Car Key Replacement in Miami, FL

Proof of ownership comes first

A replacement key starts with showing that the car is yours. Have photo ID and the vehicle registration (or the title, if you have it), plus the VIN if you can read it off the registration or the car. A lease or a utility bill can back up your address.

Where the car is matters

Many modern keys have to be matched to the car, so where it is parked shapes the request. In Brickell, the high-rise residential towers south of SE 15th Road may have garages run on fobs the association or management controls. If the car is behind such a gate, arrange access with the building in advance. On a street or in a private lot, give the cross streets and a nearby landmark, and mention if the car will not start or cannot be moved.

Spares and storm season

NOAA reports that hurricane-force winds reach Florida an average of three times every five years. Before a storm, pack a spare house key and a spare car key with your evacuation kit, so leaving in a hurry does not mean one key and no backup. Once you have a new key, have a spare made and keep it at home rather than in a parked car.

What to send

• The car's year, make and model, and the VIN.
• Whether you still hold any key or fob for it, even one that only partly works.
• The key type, if you know it: a metal key, a remote head key or a push-button start fob.
• The neighborhood, cross streets, building or lot, and garage level.
• Whether the key was lost or stolen. If it was stolen, consider a police report.

See car key replacement for the service, key fob programming if you only need a remote programmed, and the Miami page for the city.