Car towed in Minnesota? Start here

1. Find your car

• City of Minneapolis: search the impound lot (Minneapolis; Minneapolis Impound Lot). Last checked October 5, 2026.

If it isn't listed, call the police non-emergency number for the city or county where you parked. Ask whether the car was towed, by whom and where it was taken. We never charge to help you find your car.

What to do right now

1. Make sure it was towed, not stolen. Use an official lookup if there is one, or call the police non-emergency number for the place where you parked. Ask who towed it, where it is, and the lot's hours.
2. Take photos now. The spot where you parked, every sign at the entrances (or the lack of one), curb paint and meters. When you get the car back, photograph all sides, the inside and the odometer before you leave the lot.
3. Get the paperwork. Keep every notice, receipt and letter, and the envelope it came in. Ask for a copy of anything that shows who asked for the tow.
4. Ask for an itemized bill before you pay. Compare each charge with the posted rates and, where we list one, your state's or city's maximum.
5. Pay by credit card if you can. A card payment leaves a record, and card issuers have a process for disputing charges. Ask for a receipt either way.
6. Write down what happened. Times, names, what people said, and any damage you notice.
7. Note every deadline. Look for dates on every paper you get. Some deadlines to ask for a hearing or to stop a sale are only days long, and storage charges usually grow every day.

This is general information to help you keep track. It is not legal advice, and it does not decide whether a tow or a charge was lawful.

2. Know your deadline

• Give a written statement of intent to reclaim (Minneapolis and St. Paul impounds): 15 days, counted from date of the notice of taking.

  Official text: “If, before the expiration of the 15-day period following notice of taking, the registered owner or lienholder of record delivers to the impound lot operator a written statement of intent to reclaim the vehicle, the vehicle is not eligible for disposal or sale until 45 days”

  We show day 15. The statute says the statement must arrive before the 15-day period expires, so deliver it earlier if you can.

  We haven't checked how Minnesota counts weekends and holidays, so the calculator never moves the date later. Treat it as the last day and act sooner if you can.

  Source: Minn. Stat. § 168B.051, subd. 1a. Last checked October 5, 2026.

Free deadline calculator

Enter the date from your papers. The calculator only counts days; it doesn't say whether a deadline was met. The dates printed on your notices are the ones that count.

3. Get your money back

Common ways people ask for a refund:

• Ask the tow company in writing to refund any charge you think was wrong, and keep a copy.
• File a complaint with the agency that regulates tow companies, if there is one.
• If you paid by card, ask your card issuer how to dispute a charge.
• Ask for a hearing if your state has one (see the deadlines above), or file in small claims court.
• If you want advice about your own situation, talk to a lawyer or legal aid.

The Minnesota rules we checked are below.

Key towing rules in Minnesota

If the tow company wants to sell the car

• For Minneapolis and St. Paul impounds, a car can be disposed of 15 days after notice. If the owner or lienholder gives the impound lot a written statement of intent to reclaim within those 15 days, the car can't be sold until 45 days after the notice.

  Official text: “delivers to the impound lot operator a written statement of intent to reclaim the vehicle”

  Source: Minn. Stat. § 168B.051, subd. 1a. Last checked October 5, 2026.

Fees and caps

• The Minneapolis Impound Lot's standard tow charge is $222, and storage is $18 a day.

  Official text: “Standard tow charge $222”

  Source: City of Minneapolis, Impound Lot. Last checked October 5, 2026.

Getting money back

• A towing authority (a local government, or a tow company it authorizes) may not tow from public property without a written towing report, or for registration expired less than 90 days or an expired meter. If it does, the owner or driver can recover the greater of $100 or twice the actual damages.

  Official text: “the greater of $100 or two times the actual damages sustained as a result of the violation”

  Source: Minn. Stat. § 168B.035. Last checked October 5, 2026.