Towing Laws in Missouri: Your Rights, Costs & Impound Rules

If your car was just towed in Missouri - from a parking lot, an apartment complex, or after being flagged as abandoned - this page explains what state law says about the fees you can be charged, how to get your vehicle and belongings back, and where to file a complaint. Every fact below comes directly from Missouri statutes and state agencies, each cited so you can verify it yourself.

Who regulates towing in Missouri

Consumer complaints about towing in Missouri are handled by the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division. You can file through the online consumer complaint form, or call the Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-392-8222.

What a tow can cost

Missouri doesn't set a statewide nonconsent rate schedule, but RSMo 304.158 does cap the drop fee - what you're charged if you retrieve your vehicle before removal is complete - at not more than one-half of the regular towing charge. Storage facilities are also required to accept cash and keep sufficient money on hand to make change. If a company removes a vehicle without proper authorization, it can be held liable for four times the towing and storage charges.

Because there's no flat statewide price cap, ask for an itemized invoice and check with your city or county for any local rate rules. Our towing cost calculator can help you compare the total against what's typical.

Getting your car back from impound

Under RSMo 304.155, a Missouri towing company holding abandoned property has a lien for all reasonable towing and storage charges, but it can only dispose of the vehicle as scrap after at least thirty days from owner notification, and only if the property remains unredeemed. Prescription medications must be released to you on request regardless of payment status. The company is also required to give you an itemized receipt for the vehicle's contents and is strictly liable for their condition and safe return.

If you're towed from private property

Private-property towing in Missouri generally requires an owner, lessee, or qualifying manager to be present, along with a sign at least 17 by 22 inches posted at every entrance. The property owner or lessee is also required to file an abandoned-property report within one hour after the tow.

After an accident

Missouri law requires a written report to the director within 30 days when a crash involving an uninsured motorist causes injury, death, or more than $500 in damage to any one person - and an uninsured owner or operator is required to file that report themselves. This reporting duty is specifically tied to crashes involving an uninsured party, so check your own insurance status and the other driver's before assuming this requirement applies.

The Move Over law

RSMo 304.022 requires drivers approaching a stationary vehicle displaying lighted amber, or amber and white, lights - a category that covers wreckers and tow trucks - to change into a lane that isn't adjacent to the stopped vehicle on roads with at least four lanes, or otherwise proceed with due caution and reduce speed. A violation is a class A misdemeanor.

FAQ

Can a Missouri tow company charge me the full fee if I show up before my car is towed away? No. RSMo 304.158 caps the drop fee at not more than half of the regular towing charge if you retrieve your vehicle before removal is complete.

How long before an unredeemed towed vehicle can be scrapped in Missouri? At least thirty days from owner notification, and only if the property remains unredeemed at that point, under RSMo 304.155.

Who do I complain to if a Missouri tow company overcharges me? The Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division handles towing complaints. File online or call the Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-392-8222.

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