Car towed in Missouri? Start here

1. Find your car

• City of St. Louis: towed car lookup (St. Louis; City tows). Last checked October 5, 2026.
• Kansas City: claim your vehicle at the tow lot (links to the online search) (Kansas City; City tows). 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

• File a petition in associate circuit court: 10 days, counted from date you received the tow company's notice.

  Official text: “within ten days after the receipt of notification from the towing company pursuant to subsection 1 of this section may file a petition in the associate circuit court in the county where the abandoned property is stored to determine if the abandoned property was wrongfully taken or withheld from the owner.”

  We haven't checked how Missouri 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: Mo. Rev. Stat. § 304.156.5(1). 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 Missouri rules we checked are below.

Key towing rules in Missouri

Hearings

• Within 10 days after receiving the tow company's notice, the owner may file a petition in the associate circuit court of the county where the car is stored, to decide whether it was wrongfully taken or withheld. The court may order release on a bond.

  Official text: “within ten days after the receipt of notification from the towing company”

  Source: Mo. Rev. Stat. § 304.156.5. Last checked October 5, 2026.

Signs and permission to tow

• Without a police officer's authorization, a property owner, lessee or property or security manager may authorize a tow only when present, and only if a listed condition applies (such as a posted sign).

  Official text: “only when the owner, lessee or property or security manager of the real property is present”

  Source: Mo. Rev. Stat. § 304.157.4. Last checked October 5, 2026.

• A tow sign must be at least 17 by 22 inches, with letters at least 1 inch high, and must disclose the maximum fee for all towing and storage charges.

  Official text: “disclosing the maximum fee for all charges related to towing and storage”

  Source: Mo. Rev. Stat. § 304.157.4(1). Last checked October 5, 2026.

Getting money back

• A tow company that removes a car without written authorization from a property owner or agent who is present is liable to the car's owner for four times the towing and storage charges.

  Official text: “four times the amount of the towing and storage charges”

  Source: Mo. Rev. Stat. § 304.158.8-.9. Last checked October 5, 2026.

• A property owner who has a car towed without following the rules is liable to the car's owner for double the towing or storage charges.

  Official text: “double the storage or towing charges”

  Source: Mo. Rev. Stat. § 304.158.4. Last checked October 5, 2026.