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Kentucky · Snapshot 09/05/2026

KRS 281.928: Required notice to owner and lienholder -- Contents -- Holding and

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Where this section sits in the code
  1. KRS Chapter 281

retrieval period for towed vehicles.

(1) Within one (1) business day of the removal, a towing company shall contact the

cabinet in order to ascertain the identity of the o wner and any lienholder of any

motor vehicle registered in Kentucky which it has towed and, within ten (10) days

of the removal, shall, by certified mail, provide notice to the owner and any

lienholder at the address or addresses of record, when a motor vehicle has been:

(a) Towed under KRS 281.924 or 281.926;

(b) Involuntarily towed or transported pursuant to order of police, other public

authority, or private person or business for any reason;

(c) Stolen or misappropriated and its removal from the public ways has been

ordered by police, other public authority, or by private person or business; or

(d) In any other situation, involuntarily towed or transported by order of police,

other authority, or by private person or business. If the lienholder is a

registered organization listed in the business records of the Secretary of State,

the cabinet shall provide the address listed for the lienholder.

(2) The cabinet shall, within two (2) business days, provide the towing company the

name and address of the owner and lienholder of any motor vehicle requested

pursuant to subsection (1) of this section.

(3) (a) If a vehicle described in subsection (1) of this section is placed in a garage or

other storage facility, the owner of the facility shall provide the notice

required in subsection (1) of this section, by certified mail, to the owner and

any lienholder at the address or addresses of record of the motor vehicle

within ten (10) days of recovery of, or taking possession of, the motor vehicle.

(b) Any notice sent un der this subsection shall comply with the notification

provisions of subsection (4) of this section and shall include an estimated

itemized invoice pursuant to KRS 281.926(5) that specifies the amount of

charges for towing, recovery, storage, transporting, and other applicable

charges due on the vehicle.

(c) If the owner of the storage facility fails to provide notice as provided in this

section, the motor vehicle storage facility shall forfeit all storage fees accrued

after ten (10) days from the date of tow.

(d) This subsection shall not apply to a garage or storage facili ty owned or

operated by a government entity.

(4) Any notification required under subsection (1) or (2) of this section shall include:

(a) The date and time the vehicle was towed;

(b) The location from which the vehicle was towed;

(c) The name, address, and telephone number where the vehicle will be located;

(d) The location, address, and phone number where payment and business

transactions take place if different from the business address;

(e) The name, address, and phone number of the towing company or sto rage

facility;

(f) A description of the towed vehicle which shall at a minimum include the

make, model, year, vehicle identification number, and color of the towed

vehicle;

(g) The license plate number and state of registration of the towed vehicle; and

(h) A copy of the rate sheet required in KRS 281.926(2), if the vehicle was towed

by a towing company operating under this chapter and vehicles are being held

in a storage facility or garage.

(5) If a vehicle described in subsection (1) of this section is de termined to be a

corporately owned motor vehicle, the notices required under subsections (1) and (2)

of this section shall be sent to the corporate address listed on the registration. A

motor vehicle under this subsection shall be held for up to forty -five (45) days to

allow the motor vehicle owner or lienholder to retrieve the towed motor vehicle.

The rate charged shall be the standard daily rate of the towing company or storage

facility. If at any time more than one (1) motor vehicle owned by the same

corporation is under the control of a towing company or storage facility, each motor

vehicle shall be processed under a separate transaction.

(6) If a vehicle described in subsection (1) of this section is being held for potential

evidence in a civil or crimi nal investigation, the entity requesting the hold shall

provide written notice to the vehicle owner within five (5) business days of a hold

being initiated and within two (2) business days of a hold being released. The notice

required under this subsection shall be transmitted either electronically or by

certified mail.

(7) A towing company or storage facility that has met the provisions of this section

may sell the towed vehicle in accordance with KRS 359.230.

Collected 2026-09-05T20:53:34Z. Source file · JSON

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