SERMI Approved Auto Locksmith
SERMI Approved Key Programming
Independently vetted key and fob programming for dealerships, garages and drivers.
Available now across Essex, London and Kent · Typical response under 60 minutes
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Authorised Auto Locksmith is SERMI approved. SERMI is the official scheme that lets vetted independent businesses access vehicle manufacturers' security information: the same information a main dealer uses to programme keys, fobs and immobilisers.
To be approved, a business has to pass an independent integrity check, including a DBS check, and follow strict rules on how every security job is carried out and recorded. For dealerships, garages and fleet managers across Essex, London and Kent, that means you can pass key and fob programming work to us knowing it is done through a checked, accountable and traceable process.
What SERMI Is
SERMI stands for Security Related Repair and Maintenance Information. It was set up under European law so that drivers can choose any garage they like, franchised or independent, while information that could be used to steal a car stays out of the wrong hands. Key coding and immobiliser data is only released to businesses that have been vetted.
In the UK the scheme is run by the Independent Garage Association, and it works exactly as it does across Europe. Applications and inspections are handled by RMI Standards and Certification, a conformity assessment body accredited by UKAS, the United Kingdom Accreditation Service.
UK manufacturers choose whether to use SERMI, and more are expected to join as the scheme rolls out. Where a manufacturer uses it, SERMI approval is the official route to its security information.
How a Business Becomes SERMI Approved
Approval is not a membership you can buy. Every applicant is checked by an independent body before any access is granted. The checks cover:
- proof of business ownership, and that the business genuinely works in the motor trade
- insurance cover
- a basic DBS check, where any unspent conviction means automatic refusal
- a signed declaration that the business does not offer illegal work such as emissions tampering, defeat devices or mileage alteration
- in person inspections
Approval lasts five years, with inspections during that time and a fresh inspection before it can be renewed. If misuse is reported, the assessment body investigates and can withdraw approval, which cuts off access to every manufacturer at once.
Why It Matters for Dealerships
Official access, not workarounds. Where a manufacturer releases security information through SERMI, we use the same official route rather than relying on reverse engineered equipment.
A vetted partner. You can pass work to us knowing the business has been independently checked, not just self declared.
Ownership checks on every security job. Before we programme a key, we confirm the vehicle and who it belongs to. That protects your customer, your stock and your reputation.
A full audit trail. Every access to security information is logged against the person using it, and we keep a record of each job as the scheme requires.
We come to you. We work on site across Essex, London and Kent, so the vehicle stays in your workshop or on your forecourt. There are no call out fees.
Why It Matters for Drivers
SERMI protects you as well. Nobody can have a key programmed to your car through the scheme without proving the car is theirs, and the information that controls your car's security is only released to businesses that have been checked.
It also means you have a choice. Where your manufacturer uses SERMI, a vetted independent can carry out key and fob programming that once meant a trip to the main dealer.
Key Fob Programming Backed by OSCA
We use OSCA alongside our SERMI approval. OSCA is a UK remote diagnostics platform, based in Nottinghamshire, that links our equipment at the vehicle to specialist technicians using dealer level tools. We carry out the physical work at the car while an OSCA specialist connects securely and completes the coding.
OSCA shows a live SERMI status for each security job, so we know before we start whether SERMI access is needed. That keeps every job on the correct route. The platform covers more than 300 makes and models.
What We Need From You
Security work needs proof that the person asking owns or is responsible for the vehicle. When you call, we will tell you exactly what to have ready, so the job is not held up on the day.
Work With Us
If your workshop needs a key or fob programmed, a replacement key, or security work beyond your current tools, call us on 07984 684261. We cover Essex, London and Kent with no call out fees.
For more on programming replacement and spare fobs, see our car fob duplication service.
