Can a locksmith make a key for a 2018 or newer Ram, Jeep, Dodge or Chrysler?

For most 2018–2024 models, yes. Their security gateway blocks key programming through the diagnostic port, and I bypass it with a 12+8 cable at the vehicle, so the key is made on-site. The exceptions are the 2025 and newer Ram and the new-generation Grand Cherokee (WL, including the Grand Cherokee L from 2021), which go to the dealer. For any other 2025 or newer model, send me the year and VIN first.

What is a security gateway module?

It is a module that FCA, now Stellantis, began fitting to Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles around the 2018 model year. It sits between the diagnostic port and the vehicle’s networks like a firewall: a scan tool can still read codes and live data, but writing anything, including programming a key, is blocked unless the tool is authorized or the gateway is bypassed.

Does the bypass change anything on my vehicle?

No. I unplug the gateway module under the dash, connect the bypass cable for the programming, and plug the gateway back in as it was once the key is done. Nothing is cut and no extra part is left in the vehicle.

How much is a key for a 2018–2024 Ram, Jeep, Dodge or Chrysler?

A spare key or fob starts from $160, a push-to-start smart key from $170, and a brand-new key when all keys are lost from $200, all-in with taxes included. Some models cost more, and I give you the exact number before I set out. The trip is free inside Winnipeg; outside the city a travel fee is included in the up-front price.

Why do you send the 2025 Ram and the new Grand Cherokee to the dealer?

Because their newer gateway cannot be reached with a bypass cable, and I cannot program keys for them yet. The dealer can, so that is the honest recommendation, and I would rather say so in my first reply than fail at your vehicle.

Security Gateway Keys: Ram, Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler

Own a 2018 or newer Ram, Jeep, Dodge or Chrysler and asked around for a key? You may have heard “that one has to go to the dealer.” The reason is usually a module most drivers never see — the security gateway. It is a real obstacle, but on most 2018–2024 models it does not make the key a dealer-only job. Here is what the gateway is, how I program a key past it at your vehicle, and the newer models where the dealer really is the better call.

What the security gateway actually is

Around the 2018 model year, FCA (now Stellantis) began fitting its Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles with a security gateway module, often shortened to SGW. Think of it as a firewall between the diagnostic port under your dash and the computer networks that run the vehicle. The manufacturer describes its job as protecting those networks from hacking; it arrived a few years after a widely reported 2015 case in which researchers took remote control of a Jeep Cherokee, which led to a recall of 1.4 million vehicles.

What matters for keys is how the gateway sorts traffic. A regular scan tool plugged into the port can still read trouble codes and live data. What it cannot do is write anything: clear codes, run tests and relearns, or program a key. Key programming is a write job, so a tool on the port simply gets refused.

Why so many of these vehicles get sent to the dealer

There are two ways past the gateway. The first is authorized access: an independent shop registers itself and its scan tool with an authentication service called AutoAuth, pays a yearly subscription, and the tool is then let through. The second is a bypass: the gateway module is unplugged behind the dash, and an adapter known as the 12+8 cable, named for its two connectors, links the programming tool straight to the vehicle's network.

A locksmith with neither has only one honest answer — the dealer. That is where the “dealer only” line comes from: it is true for that locksmith, not for every vehicle.

How I handle 2018–2024 models

I carry the 12+8 bypass cable, so on 2018–2024 models a key is an ordinary on-site job rather than a trip to the dealer. The gateway module sits under the dashboard, usually on the driver's side. I unplug it, connect the cable, program the key, and plug the gateway back in exactly as it was. Nothing is cut and nothing extra stays in the vehicle.

FOBIK fob keys with 3, 5 and 7 buttons, as used by Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram — FOBIK keys from the same family of vehicles. On a 2018 or newer model, the key itself is only half the job — the gateway decides whether it can be programmed.

