A successful impound release starts before you travel to the storage lot. Confirm the facility, gather the correct documents, check for holds, and understand how the vehicle may leave.
Memphis has specific instructions for vehicles stored at the city lot. Another facility may follow a different process, so call it directly before making the trip.
Confirm which facility has the vehicle
Start by confirming exactly where the vehicle is stored. Don’t drive to a yard based on a guess or an old address.
MPD tows, Shelby County Sheriff tows, and Housing and Community Development tows process through the MPD Vehicle Storage Lot. The lot is at 465 Klinke Avenue in Memphis. It’s open every day, around the clock.
The city doesn’t provide an online vehicle lookup tool. Its phone line is the single point of contact for confirming whether the lot has a vehicle. The current contact details appear on the MPD Vehicle Storage Lot page.
If you still don’t know who ordered the tow, follow our guide to finding a towed car in Memphis. That guide covers the locating process. This checklist begins once you know where the vehicle is held.
Don’t assume every Memphis-area tow ends at Klinke Avenue. A vehicle removed from private property may involve another storage facility. The city source doesn’t provide one shared release procedure for every private yard.
Ask that facility to confirm its name, address, hours, and current release process. If the removal involved an apartment lot, business, or another private location, our private property towing page provides related service information.
Location also changes the governing rules. A tow originating in Southaven or West Memphis falls under that state’s law, not Tennessee’s.
Ask what documents the facility requires
The MPD lot publishes separate requirements for owners, non-owners, and rental vehicles. Match your paperwork to the correct situation.
For an owner pickup, bring:
- A valid photo ID
- The vehicle’s plate number or VIN
- Proof of ownership through the registration, title, or lease
For a non-owner pickup, the city requires:
- A notarized statement from the owner naming the person collecting the vehicle
- A legible copy of the owner’s photo ID
- The vehicle’s plate number or VIN
- The vehicle’s make and year
For a rental vehicle, bring the rental agreement and matching identification.
These are the city lot’s published Memphis impound documents. Another facility may request different paperwork. Ask before leaving home whether it accepts copies, digital records, or another form of ownership proof. No universal answer for those details could be confirmed.
Also plan how the vehicle will leave. The MPD lot requires a licensed driver to drive it away. Otherwise, a tow must be arranged for an added fee.
That driver requirement matters when the registered owner doesn’t have a valid license. It also matters when the vehicle won’t start or isn’t safe to drive. Confirm the release first, then arrange the next move.
Keep the vehicle’s exact plate or VIN available during the call. Similar names, shared family vehicles, and recent purchases can complicate the conversation. The identifying number gives the facility a direct way to check the correct vehicle.
Separate vehicle release from property access
Getting belongings from the vehicle isn’t the same task as releasing the vehicle. Treat them as two separate requests when you contact the lot.
Memphis wrecker rules require the release of personal property and cargo that isn’t physically attached to the vehicle. The owner or the owner’s designee may request those items unless MPD directs otherwise.
The confirmed rule doesn’t establish a retrieval fee or special access hours. Don’t rely on an unsourced schedule. Ask the facility when access is available and what identification it wants to see.
Be precise about what you need. The confirmed Memphis rule covers property that isn’t physically attached. It doesn’t create a blanket right to remove vehicle parts or attached equipment.
If another person will collect the belongings, ask what proof the facility wants from the owner. The city’s vehicle-release instructions describe documentation for a non-owner pickup, but they don’t publish a separate document checklist for every property-only visit.
A police direction can also affect access. If MPD has restricted the vehicle, ask whether any belongings may be collected and who must approve that request.
Our guide to your rights when a vehicle is towed in Memphis explains the broader rules. For release day, keep the request narrow: confirm access, identify the collector, and ask what to bring.
Quick Tow Memphis doesn’t operate an impound lot or control access decisions. The facility holding the vehicle handles both release approval and property requests.
Check for holds before making the trip
A complete folder won’t release a vehicle that remains under a criminal-investigation hold. The MPD lot specifically tells owners to call and check the vehicle’s status before pickup.
Ask whether the vehicle is cleared for release that day. Don’t treat an earlier conversation as final if someone mentioned an investigation, theft recovery, or another law-enforcement matter.
The city’s published instructions don’t provide one universal clearance schedule. They direct the owner to check the current status with the lot. That makes a same-day confirmation the safest plan.
This step can prevent a wasted drive across Memphis. The Klinke Avenue lot is in north Memphis, so a trip from East Memphis, Cordova, Bartlett, or the southern suburbs can take planning. Confirm the hold status before starting that drive.
If a hold remains, ask the lot what must happen next. Don’t guess which agency can clear it or how long that decision will take. Follow the instructions given for that specific vehicle.
You can still ask whether property access is available while the release remains blocked. Memphis rules generally cover unattached personal property on request, but MPD may direct otherwise. Get the answer before visiting.
Once the hold is cleared, confirm the document list again. Ownership, non-owner, and rental pickups use different paperwork. A release-status check and a document check belong in the same call.
Verify charges and payment rules directly
The city’s published fees must be described as city charges, not Quick Tow prices. The MPD lot lists a $135 impound fee and storage at $30 per day. Winching and other additional charges aren’t included in those figures.
The city says the lot accepts cash and credit. Before traveling, ask for the current total and confirm how the facility will accept payment that day. Don’t assume a particular card type, deposit method, or payment arrangement without asking.
Memphis wrecker rules state that storage rates begin 24 hours after impound. Your actual balance still depends on the vehicle’s record and any applicable additional charges. Get the total from the facility holding it.
Ask what each charge represents. If something appears wrong, don’t invent a legal remedy or rely on an old Tennessee citation. Title 55, Chapter 16 was repealed, and current towing law now sits in the re-enacted MOTION Act.
Our guide to how towing fees are regulated in Tennessee explains that distinction. Tennessee doesn’t impose one statewide dollar cap on every tow. The MPD figures above apply to the city’s vehicle storage lot.
Quick Tow doesn’t set an impound facility’s balance or authorize a release. The storage facility controls its paperwork, payment process, and release decision. Confirm all three before leaving home.
Finally, remember the exit plan. A licensed driver must drive a vehicle from the MPD lot, or a tow must be arranged for an added fee. Include that possible cost when preparing for pickup.
When to call us
Once the facility authorizes release, a towing operator can move a vehicle that can’t be driven away or lacks a licensed driver. We can take the vehicle details and match you with a local operator. Call us at (901) 557-8700.