Kansas Towing Laws: Your Rights When Your Car Is Towed

Primary law: Kan. Stat. Ann. § 8-1103 · Last verified July 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Kansas regulates private-property towing through K.S.A. 8-1103 with an unusual structure: a wrecker or towing service may tow from private property only where a city ordinance or county resolution authorizes it, and that local measure must spell out the maximum rates the company can charge. Your core protections therefore depend heavily on which Kansas city or county you were towed in. State law layers on baseline safeguards — the tow must be reported to local law enforcement within two hours, written notice of storage charges must be given at the time of service, and vehicles cannot be towed out of state without the owner's consent.

There is no statewide dollar cap on towing or storage fees; instead, overcharges are measured against the maximum rates in the authorizing local ordinance or resolution. Kansas gives towed owners unusually concrete personal-property rights: you must have access to belongings inside the vehicle for 48 hours after the tow and they must be released to you, and medical supplies must be released on request at any time. The statute does not provide a statewide drop fee, credit-card mandate, kickback ban, or signage rule — those gaps are left to local law, so pull your city's towing ordinance when disputing a bill.

Call the local police or sheriff's dispatch first: tow firms must report private-property tows within two hours, so dispatch can tell you who has your car. Ask the city or county clerk — or search the municipal code online — for the authorized maximum towing and storage rates, then compare them to your bill. Retrieve personal items promptly; your guaranteed access window is 48 hours after the tow. Get the required written notice of storage charges and an itemized receipt when you pay. If you were charged above the local rate schedule, complain to the city and to the Kansas Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division.

Kansas towing rules at a glance

How to get your car back in Kansas

1. Call local police or sheriff's dispatch — the tow company must report the tow within two hours, so they will know where your car is.
2. Look up your city or county's towing ordinance to find the authorized maximum rates before paying.
3. Retrieve personal property within 48 hours of the tow; the company must give you access and release your belongings (medical supplies on request at any time).
4. Get the written notice of storage charges and an itemized receipt, and compare every line to the local rate schedule.
5. Report overcharges to your city and the Kansas Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division.

Where to complain about an illegal tow

Kansas Attorney General - Consumer Protection Division handles towing complaints in Kansas. Keep your receipt, photos of any signage (or lack of it), and notes on dates and times — they decide most fee disputes.

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