Car Key Replacement in Minneapolis, MN

Proving the car is yours

A new car key does more than open a door. On most newer cars it is also programmed to start the engine, so have proof of ownership ready:

• Photo ID that matches the name on the title or registration.
• The title or current registration. If the papers are in the glove box of the locked car, say so.
• For a car in someone else's name, such as a spouse's, a company's or an estate's, a signed authorization or the lease or estate papers.

Where the car is parked

Where the car sits in Minneapolis changes how the work is arranged.

• Apartment and condo garages. In a large building the garage door may run on the building's own fob, card or key, so arrange access with management and give the level and stall number.
• North Loop lofts. A converted warehouse in the Warehouse Historic District may control its garage along with the street door and elevator. Find out who can open the garage before the work starts.
• Street parking in winter. Losing the only key during a Snow Emergency leaves a car that cannot be moved before its side of the street closes, since the city's rules alternate sides over three days. Note which day it is and which side the car is on.

What to have ready

• Year, make and model, the plate and the VIN. The VIN is on the registration and on the dashboard, visible through the windshield on the driver's side.
• Whether any working key or fob is left. Copying a working key is usually simpler than making one when every key is gone.
• The key type if you know it: plain metal, a key with a chip in the head, a flip key or a push-button start fob.
• Whether the car is locked, and where it is parked.

If you still have the key and only the remote has stopped working, see key fob programming. For a car that is shut with the keys inside, see car lockout, or return to Minneapolis.