavenging runs.
Patrol car loot often includes mid-to-high-tier items, so even though keys are uncommon, their payoff usually exceeds the effort of finding one.
Tips from Player Experience
Here are a few practical tips I’ve picked up after dozens of runs:
Keep a spare key: If you find more than one, hold it for maps where patrol cars consistently appear.
Check loot rotations: Patrol cars often spawn with similar loot in repeated map cycles. Experienced players track these rotations to decide whether using a key is worthwhile.
Team communication matters: Calling out when you have a key and where the car is can prevent wasted trips.
Also, if you’re looking to expand your inventory and efficiency, there are third-party markets and official announcements about arc raiders blueprints for sale xbox. While I focus mostly on scavenging, these blueprints can help you craft complementary gear and save time in acquiring keys or other rare items.
Common Questions
Q: Can patrol car loot respawn? A: No, once you open a patrol car with a key, that loot is gone until the map resets. This is why timing your scavenging is important.
Q: Do keys expire or break? A: Keys do not break. They can be reused multiple times if you hold onto them, though patrol car locations and loot are limited.
Q: Can multiple players use one key? A: Only one player can unlock a car at a time. Once opened, the loot is shared by who gets there first. Coordinating with your team is the best approach.
The Patrol Car Key in Arc Raiders is simple but strategic:
Unlocks patrol cars in certain map zones.
Light and uncommon, so easy to carry.
Obtained mainly through scavenging.
Provides valuable loot without combat.
Works best with team communication and map knowledge.
For players who prioritize efficiency in loot runs, keeping track of keys and patrol cars is a small effort with a relatively high payoff. It’s one of those items that might seem minor at first but can save a lot of time and risk in the long run.
