Car Key Replacement in Ann Arbor, MI

Proof that the car is yours

A new key can start the car, so have proof of ownership ready before one is cut or programmed:

1. Photo ID with a name that matches the ownership papers.
2. The title or current registration. If both are missing, your state motor-vehicle agency can issue replacements.
3. The VIN, visible through the windshield at the driver's side of the dashboard and printed on the registration.
4. For a leased or company car, the lease or a letter from the business that owns it.

Where the car is parked

Where the car sits decides how the request goes: a private driveway, a shared lot, a city structure or the street. Street parking matters most in winter. Under Section 10:143 of city code Chapter 126 the city can call a snow ban, and streets without driveways or adequate off-street parking, such as in Pittsfield Village, can be exempt. The notice comes at least 12 hours ahead, and a car with no working key cannot be driven away in that time, so say in your request whether a ban has been called and whether your street is exempt. The Ann Arbor page has the ban details. This is general information, not legal advice.

The car also has to be reachable: the driver's door must open fully, with room to work inside.

Down to one key

In its snow-ban guidance the city advises anyone leaving town to arrange for someone with a spare key to move the car. That advice assumes a spare exists. If you have a single key or fob, a second one made now is simpler than replacing the only one after it is lost.

For a car key replacement request, include the make, model and year, whether the car has a turn key or push-button start, how many working keys remain, and where the car is parked. If you still have a working key and only need another remote, see key fob programming.