Models I handle this way include:

Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups and the ProMaster van, 2018–2024 — see Ram car keys.
Jeep Wrangler, Compass and Cherokee, and the previous-generation Grand Cherokee (WK2) — see Jeep car keys.
Dodge Durango and Grand Caravan, and the Charger and Challenger up to 2023 — see Dodge car keys.
Chrysler Pacifica, and the 300 from 2018 to 2023 — see Chrysler car keys.

That covers the usual jobs: a spare key, a replacement fob, a push-to-start smart key, or a brand-new key when every key is gone.

Where a cable is not enough

Two newer designs changed the rules. On the 2025 and newer Ram, and on the new-generation Grand Cherokee (WL, including the three-row Grand Cherokee L sold from 2021), the gateway cannot be reached with a cable. I cannot program keys for them yet, so for those the dealer is the right call — and I would rather say so in my first reply than fail at your truck.

One trap with the Grand Cherokee: for the 2022 model year Jeep sold the outgoing model, badged Grand Cherokee WK, alongside the new WL. Two 2022 Grand Cherokees can need completely different answers, which is why I ask for the VIN instead of guessing from the year.

For the new-generation Charger (2024 on), or any other 2025 or newer Ram, Jeep, Dodge or Chrysler, send me the year and the VIN first. I will tell you honestly whether I can do it before anyone drives anywhere.

How to check which side of the line you are on

The model year is printed on your registration. It is also the 10th character of your 17-character VIN: J means 2018, K 2019, L 2020, M 2021, N 2022, P 2023, R 2024 and S 2025. You will find the VIN on the small plate at the base of the windshield on the driver's side, on the sticker in the driver's door jamb, and on your registration and insurance papers. A 2018–2024 model that is not a WL Grand Cherokee is very likely an on-site job — send the VIN and I will confirm. Here is what to send for an exact price if you want the answer in one reply.

What it costs

My prices are all-in with taxes included: a spare key or fob from $160, a push-to-start smart key from $170, and a brand-new key when all keys are lost from $200. Some models cost more, and I tell you the exact number before I set out. Inside Winnipeg there is no charge for the trip; outside the city a travel fee by distance is included in that same up-front number. If you want a backup while I am there, the second key for the same vehicle is half price at the same visit. Before any key work I check your registration and a matching photo ID, and you pay only once the new key works.

Frequently asked questions

Can a locksmith make a key for a 2018 or newer Ram, Jeep, Dodge or Chrysler?: For most 2018–2024 models, yes. Their security gateway blocks key programming through the diagnostic port, and I bypass it with a 12+8 cable at the vehicle, so the key is made on-site. The exceptions are the 2025 and newer Ram and the new-generation Grand Cherokee (WL, including the Grand Cherokee L from 2021), which go to the dealer. For any other 2025 or newer model, send me the year and VIN first.
What is a security gateway module?: It is a module that FCA, now Stellantis, began fitting to Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles around the 2018 model year. It sits between the diagnostic port and the vehicle’s networks like a firewall: a scan tool can still read codes and live data, but writing anything, including programming a key, is blocked unless the tool is authorized or the gateway is bypassed.
Does the bypass change anything on my vehicle?: No. I unplug the gateway module under the dash, connect the bypass cable for the programming, and plug the gateway back in as it was once the key is done. Nothing is cut and no extra part is left in the vehicle.
How much is a key for a 2018–2024 Ram, Jeep, Dodge or Chrysler?: A spare key or fob starts from $160, a push-to-start smart key from $170, and a brand-new key when all keys are lost from $200, all-in with taxes included. Some models cost more, and I give you the exact number before I set out. The trip is free inside Winnipeg; outside the city a travel fee is included in the up-front price.
Why do you send the 2025 Ram and the new Grand Cherokee to the dealer?: Because their newer gateway cannot be reached with a bypass cable, and I cannot program keys for them yet. The dealer can, so that is the honest recommendation, and I would rather say so in my first reply than fail at your vehicle.

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Security Gateway on Ram, Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler: Getting a Key for a 2018–2024 Model