Louisville Metro Impound Lot: How to Get Your Car Back

If Louisville Metro Police towed your car, it went to the LMPD Vehicle Impound Lot at 1487 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, KY 40206. Look it up with your plate number or VIN. Then call 502-574-7078 to book a pickup time and ask what you owe. Bring your ID, driver's license, title and VIN. The lot is open every day, but it closes for half an hour at 1:30 p.m.

Was my car towed, or was it stolen?

You walk out of work and the spot is empty. Your stomach drops. Before you call anyone, look around. Check the signs on the block. Look for "No Parking" signs that went up since you parked. Check the curb on both sides of the street.

Then find out who has the car. LMPD's Towed Vehicles page says its tows go to the Vehicle Impound Lot. Its Towed Vehicles page asks for two things to find a car:

• Your license plate number
• Your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)

Your VIN is on your registration and your insurance card. If those are in the car, check old paperwork or photos on your phone. The LMPD Towed Vehicles page has a "Looking for your vehicle?" link. It checks whether the lot has your car.

What if the car isn't at the LMPD lot?

LMPD says to call 502-574-LMPD (5673). Ask if a private tow company took it. That happens when a car is towed from a store lot or an apartment lot.

A different police agency may also have towed it. LMPD names the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and the police in Shively, St. Matthews and Jeffersontown. If you were in a crash and don't remember a tow, the car may still be at the scene. If nobody has it, report it stolen. If you're in danger, call 911.

Where is the Louisville impound lot, and when is it open?

The lot is run by LMPD's Vehicle Impoundment Unit. Here are the details from its official page:

Address	1487 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, KY 40206
Phone	502-574-7078
Monday to Friday	8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday	8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday	8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Daily break	Closed 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. for shift change

Don't plan to show up at 1:45 p.m. on your lunch break. The gate is shut for the shift change. Weekday evenings give you the most room if you work days.

In January 2026, the mayor announced a partnership with Vehicle Management Solutions to modernize the Frankfort Avenue lot. The city said the goal includes better contact with people picking up their cars. Steps can change as that work goes on, so call before you go.

How do I get my car out of the LMPD impound lot?

LMPD asks people to book a time first. Its page says pickups are by appointment "for the foreseeable future." Here is the order that saves you a wasted trip:

1. Confirm the car is at the lot with the online lookup, using your plate or VIN.
2. Call 502-574-7078. Book your pickup time.
3. On that same call, ask what you owe. LMPD says to call this number to verify fees.
4. Ask how you can pay, and what they need if someone else is picking up.
5. Gather your papers. Then get a ride to Frankfort Avenue at your booked time.

What do I need to bring?

LMPD lists four items to claim a car:

• ID
• Driver's license
• Title
• VIN number

The title trips people up. If yours is at home in a drawer, grab it before you go. If a bank holds your title, say so when you call. Ask what they'll take instead.

Can someone else pick up my car?

LMPD's page covers this for cars held for an investigation. Those go to the registered owner. They can also go to someone with a signed, notarized note from the owner that says they may take it. For any other tow, ask on the phone before you send a friend. Don't let them make the trip with the wrong papers.

Do I pay fees if my stolen car was found?

Maybe not, if you act fast. LMPD doesn't charge impound or storage fees on a recovered stolen car. That holds if the registered owner picks it up in the first 21 days after being told it was found. After 21 days, all charges apply.

LMPD also skips impound and storage fees on a car held for an investigation. That's only if the owner isn't a suspect in the case.

For every other tow, fees can add up. LMPD doesn't list amounts online. Call 502-574-7078 and ask. There's one more thing to know. Louisville Metro Ordinance 72.128 lets the city hold a car until outstanding unpaid citations are paid. Towing, handling and storage charges count too, unless you challenge the tow. Old tickets can make the bill bigger than you expect.

Why do cars get towed in Louisville?

The Vehicle Impoundment Unit tows cars for a few main reasons:

• Breaking traffic rules
• Blocking a street
• Being left in a public area
• Being flagged as a nuisance by Metro Inspections, Permits and Licenses
• Clearing a street after a crash

The unit also keeps cars from fatal crashes, arson cases and other crimes.

The street sweeping trap

Street sweeping runs March through November in the Urban Services District. Public Works posts "No Parking" signs before noon on the business day before. Then you can't park there from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on sweeping day.

Two rules surprise people. The ban covers both sides of the street, even if signs are only on one side. And the city says to stay off the street from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., even if it looks swept. The sweeper may come back. Cars left there can be ticketed or towed. You can sign up for sweeping alerts by text or email on the city's street sweeping page.

What if I never pick it up?

LMPD sells cars at online auctions, held about twice a month. Its pages don't say how long a car sits before it's sold. Storage fees can keep adding up while it waits. If you want your car back, call the lot this week, not next month.

What if my car won't start after I get it out?

Sentinel doesn't do impounds, and we can't get your car out of the lot. That part is between you and LMPD. But the trouble often starts once you're through the gate.

A car that sat for days can come back with a dead battery. Lights left on make it worse. A crash or a break-in may have left it unsafe to drive. In those cases you have two options:

• A jump start if the battery is just flat and the car is fine otherwise.
• A tow to a repair shop if it won't run, won't steer right or has crash damage.

Ask the lot staff where you can wait with the car. Tell your dispatcher you're at the impound lot on Frankfort Avenue, so your driver knows where to meet you. If the car dies later on a highway, turn on your flashers. Kentucky's move-over law tells drivers to change lanes or slow down for a disabled car showing them. Still, stay out of live lanes. If anyone is hurt or you're stopped in traffic, call 911 first.

Sentinel Towing is a towing and roadside network. A vetted local partner tow company does the job. We lock your price by text before anyone is sent. Then we check on you by text until help arrives. That's the Stay-With-You Promise. There's more on the city on our Louisville towing page.

Stuck right now? Call 1-888-TOW-1213, or request help online.

Louisville Impound Lot Questions

Rules change, so check the official source before you rely on it. Sources: LMPD Towed Vehicles, LMPD Vehicle Impoundment Unit, LMPD Vehicle Auctions, Louisville Metro Public Works: Street Sweeping, Louisville Metro news, January 13, 2026, KRS 189.930.