Car Key Replacement in Annapolis, MD

Proving the car is yours

Car key replacement produces a key that can start a vehicle, so expect to prove ownership before one is cut or programmed. Gather these first:

1. Photo ID in the same name as the vehicle papers.
2. The title or the current registration. If both are missing, request a duplicate from your state motor-vehicle agency before asking for a key.
3. The VIN, visible through the windshield at the base of the dashboard, on the driver's door jamb and on the registration.
4. For a leased or financed car, the lease or loan papers, since the title may list the lender.
5. For a company vehicle, a letter from the business authorizing the key.

Where keys go missing in Annapolis

A replacement key is usually cut and programmed at the car, so where the car sits shapes the job.

• On the water. Eastport has maritime zoning districts set aside for shipyards, marinas and other watercraft services. A key that went into the water from a dock or a deck is unlikely to come back, so plan on a new one, and note the marina or yard name.
• Retail lots. The city's commercial corridors are West Street (MD 450) and, roughly parallel to it, Forest Drive. Give the shopping center or business name and the storefront nearest the car.
• Residential streets. According to the plan, most of the city's residential neighborhoods are single-family only. Say whether the car is in a driveway, in a garage or on the street.

Keys that met floodwater

The plan notes routine nuisance flooding downtown. A key or fob that went into floodwater may stop working even after it dries. Keep it anyway, because it helps identify the key type. If the metal key still turns the ignition and only the remote failed, key fob programming may be enough.

Details for the request

The year, make, model and trim; whether the car has push-button start or a turn key; how many keys you want; and whether any working key remains. More city notes are on the Annapolis page.