How to get your car out of impound in Downtown St. Paul
If your car got towed in Downtown St. Paul, here is how to find it and get it back today.
What Minnesota law says
A missing car in this metro is one of three different things, and they have almost nothing in common. It may be a City of Minneapolis or City of St. Paul tow, held at that city's own impound lot. It may be a suburban tow, held by whichever suburb ordered it under its own arrangement. Or it may be a private-property tow off a lot or an apartment complex. Figure out which one you are in first, because the lot, the phone number and the paperwork all change with the answer. If Minneapolis towed it, the vehicle is at 50 Van White Memorial Blvd and the plate or VIN search at minneapolismn.gov confirms it before you leave the house. If St. Paul towed it, it is at 830 Barge Channel Rd, unless a snow emergency sent it to the lot on Cathlin St instead.
How it works in Downtown St. Paul
- 1 Work out who towed it first
A City of Minneapolis or St. Paul tow, a suburban tow and a private-property tow are three different processes with three different holders. Getting this right before you do anything else saves you a wasted trip and a call to the wrong place.
- 2 Search for a Minneapolis tow online
If you think Minneapolis towed it, run the plate or VIN search at minneapolismn.gov. It tells you whether the city has the vehicle at 50 Van White Memorial Blvd before you drive anywhere, and you can confirm by phone at (612) 673-5777.
- 3 Confirm a St. Paul tow by phone
A St. Paul tow is usually at 830 Barge Channel Rd, 651-266-5642, open daily 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. A snow-emergency tow goes to 1129 Cathlin St instead, 651-502-7480, so ask which lot has your car before you head out.
- 4 Bring the right documents
Bring valid photo identification and proof that you own the vehicle, such as the title or the registration. Requirements vary by lot, so confirm the exact list with whoever is holding the car before you make the trip.
- 5 Make sure you can drive it out
A released vehicle still needs current registration for you to legally drive it off the lot. If the registration has lapsed, ask the lot what your options are so you are not stuck with a car you cannot move.
- 6 For a suburb, call your own city
If a suburb towed it, none of the Minneapolis or St. Paul details apply. Call the city that ordered the tow, ask where the lot is and what you will owe, and never assume a central-city fee is the number you will pay.
What this looks like around Downtown St. Paul
A City of St. Paul tow goes to the police impound lot at 830 Barge Channel Rd, open every day 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., reachable at 651-266-5642. A snow-emergency tow is the exception: it lands at the lot at 1129 Cathlin St near the fairgrounds instead, 651-502-7480. Confirm which lot has your car before you make the trip, because they are on opposite sides of the city.
A downtown St. Paul city tow goes to the St. Paul lot, and during a snow emergency it goes to the fairgrounds lot instead, so ask which one has your car before you drive over. A City of St. Paul tow has published fees: a snow-emergency tow totals $246 if you retrieve the car the same day before midnight, made up of towing $143.89, administration $80.00 and sales tax $22.11, then $15 per day storage. A separate $56 parking ticket is paid to the Minnesota courts, not the lot. The regular impound lot is at 830 Barge Channel Rd, open daily 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and a snow-emergency tow goes to 1129 Cathlin St near the fairgrounds instead, so confirm which lot has your car. Bring photo identification, proof of ownership and payment in full.
Downtown St. Paul runs from the Mississippi River up to the Capitol complex, with the Xcel Energy Center, the RiverCentre and the Ordway drawing event crowds and I-94 and I-35E meeting at its edge. Kellogg, Wabasha, Robert and Seventh carry the downtown traffic. Wild games, concerts and Capitol-session parking all stack posted and unposted restrictions on top of the everyday enforcement, and a St. Paul snow emergency runs a Night Plow phase from 9 p.m. and a Day Plow phase from 8 a.m. that clears downtown first. The St. Paul Police impound lot is at 830 Barge Channel Rd, open every day from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; a snow-emergency tow instead goes to the lot at 1129 Cathlin St near the fairgrounds, so ask which one has your car. Operators cover the downtown core, the ramps and the river flats below.
Common Downtown St. Paul questions
How do I find out where my car was towed in Downtown St. Paul?
Start by working out who towed it. For a City of Minneapolis tow, run the plate or VIN search at minneapolismn.gov or call the impound lot at (612) 673-5777. For a St. Paul tow, call 651-266-5642, or 651-502-7480 during a snow emergency. If a suburb towed it, call that city's police or public works department directly.
What do I need to bring to get my car out of impound in Downtown St. Paul?
Bring valid photo identification and proof that you own the vehicle, such as the title or the registration, and remember the car needs current registration for you to drive it off the lot. Every lot sets its own exact requirements, so confirm the list with the holder before you drive over.
Is my car at the Minneapolis lot, the St. Paul lot, or a suburb in Downtown St. Paul?
It depends entirely on who towed it. A Minneapolis city tow is at 50 Van White Memorial Blvd, a St. Paul city tow is at 830 Barge Channel Rd or the snow-emergency lot on Cathlin St, and a suburban tow is at whatever lot that suburb uses. Confirm before you drive, because these are miles apart.
Can Quick Tow Minneapolis release my car from impound in Downtown St. Paul?
No, and we will not pretend otherwise. We are a referral service that connects drivers with independent, locally licensed tow and roadside operators. We are not the impound lot, the city or the suburb holding your car, so we cannot waive a fee or speed up a release. What we can do is help you work out who has it and line up an operator once it is released. Call (952) 900-4065.
Related help for Downtown St. Paul
Impound release process in the rest of the St. Paul Core area
Need your car towed once it's released in Downtown St. Paul?
We can't waive the yard's fees. We can line up an operator the moment it clears.