Towed Car Help

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Car towed in Louisville

Louisville is in Jefferson County, Kentucky. Here is how to find your car, what you can be charged, and what to do if the tow looks wrong. Last checked 2026-10-17.

Storage fees grow every day. Get your car back as soon as you can, even if you plan to dispute the tow. Pay, keep every receipt, and fight the charges afterward.

Find who towed your car

Street parking or a police tow

In Louisville, call the Louisville Police non-emergency line to find out whether your car was towed and which company has it.

Apartment, store, or private lot

Read the tow-away sign at the lot entrance. It must show the tow company's name and phone number.

No sign, or you can't find it? The company must report the tow to police within 2 hours, so call the police non-emergency line and ask where your car went.

KRS 281.924(6)

No record of a tow anywhere? Report the car to police as possibly stolen.

What they can charge

$138.00
Most they can charge to tow a standard car from private property
$25.00
Most they can charge per day of storage, starting after 24 hours

These rates may have changed since this schedule was published. Schedules are often updated once a year, so check the official source before relying on them.

Other Louisville Metro (LMCO 115.453) maximums
ChargeMaximum
Dolly fee (only if dolly needed)$27.00
Medium duty tow incl. first 24h storage$280.00
Medium duty storage per day after first 24h$50.00
Tractor trailer tow incl. first 24h storage$500.00
Tractor trailer storage per day after first 24h$100.00

The $138 includes removal and the first 24 hours of storage; storage of $25 per calendar day starts after that. Drop fee is derived (one-half of $138 = $69); the code states 'one-half of the fee' without a dollar figure. Drop fee: the code allows one-half of the fee when a vehicle is hooked up and raised but not removed. See the official Louisville Metro (LMCO 115.453) rates (opens in a new tab).

Estimate your bill

What to bring

  • After you pay all charges, the company must release the car to a properly identified owner or lienholder, or to the owner's insurer's representative with proof of coverage or the owner's approval.
  • The company must accept cash, credit card, debit card, money order, a bank-issued check, or an insurer's check. Call ahead to ask which types the lot takes.

Paperwork locked inside the car? Some belongings cannot be held under the lien and must be returned on request within 45 days of the tow. These include medicine, medical items, school items, electronic devices, firearms, child car seats, and checks and cards.

KRS 281.930(2); KRS 281.930(4); KRS 376.275(2)

Getting it back

  • The company must be open or reachable by phone during posted hours and have a 24-hour phone number. It must return calls within 24 hours, with an exception for weather and emergencies.
  • Before you pay, you can inspect the car during posted business hours. The company may not refuse, and it cannot charge storage for any day it did not allow release or inspection during posted hours.
  • Inspect the car before you drive away, and photograph any damage.

KRS 281.930(6); KRS 281.930(3); 281.934(2)

How to dispute a tow

  1. Collect evidence. Photograph the lot entrances and any signs, keep every receipt, and write down times and names.
  2. Ask for an itemized invoice. Every towing company or storage facility must post one rate sheet at its business, give it to you on request, and file it with state police and local law enforcement. Any charge above the rate sheet is excessive and must be refunded within 30 days of the state notifying the company.
  3. File a complaint.
  4. Go to court if needed. Kentucky's private-tow statutes do not set a hearing or bond process. A court hearing route exists only for tows ordered by a city or county, so a private-lot tow dispute generally goes to court as a civil claim.
  5. Consider small claims or a chargeback. Kentucky small claims court handles money claims up to $2,500, not counting interest and costs. It does not allow prejudgment attachment or replevin filings. If you paid by credit card, you can dispute the charge with your card issuer. For billing errors, your written dispute generally must reach the issuer within 60 days of the first bill showing the charge. Whether a tow charge qualifies is up to the issuer.

Deadlines to watch

Your car can be sold. If charges remain unpaid after 45 days, the car and contents may be sold after certified-mail notice at least 10 days before the sale. A company that followed the notice rules can also seek a new title.

Within 10 days of the tow, the company must mail notice by certified mail to the registered owner and any lienholder. A storage facility that misses this deadline loses storage fees after day 10.

Kentucky deadlines, counted from the law

See the dates for your tow

Common questions

Where is my car if it was towed in Louisville?

In Louisville, call the Louisville Police non-emergency line to find out whether your car was towed and which company has it. For a private tow, the tow company must report it to police within 2 hours, so the police non-emergency line can usually tell you where the car is.

How much can a tow company charge in Louisville?

For a standard passenger car towed from private property, the published maximum is $138.00 for the tow and $25.00 per day for storage, under Louisville Metro (LMCO 115.453) rates. Other fees may apply; see the table on this page.

How long before a towed car is sold in Kentucky?

If charges remain unpaid after 45 days, the car and contents may be sold after certified-mail notice at least 10 days before the sale. A company that followed the notice rules can also seek a new title.

Do I pay storage if I get my car back quickly?

No storage fee may be charged if your car was stored less than 24 hours.

Not verified yet for Louisville

We only publish details we could confirm from an official source. These are still missing, so ask the agencies above:

  • Addresses and hours of the tow lots that hold police tows
  • An official online lookup for towed cars
  • City-specific documents needed to pick up a car
  • Local rules for someone else picking up your car
  • Local auction schedules for unclaimed cars

Other cities in Jefferson County

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-17. These are the laws and official pages this page is based on.