Chevrolet Silverado key replacement

Chevrolet Silverado keys by year

Which Silverado key do you actually have?

Chevrolet has sold the Silverado since 1999, and the key in your pocket depends on which body you drive. The four generations covered here, GMT800, GMT900, K2XX and T1XX, each handle the question of 'is this the right key?' differently. Some trucks need nothing but a well-cut blade. Some need a chip programmed. The newest ones can need more than a handheld tool and the OBD port.

The year-by-year table on this page lays out key type, chip family and programming method for each model year starting at 2000. This writing is the context around that table: what each era means for you, and where the data is firm versus where we need to look at the truck first. Where a year is unverified or conflicting, we say so and confirm the exact setup by VIN before we cut or program anything.

If you drive something other than a Silverado, our Chevrolet key guide covers the rest of the lineup, and the main car key services page covers other makes.

1999–2006 Silverado (GMT800): Passlock and no chip in the key

The first-generation body uses GM's Passlock system, and the important thing to understand is where the security lives. There is no chip in the key. The security sensor is inside the ignition lock cylinder. A correctly cut key turns the cylinder and the truck starts, with no programming at all.

That makes this the simplest era for owners. Making a copy does not require an original key, and a key can be made even when every one is gone. The carry-over 'Silverado Classic' kept this body, and Passlock, through 2007, which matters when we get to the 2007 model year below.

One thing catches people out. If the security light stays on and the engine starts then dies, a new key will not fix it, because the usual culprit is a failed Passlock sensor in the ignition cylinder. After an ignition cylinder or body control module replacement, GM calls for a timed relearn of three ten-minute cycles. We will tell you plainly if the symptom you describe sounds like the sensor rather than the key.

2007–2013 Silverado (GMT900): the transponder arrives

The transponder came to the Silverado with this body. The key uses the PK3+ circle-plus ID46 (Hitag2) chip, in the B111-PT family, and the remote fob is a separate piece. The blade starts the truck only if the chip inside it has been programmed to the truck.

The 2007 model year is a special case, and the data on it is marked conflicting. Two different trucks were sold as 2007: the new-body GMT900 with the ID46 transponder key, and the carry-over Silverado Classic with chipless Passlock. We confirm body style and VIN before cutting anything, because the wrong assumption wastes a key.

The classic trap in this era is the hardware-store copy. A blade cut without a transponder will open the doors and turn in the lock, but the engine will not start. If you were handed a cheap copy that behaves this way, it is not defective; it simply has no chip. The key we make for these trucks is cut and then programmed so the truck recognizes it.

2014–2018 Silverado (K2XX): the flip key

The K2XX generation moved to a flip key: the B119-PT with an HU100 blade and the Hitag2 Extended 46E chip. The blade folds into the remote head. Push-button start was not offered on this generation, so every one of these trucks has a keyed ignition.

The chip data for these years is verified. Most of the trouble we see is mechanical rather than electronic: cracked shells, broken flip hinges, worn buttons, and tired remote batteries. Often the chip inside is fine and the key only needs a new housing or a transfer into a fresh shell, which is a different job from replacing the whole key.

The K2XX-based 'Silverado LD' carried over into 2019. If your truck is a 2019 and it is the older body, its key follows this era, not the newer one. That is one of the reasons we check VIN rather than going by model year alone.

2019–2026 Silverado (T1XX): a split lineup

The current generation is the one where the model year alone tells you the least. The lineup is split by trim. WT and Custom trucks keep a keyed ignition with a 46E-family flip key. LT trims and above use proximity fobs (HYQ1EA/HYQ1ES, later YG0G21TB2) with push-button start. The table rows for 2019 through 2023 describe the keyed-ignition flip key; if your truck has a start button, tell us so we treat it as a fob job.

Chip details are where honesty matters. Catalogs disagree on when the fob chip moved from the 46E family to NXP Hitag Pro, somewhere around the 2022 interior refresh. For 2022 and 2023 our data is conflicting, so we read the FCC ID off your actual fob before we quote or order anything. Guessing would risk a fob that looks right and never programs.

For 2024 through 2026, the smart fob is listed as Hitag Pro (ID49), but that entry is unverified, and lower work-truck trims may still use a bladed flip key. We confirm the exact setup by VIN, per vehicle. The separate Silverado EV uses a different system (Megamos AES ID88) that this page does not cover, so if that is your truck, say so when you call.

Duplicate key or all keys lost: what each era means

A duplicate and an all-keys-lost job are not the same, and the era changes how much harder the second one is. In every era in our data, all-keys-lost is possible. What changes is how much equipment is involved and whether an original key makes the job simpler.

