Car Key Replacement in St. Louis, MO

Proving the car is yours

A replacement key is cut and programmed for one specific car, so have proof of ownership ready:

• photo ID;
• the title or the registration in your name;
• for a business car or a relative's, a signed note from the owner along with their documents.

Sort it out before snow

The city asks residents to keep cars off major routes when possible, and a car whose only key is lost cannot be moved off a snow route. If snow is forecast, arrange a replacement early rather than after the plows come through.

Side streets come last. The Street Department's plan reaches the windrows where side streets meet the main routes only after the main routes and school entrances, and the director then decides what more the remaining side streets get. So say whether the driver's door can be reached and whether the street has been plowed.

A written total before work starts

A lost key can mean a new blade, a new remote and programming. Section 407.020 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, part of the Merchandising Practices Act, bans deception, false promises and concealment of material facts in selling or advertising merchandise, and section 407.010 defines merchandise to include services. In practice, ask for the total in writing, covering the key, any remote and the programming, before anything is cut, and keep the invoice. This is general information, not legal advice.

What to have ready

1. The VIN, seen through the windshield at the corner of the dashboard or on the driver's door jamb.
2. The year, make and model, and whether the car starts with a turned key or a push button.
3. Any keys or fobs you still have, so they can be checked against the new one.
4. The street address or cross streets where the car is parked.

If only the remote has stopped working, key fob programming may be all you need. See car key replacement and the St. Louis page.