law does allow police and property owners to tow your vehicle in some circumstances. However, you have rights too, and knowing them can save you time, frustration, and money.

Kentucky’s towing laws seem designed to puzzle people. They’re wordy, tough to find, and somewhat vague. Also, Kentucky counties have their own towing regulations to supplement the state code, making things even more confusing.

If you have a question about towing regulations in your area, you should contact a lawyer or your local law enforcement agencies.

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When can police tow a vehicle in Kentucky?

Kentucky’s state legal code doesn’t have much to say about when vehicles can and cannot be towed. Instead,

towing regulations

are largely left to local, typically county, governments. That said, though regulations vary a bit between counties, they’re generally pretty similar.

In Kentucky, police are usually allowed to tow your vehicle if it is:

Illegally parked

Has outstanding delinquent parking tickets

Impeding law enforcement or rescue operations

As you can see, police have pretty broad authority to tow your car. However, that authority is not unlimited. Park legally and pay your tickets on time and you shouldn’t have to worry about police towing your vehicle.

Law enforcement agencies must also inform you that your vehicle has been towed or impounded. If a towed or impounded vehicle goes 10 days without being claimed, the law enforcement agency that picked it up will send notice to the last known registered owner of the vehicle.

How to get your car out of an impound lot in Kentucky

When your vehicle gets towed, you need to track it down and claim it as soon as possible. Fail to do so and you may lose your car.

If a vehicle is still unclaimed 10 days after it was towed or impounded, Kentucky law enforcement agencies will send notice to the addresses of the vehicle’s last known registered owner and any lien holders. After receiving the notice, owners have ten days to pay their fees and claim their vehicle or request a hearing.

To claim a towed vehicle, you must call law enforcement to determine where the vehicle is impounded, call the impoundment lot to schedule an appointment to pick it up, provide your license, title, and VIN number, and pay any and all impoundment fees accrued while towing and storing your vehicle.

If, after 45 days, no hearing is requested and towing charges remain unpaid, the vehicle is considered abandoned and will become the property of the law enforcement agency that found it. The law enforcement agency is then allowed to keep the vehicle for their own use, sell the vehicle for scrap, or sell it to the highest bidder at a public auction.

MORE:

My car got towed. Now what?

When can private property owners tow a vehicle in Kentucky?

The above sections cover what happens when police tow your car in Kentucky. However, law enforcement officials aren’t the only ones that can have your car towed. So can private property owners.

Again,

Kentucky state law

doesn’t have much to say about when private property owners can tow a vehicle. All that Kentucky Statute 189.725 says is that private property owners may have unauthorized vehicles towed as long as they have signs posted to indicate such.

The following are a sample of circumstances in which your car may be considered an “unauthorized vehicle”:

It is parked in the driveway of a single-family home

It is parked in a designated spot for persons with disabilities

It is parked in a spot designated for a particular tenant or housing unit

It is blocking a fire hydrant or utility structure

If you think that a private property owner had your vehicle towed illegally, immediately contact your local law enforcement agency.

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How much does it cost to tow a car?

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When can your car be towed from a parking lot in Kentucky?

Parking can be a frustrating experience for drivers. You might spend the better part of an hour looking for a spot and when you find one, you may have a tough time figuring out if you’re allowed to park there. Searching for parking stinks, but getting towed is worse.

Luckily, Kentucky law mandates that parking lots have signs posted stating that unauthorized vehicles will be towed. If there is no sign posted, property owners cannot legally tow your car.

While regulations vary slightly between counties, signs typically must meet the following requirements:

Be at least 12 by 18 inches in size

Have bold lettering stating that the lot is privately owned and unauthorized vehicles will be towed at their owners’ expense

Be placed conspicuously near each entrance to the lot and be easily visible to a person seated in an automobile

Have a reflective border at least a quarter of an inch thick around the entire circumference of the sign

State the times a vehicle may be impounded

State the name, telephone number, and address of the lot where the vehicle may be recovered or a phone number that can be used to obtain the same information

MORE:

Car insurance scams: How to avoid insurance fraud

What are my rights if my car is towed in Kentucky?

Kentucky law states that no storage fee may be charged for 24 hours from the time your towed vehicle arrives at a secure storage location—and your rights don’t stop there. You also have the right to:

Know that your vehicle has been towed

Know where your vehicle is being kept

Have a chance to reclaim your vehicle

Request an appeal if your vehicle has been impounded by a law enforcement agency

Your local jurisdiction may also set limits on how much towing services are allowed to charge for removing and storing your vehicle.

Again, contact your local law enforcement agency or a lawyer if you believe that your vehicle has been illegally towed or that your rights have been violated.

MORE:

How to get car insurance with a bad driving record

How to save on car insurance in Kentucky

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What is the maximum towing fee in Kentucky?

Kentucky does not have a statewide maximum towing fee, though state law does forbid towing services from charging storage fees for the first 24 hours after your vehicle has been towed. Depending on where you live, your town or county might have regulations regarding towing fees—contact your local law enforcement agency to find out more.

Can a landlord tow your car without notice in Kentucky?

No. A property owner cannot have a car towed from their parking lot unless they have signs posted notifying drivers that the lot is privately owned and unauthorized vehicles will be towed away at their owners’ expense.

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