Bought a Used Motorcycle With No Key? Here's What to Do

Quick answerA used or auction motorcycle without keys can usually get new ones, but plan on the full all-keys-lost process and bring the signed title or other transfer paperwork plus photo ID, since a locksmith or dealer has to tie you to the VIN. Once you have keys, change or erase whatever the previous owners might still hold. California DMV gives buyers 10 days to report the transfer.

Before you buy: what to ask the seller for

Keys are easy to overlook when you are focused on the engine and tires. A missing master key or PIN can turn a routine spare key into a parts replacement later, so ask for everything key-related before money changes hands, and price any missing pieces into your offer.

Every key, fob and spare the seller has
Any red or master key, code card or key number tag
The security PIN on keyless models
The title, checked against the VIN on the frame
An explanation if the ignition key does not also fit the gas cap and seat, which can mean a replaced ignition

What paperwork proves the bike is yours?

California Penal Code 466.6 requires a locksmith who originates a vehicle key to record your ID and the bike's registration details and VIN. Until the DMV transfer is done, the registration still shows the seller, so bring the title signed over to you, a bill of sale and your photo ID. If the title was missing, the seller completes the front of a REG 227 application for a duplicate title and you complete the back. Auction buyers should bring the auction's sale paperwork.

California DMV gives buyers 10 days to transfer ownership and sellers 5 days to file a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability. The REG 227 carries a warning that issuing a duplicate title cancels the original, so check which document the seller is signing. This is general information, not legal advice.

Auction and salvage bikes

Auction bikes often arrive with no keys at all, an ignition damaged in a theft, or locks that no longer match each other, so get a rough key estimate for the exact make and year before you bid. Our auction and salvage guide covers the Salvage Certificate and lien sale paperwork and what the key job involves on these bikes. On an immobilizer bike with no key and no master key, expect the all-keys-lost route covered in our immobilizer guide, which on some makes means dealer parts.

Check the VIN on the frame against the title or sale paperwork before you bid or pay. Neither a locksmith nor a dealer will make keys for a bike whose documents do not match the frame.

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Rekey or reset after you buy

Even if the bike came with keys, you cannot know who else has copies. On a bike with plain metal keys, rekeying or replacing the ignition, seat and gas cap locks makes old keys useless. On immobilizer bikes, ask for previously registered keys to be erased where the system allows, so only your keys start the engine. BMW's owner's manuals, for example, say all of the bike's keys must be brought to the dealer to bar a lost one. On keyless models, set a new security PIN. Our rekeying guide explains both routes.

Quick questions

Can a locksmith make a key if the title is not in my name yet?

Usually, yes, with the signed title or transfer form, a bill of sale, and photo ID matching the buyer's name. What a locksmith cannot do is make a key with no paperwork tying you to the bike.

The seller lost the title. Can I still get keys?

A completed REG 227 from the seller, plus a bill of sale and your ID, is the usual paper trail in California. Get the seller's signatures before you hand over the money, since tracking them down later is hard.

Do I need to change the locks if the seller gave me all the keys?

Not necessarily, but you cannot know whether copies exist. On a plain-key bike rekeying is a modest cost, and on an immobilizer bike erasing old keys from memory is often the cleaner option.

I bought a bike with just one key. What now?

Get a spare made right away while the working key can be copied or used to register a new one. Our spare key guide explains why waiting costs more.

Services that can help

Key details by make

Keep reading

Proof of Ownership for a Motorcycle Key in CaliforniaA legitimate California locksmith will ask for photo ID plus the motorcycle's registration or title before making a key, because state law requires locksmiths to record your ID, the bike's VIN and registration details, and your signature for every vehicle key they originate.
Motorcycle Immobilizers Explained: HISS, KIPASS and MoreA motorcycle immobilizer is an anti-theft system that only lets the engine start when it recognizes a coded chip in the key or a paired fob.
When to Get a Spare Motorcycle Key, and Why NowGet a spare motorcycle key as soon as you are down to one working key.
Auction or Salvage Motorcycle With No Keys: What to ExpectA motorcycle from Copart, IAA or a lien sale can get new keys once you hold paperwork that ties you to the VIN: a title or Salvage Certificate endorsed to you, or the lien sale certification packet, plus a bill of sale and your photo ID.
Rekey Motorcycle Locks or Just Cut a New Key?Cutting a new key replaces the key you lost, while rekeying changes the locks so the old key no longer works.

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Page last updated November 14, 2026.