Here is how it breaks down:

• 1999–2006 Passlock: no original key needed to make a copy, and no programming. All keys lost is a cutting job, with the ignition cylinder as the thing to watch.
• 2007–2013 transponder: an original key is the simplest route to a copy. Without one, all-keys-lost is still possible, using the OBD tool or GM's timed onboard relearn on most PK3+ trucks.
• 2014–2018 flip key: an original key is needed for the simplest duplication; all-keys-lost is possible and programmed through the OBD port.
• 2019–2023 keyed-ignition trims: same pattern as the flip key. For fobs in 2022 and 2023, we confirm the chip from the FCC ID first.
• 2024–2026 smart fobs: an original key is needed for the simplest duplication. All-keys-lost is possible but may need GM server access, which we explain below.

How we handle a Silverado key job, and where programming gets complicated

Almost every year in the data is programmed through the OBD port. Where our data says NASTF/SDRM credentials are not required, none are, and that covers 2000 through 2023. For 2024 through 2026 that field is unknown, and we will not pretend otherwise.

The honest version for the newest trucks: all-keys-lost on that electrical architecture may require GM server access (ACDelco SPS2) with NASTF VSP-credentialed tooling, or dealer service, depending on the tool involved. We confirm per job. If your truck turns out to be dealer-only for a particular situation, we will tell you before you wait on us. Here is how a normal job runs:

1. Call (213) 577-1366. Tell us the year, trim, whether you turn a key or push a button, and whether you still have any working key.
2. We confirm the body and VIN, especially for 2007, 2019 and 2022–2023, where the same model year can mean two different trucks.
3. We check the key or fob you have. For 2022–2023 fobs, we read the FCC ID. For Passlock trucks, we also ask about the security light.
4. We cut the blade. On 1999–2006 trucks that is the whole job. On later trucks the cut key is only half of it.
5. We program the key through the OBD port, then test the start, the doors, the remote buttons and the hidden backup blade. Our mobile vans come to you, and the storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood is there if you would rather drive in.

What affects the price of a Silverado key?

We do not quote numbers on a web page, because the honest answer depends on the truck in front of us. These are the things that move the cost:

• The era. A cut Passlock key is a different job from a programmed transponder, and both are different from a Hitag Pro smart fob. Newer fobs cost more to replace than older bladed keys.
• Whether you have a working key. Adding a spare is usually the more economical route compared with starting from all keys lost, which involves more time and tooling.
• Key type. A shell or battery repair is lighter than a new flip key, and a new flip key is lighter than a proximity fob.
• Key quality. Low-quality cloned or aftermarket chips can fail intermittently, so the part itself matters, not just the programming.
• Whether server access or credentialed tooling is needed, which can apply on the newest trucks.
• Where you are. A mobile visit to your location differs from driving the truck to our storefront, and distance counts.
• Hidden problems. If the real issue is a failed Passlock sensor or worn ignition wafers, you are paying to repair the lock, not only for a key.

Common Silverado key problems we see

The data points to a pattern in each era, and it is worth knowing which one sounds like yours before you pay for the wrong fix.

• 1999–2006: a failed Passlock sensor, where the security light is on and the engine starts then dies even with a good key. Worn ignition wafers on high-mileage trucks, where the key sticks or will not turn. Worn or damaged blades that no longer turn the locks.
• 2007–2013: worn ignition wafers, and a worn blade that stops turning the lock even though the chip still works. The hardware-store copy that opens the doors but will not start the engine.
• 2014–2023 flip keys: cracked remote-head shells, broken flip hinges, worn buttons, dead remote batteries, and cheap clones that fail now and then.
• 2024–2026 fobs: a dead fob battery, where the dash reports 'no remote detected' while the hidden emergency blade still opens the door. Water-damaged or crushed fobs. The cost of replacing a lost fob compared with an older bladed key.

When to call us and when to go to the dealer

For most Silverados, a locksmith is the practical call. We are one company, not a dispatch middleman: the person who answers is working for the same outfit whose van shows up. We have been in business since 1987 and serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, with a Westwood storefront and mobile vans. David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work. The phone at (213) 577-1366 is answered around the clock, every day of the year.

The dealer makes sense when a situation genuinely needs their system, which on some 2024–2026 all-keys-lost jobs can happen. We will say so up front instead of promising something the tooling will not allow. For an everyday duplicate, a spare, a broken shell, or a lost key on an older truck, calling a locksmith is usually the more direct route.

Whoever you hire, ask for their California BSIS locksmith company (LCO) license. California requires locksmith companies to hold one, and a legitimate company will give you the number. You can reach us any time through our contact page or by phone, and you can start from our home page to see everything we do.

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