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Kentucky drop fee: do they have to release your car?

If you arrive while your car is being towed from a private tow-away zone, the tower must tell you that you can pay up to half its normal release fee, and must then release the car and give you a receipt.

Checked Nov 14, 2026 against the Kentucky statute and regulator pages.

What to do now

  1. Stay calm and tell the operator you want the car released.
  2. Ask what the drop fee is and pay it if it is within your state limit. Some states require them to take a card.
  3. Get a receipt with the company name, truck number and amount.
  4. If they refuse when your state requires release, call police non-emergency and note the time.

Kentucky rules that matter here

Drop fee release

If you arrive while your car is being towed from a private tow-away zone, the tower must tell you that you can pay up to half its normal release fee, and must then release the car and give you a receipt.2

Payment

The tow company or lot must accept cash, credit card, debit card, money order, a bank-drawn check, or a check from an insurer.5

Tow-away signs

A property owner who sets up a tow-away zone must post a clearly visible sign saying it is a tow-away zone, with contact information and who may or may not park there.2

Related

Kentucky cities: Louisville

Think the tow or the bill was wrong?

Ask the lot for an itemized receipt, compare it to the legal limits in Kentucky, and request a hearing before the deadline. Our step-by-step guide and calculator are free.

Questions

Do tow trucks have to release your car if you show up?

In many states the operator must release the car for a drop fee if you arrive before it leaves the property. In others it is up to the company or city ordinance. Check your state below.

Sources

Last checked Nov 14, 2026. Fees and rules change: confirm with the lot or agency before you go. Spot an error? Tell us.

  1. Lien on motor vehicles and contents for towing and storage charges (KRS 376.275), Kentucky General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  2. Private property towing, signage, drop fee, police notice (KRS 281.924), Kentucky General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  3. Rate sheets, excessive charges, itemized invoices (KRS 281.926), Kentucky General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  4. Required notice to owner and lienholder (KRS 281.928), Kentucky General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  5. Payment and release requirements for towed vehicles (KRS 281.930), Kentucky General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  6. Prohibited fees (KRS 281.932), Kentucky General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  7. Prohibited acts by towing company or storage facility (KRS 281.934), Kentucky General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.