Described herein are methods for making chiral derivatives of 3-aminopiperidine, including the production of such derivatives in quantities exceeding 1 kilogram. The chiral 3-aminopiperidine derivatives include (R)-3-aminopiperidine derivatives which may be used to synthesize inhibitors of Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV. (R)-3-Aminopiperidine dihydrochloride is prepared by reducing (R)-3-aminopiperidin-2-one hydrochloride with lithium aluminum hydride. The preparation of (R)-3-aminopiperidin-2-one hydrochloride starting from (R)-methyl-2,5-diaminopentanoate dihydrochloride or (R)-2,5-diaminopentanoic acid hydrochloride is also described.