Step 1: Find out who has it
Look up your car at search.autoreturn.com. Kansas City lists towed cars there. You can also call the Kansas City police non-emergency line at (816) 234-5111.
If you parked in a private lot, check the signs at the entrance for a tow company's name and phone number.
If nobody towed it, tell the police right away. It may have been stolen.
Step 2: Bring the right papers
To get the car back, you need to prove who you are, prove the car is yours, and pay the charges. Proof that the car is yours can include:
- Title
- Bill of sale
- Valid temporary permit
- Lease or rental agreement
- Insurance documents (paper or on your phone)
Bring a credit card, debit card or money order. The city says cash is not required.
Have unpaid parking tickets? Pay them first at kcmo.gov/parking or at 1120 Oak St., then bring the proof of payment to the tow lot.
Step 3: Know the most they can charge
These are the city's maximums for a standard vehicle (under 10,000 pounds), from Kansas City's Owners' Bill of Rights:
| Charge | Maximum |
|---|---|
| Tow fee (police tow or private-lot tow) | $265 |
| Storage, for every 24 hours | $30 |
| Tow fee if the car was stolen (private tow) | $120 |
| Retrieval fee (private tow) | $25 |
| Drop fee if the car is already hooked up but still on the private lot (private tow) | $132.50 |
| Drop fee if the official who ordered a city tow agrees to release it on the spot | $50 |
Go as soon as you can. Storage is charged for every 24 hours, and a part day counts as a full one. Leave it for 25 hours and you pay for two days: $60.
Where is the city tow lot?
If the city had it towed, check the Kansas City Public Tow Lot:
- 7750 E. Front Street, Kansas City, MO 64120
- Phone: (816) 513-0688
- Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM. Saturday, 9 AM to 3 PM. Closed Sunday.
Hours can change, so call before you go.
Your rights under the 2026 rules
Kansas City's new towing rules took effect on January 1, 2026. The city's Owners' Bill of Rights says:
- If you get back before the truck takes your car off a private lot and you can move it, they can't tow it. If it's already hooked up (two tires off the ground) but still on the property, the most they can charge is the $132.50 drop fee.
- Before a tow, the company has to give the owner a copy of the Bill of Rights and a signed estimate. The estimate lists the services, the cost, where the car goes from and to, the company's name and address, and the owner's name.
- The company has to post its rates at the storage lot.
- They can't make you set an appointment. They have to release your car during normal business hours once you show the right papers.
- How you act or talk can't be used as a reason to delay your car, charge extra or refuse to release it.
- You can look over your car at the lot and take out your personal things. After a police tow, ask the City Tow Lot first.
- You can refuse any repairs you didn't approve in writing.
Read the city's full Owners' Bill of Rights for Towed Vehicles (PDF, one page).
Something went wrong?
If a tow company broke these rules, report it in the MyKCMO app or by calling 311.
Need the car moved after it's released?
We can take it to your home or your mechanic, anywhere on the Missouri side of Kansas City, day or night.
Sources
- City of Kansas City, Missouri, Owners' Bill of Rights for Towed Vehicles (PDF).
- KCTV5, Kansas City towing law changes bring new protections for drivers, January 1, 2026.
This is a guide, not legal advice. The city's rules can change, and the city has the final word. To check, call 311.