{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-376.275","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 376.275","heading":"Lien on motor vehicles and contents for reasonable and applicable charges","body":"under KRS 281.920 to 281.936 -- Forfeiture and sale of contents -- Exempted\ncontents -- Limitation of storage or towing company's liability.\n(1) (a) Any person engaged in the business of storing or towing motor vehicles, who\nhas complied with the notification requirements of KRS 281.928, shall have a\nlien on the motor vehicle and its contents, except as set forth in subsection (2)\nof this section, for the applicabl e and reasonable charges assessed in\naccordance with KRS 281.926 and 281.932, as long as it remains in his or her\npossession.\n(b) If, after a period of forty-five (45) days, the applicable and reasonable charges\nassessed in accordance with KRS 281.926 and 281.932 have not been paid,\nthe motor vehicle and its contents, except as set forth in subsection (2) of this\nsection, may be sold to pay the charges after the owner and any lienholder\nhave been notified by certified mail at the addresses specified in KRS\n281.928(1), ten (10) days prior to the time and place of the sale. If the\nproceeds of the sale of any vehicle pursuant to this section are insufficient to\nsatisfy accrued charges, the sale and collection of proceeds shall not constitute\na waiver or release  of responsibility for payment of unpaid charges by the\nowner or responsible casualty insurer of the vehicle. A lien on a vehicle under\nthis subsection shall be subject to prior recorded liens, unless released by any\nexisting lienholder pursuant to paragraph (c) of this subsection.\n(c) 1. A lienholder having a prior recorded lien listed on the title issued by the\nCommonwealth of Kentucky shall be notified by certified mail within\nthe first ten (10) days of impoundment in accordance with KRS\n281.928.\n2. The notification, in addition to the requirements of KRS 281.928, shall\ninclude the make, model, license number, vehicle identification number,\nowner's name and last known address, and tentative date of sale for the\nvehicle, and state that the towing company o r storage facility seeks to\nobtain a new title free and clear of any liens, excluding tax liens.\n3. If the certified letter required under this paragraph is not sent within the\nten (10) days by the towing and storage company, then only ten (10)\ndays of storage may be charged.\n4. The lienholder has the right to take possession of the motor vehicle after\nshowing proof of lien still enforced, and paying the reasonable or agreed\ntowing and storage charges on the motor vehicle.\n5. If a lienholder does not exercise the right to take possession of the motor\nvehicle under this paragraph within forty -five (45) days of notification,\nthe towing company or storage facility may obtain a new title under\nKRS 186A.145 free and clear of any liens, excluding tax liens.\n6. Nothing in this section shall allow the transfer of a vehicle subject to a\nlien, except as provided in KRS 186A.190 or in subparagraph 5. of this\nparagraph.\n(d) If there are no lienholders required to be notified under KRS 281.920 to\n281.936 and 359.230 an d this section, and the owner does not exercise the\nright to take possession of the motor vehicle under this section within forty -\nfive (45) days of notification required under KRS 281.928, the towing\ncompany or storage facility may obtain a new title under  KRS 186A.145 free\nand clear of any liens, excluding tax liens.\n(2) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to the following contents of a motor\nvehicle, which shall be released to the vehicle owner or the owner's designated\nagent upon request, if the request is made within forty-five (45) days of the date the\nvehicle was towed:\n(a) Prescription medication in its proper container;\n(b) Personal medical supplies and equipment or records;\n(c) Educational materials, including but not limited to calculato rs, books, papers,\nand school supplies;\n(d) Documents, files, electronic devices, or equipment which may be able to store\npersonal information or information relating to a person's employment or\nbusiness;\n(e) Firearms and ammunition. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (3) of\nthis section, firearms and ammunition which are not claimed by the owner of\nthe vehicle within forty-five (45) days of the date the vehicle was towed shall\nbe transferred to the Department of Kentucky State Police for disposit ion as\nprovided by KRS 16.220;\n(f) Cargo in the possession of persons engaged in transportation in interstate\ncommerce as registered under KRS 186.020;\n(g) Cargo in the possession of an integrated intermodal small package carrier as\ndefined by KRS 281.605(12);\n(h) Child restraint systems or child booster seats; and\n(i) Checks, checkbooks, debit or credit cards, money orders, stocks, or bonds.\n(3) Except as provided in subsection (2)(e) of this section, any contents exempted\nunder subsection (2)(c), (d), (f) , and (g) of this section that are not claimed by the\nowner of the vehicle within forty -five (45) days of the date the vehicle was towed\nmay be sold or otherwise legally disposed of by the storage or towing company.\nAny contents exempted under subsection ( 2)(a), (b), (h), and (i) of this section that\nare not claimed by the owner of the vehicle within forty -five (45) days of the date\nthe vehicle was towed shall not be sold, but shall be otherwise legally disposed of\nby the storage or towing company.\n(4) The storage or towing company shall not be responsible for contents in a vehicle's\ntrunk or other locked compartment to which the storage or towing company is\nwithout access, unless the towing company intentionally opens the area without the\nowner's consent.\n(5) This section shall not apply when a local government causes a vehicle to be towed\npursuant to KRS 82.605 to 82.640 or if state government causes a vehicle to be\ntowed.","path":["KRS Chapter 376"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=54934","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:59:08Z","sha256":"bffb775d1a563d6ba55a857ffddf415ce869e231b61bf4d3917a7c0114b9fe4a","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-376.272","next":"us-ky/krs-376.280"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}