How much does it cost to get a car out of impound in Downtown?
A plain-English guide to impound and storage costs in Downtown: release fees, daily storage, the paperwork you need, and how to get your car back for less.
Why impound & storage fees costs what it does in Downtown
Impound costs inside Memphis Core follow the Memphis Police Department's own posted numbers: a $135.00 impound fee plus $30.00 per day storage at the city's Vehicle Storage Lot, 465 Klinke Avenue, open 24/7 at (901) 636-8200, cash or credit card, not including winching or other add-on charges. The wrecker company's own on-scene towing rate is set by a city-prescribed fee schedule that isn't published anywhere we could find in the City's own Wrecker Rules and Regulations document, so ask for an itemized rate before agreeing to anything. That's the city lot's fee, never ours.
Downtown sits where every interstate and US highway serving the metro converges, so a tow that starts near Beale Street, FedExForum, or the Mississippi River waterfront often began as a breakdown on one of those approach roads. Memphis Police, the Shelby County Sheriff's Department, and Housing and Community Development all route impounded vehicles to the same one facility, whether it's a Beale Street bar-lot pull or an event-day sweep around a Grizzlies or Redbirds game: 465 Klinke Avenue, open 24/7, (901) 636-8200, a $135.00 impound fee plus $30.00 a day storage, cash or credit card. The Hernando de Soto Bridge, carrying I-40 across the river a few blocks away, is the newer of the city's two Mississippi River crossings, opened in 1973 and known locally as the M Bridge for the twin arches lit gold and blue since a 2018 LED upgrade. Tennessee law gives an owner 20 days from formal notice to reclaim a vehicle before it moves toward public auction, where a buyer takes clear title and any surplus proceeds sit in a fund for 60 days from the date of sale waiting on the owner or a lienholder.
How we work Downtown
Downtown Memphis is where every interstate and US highway serving the metro physically comes together before I-40 crosses the Mississippi on the Hernando de Soto Bridge, so anything that breaks down approaching that bridge funnels through these same few blocks. Beale Street's bar and restaurant district generates a steady run of private-lot tows on weekend nights, cars parked in venue lots that were never meant to hold them, and event nights at FedExForum and AutoZone Park add their own wave of congestion-driven calls on top. The Peabody Hotel, the Mississippi River waterfront around Mud Island, and the historic core around Court Square sit close enough together that a single dispatch often covers two or three calls in the same walk. Calls here cover Beale Street, FedExForum, and the Hernando de Soto Bridge approach, and the operator gives you an arrival estimate when you call. The operators we dispatch run wheel-lift for the ordinary lot tow and flatbed for anything caught on the bridge approach itself or in standing water near the riverfront.
Downtown impound & storage fees at a glance
Ranges reflect Memphis Core conditions. They are typical figures, not a quote. Ask for the full total, mileage included, before anyone hooks up, and ask what would change it.
Want the exact number for your car? Call (901) 557-8700 and we'll get you the total before anyone hooks up.
Common Downtown cost questions
How much does it cost to get my car out of impound in Downtown?
If Memphis Police, the Shelby County Sheriff's Department, or Housing and Community Development ordered the tow, your car is almost certainly at the city's Vehicle Storage Lot, 465 Klinke Avenue, open 24/7 at (901) 636-8200. MPD's own posted fees are a $135.00 impound fee plus $30.00 per day storage, cash or credit card, and that doesn't include winching or other add-on charges. The wrecker company's own on-scene towing rate is set by a city-prescribed schedule that isn't published anywhere we could find, so ask the company for an itemized rate before you agree to anything.
What do I need to get my impounded car back in Downtown?
Bring a valid driver's license, current vehicle registration, and proof of insurance. A legitimate tow company in Tennessee, Mississippi, or Arkansas should give you an itemized bill on request. If a law enforcement agency ordered the tow, ask what additional release paperwork that agency needs before you drive over.
What happens if I don't pick up my car in Downtown?
Under Tennessee law, once you're formally notified your vehicle was impounded, you get 20 days from that notice to reclaim it by paying towing and storage. Miss that window and the vehicle moves toward public auction under Tennessee law, with any leftover sale proceeds held for you or your lienholder for 60 days from the date of sale before they go into a special fund. Storage keeps accruing the whole time, so the earlier you call, the less it costs.
Can Quick Tow Memphis get my car out of impound in Downtown?
We're a towing referral service, not the storage yard holding your car, so we can't waive the yard's fees or release it faster. What we can do is help you understand the process and send an operator to tow your car wherever it needs to go once the yard releases it, in Tennessee, Mississippi, or Arkansas. Call (901) 557-8700.
Related towing info for Downtown
Need a real quote in Downtown?
Call dispatch direct. Get the total before anyone hooks up.