Does a 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 need a transponder (chip) key?

I bought this truck at an auction, drove it for a while and then the battery died. After I charged and reconnected the battery, an after-market alarm that was installed went off and I could not get it to stop. I tried disconnecting it, but it would not start still. A friend of mine came over and told me it needs a chip key (the locksmith who made the keys for me said it did not). I just need to know where to go from here. Thanks.