1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to public safety; prohibiting charging the victim of a crime for towing or
1.3 impounding a motor vehicle; prohibiting the sale of a motor vehicle that is a crime
1.4 victim's vehicle for 180 days; providing for reimbursement of a crime victim's
1.5 vehicle that is sold by a unit of government; prohibiting charging the victim of a
1.6 crime any fine or fee; requiring law enforcement agencies to investigate reports
1.7 of stolen vehicles and provide an update on that investigation; amending Minnesota
1.8 Statutes 2024, sections 168B.011, by adding a subdivision; 168B.051, by adding
1.9 a subdivision; 168B.06, subdivision 1, by adding a subdivision; 168B.07, by adding
1.10 a subdivision; 168B.08, by adding a subdivision; 169.042, by adding a subdivision;
1.11 611A.675, subdivision 1; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes,
1.12 chapters 611A; 626.
1.13BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.14 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 168B.011, is amended by adding a subdivision
1.15to read:
1.16 Subd. 3a.Crime victim's vehicle."Crime victim's vehicle" means a motor vehicle that:
1.17 (1) has been reported as stolen by the owner of the vehicle;
1.18 (2) a law enforcement official has probable cause to believe constitutes or contains
1.19evidence of a crime and the law enforcement official knows or reasonably should know that
1.20the vehicle had been taken from the owner's possession or was being used without the
1.21owner's permission; or
1.22 (3) has been involved in a collision or accident caused by another driver operating a
1.23vehicle in violation of section 169.13, 169A.20, 609.2112, 609.2113, 609.2114, or 609.487,
1.24subdivision 3 or 4.
1.25 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025.
1Section 1.
25-00737 as introduced11/25/24 REVISOR KLL/HL
SENATE
STATE OF MINNESOTA
S.F. No. 760NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
(SENATE AUTHORS: LUCERO)
OFFICIAL STATUSD-PGDATE
Introduction and first reading01/30/2025
Referred to Transportation 2.1 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 168B.051, is amended by adding a subdivision
2.2to read:
2.3 Subd. 3.Crime victim's vehicle; sale after 180 days or title transfer.(a) A crime
2.4victim's vehicle is eligible for disposal or sale under section 168B.08, the earlier of:
2.5 (1) 180 days after notice to the owner; or
2.6 (2) the date of a voluntary written title transfer by the registered owner to the impound
2.7lot operator.
2.8 (b) A voluntary written title transfer constitutes a waiver by the registered owner of any
2.9right, title, and interest in the vehicle.
2.10 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to vehicles
2.11impounded on or after that date.
2.12 Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 168B.06, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
2.13 Subdivision 1.Written notice of impound.(a) When an impounded vehicle is taken
2.14into custody, the unit of government or impound lot operator taking it into custody shall
2.15give written notice of the taking within five days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal
2.16holidays, to the registered vehicle owner and any lienholders.
2.17 (b) The notice must:
2.18 (1) set forth the date and place of the taking;
2.19 (2) provide the year, make, model, and serial number of the impounded motor vehicle,
2.20if such information can be reasonably obtained, and the place where the vehicle is being
2.21held;
2.22 (3) inform the owner and any lienholders of their right to reclaim the vehicle under
2.23section 168B.07;
2.24 (4) state that, unless the vehicle is a crime victim's vehicle, failure of the owner or
2.25lienholders to:
2.26 (i) exercise their right to reclaim the vehicle within the appropriate time allowed under
2.27section 168B.051, subdivision 1, 1a, or 2, and under the conditions set forth in section
2.28168B.07, subdivision 1, constitutes a waiver by them of all right, title, and interest in the
2.29vehicle and a consent to the transfer of title to and disposal or sale of the vehicle pursuant
2.30to section 168B.08; or
2Sec. 3.
25-00737 as introduced11/25/24 REVISOR KLL/HL 3.1 (ii) exercise their right to reclaim the contents of the vehicle within the appropriate time
3.2allowed and under the conditions set forth in section 168B.07, subdivision 3, constitutes a
3.3waiver by them of all right, title, and interest in the contents and consent to sell or dispose
3.4of the contents under section 168B.08; and
3.5 (5) state that, if the vehicle is a crime victim's vehicle, the owner may reclaim the vehicle
3.6within 180 days without payment of any fee; and
3.7 (5) (6) state that a vehicle owner who provides to the impound lot operator documentation
3.8from a government or nonprofit agency or legal aid office that the owner is homeless,
3.9receives relief based on need, or is eligible for legal aid services, has the unencumbered
3.10right to retrieve any and all contents without charge.
3.11 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to vehicles
3.12impounded on or after that date.
3.13 Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 168B.06, is amended by adding a subdivision to
3.14read:
3.15 Subd. 4.Crime victim's vehicle; third notice.If an unauthorized vehicle that is a crime
3.16victim's vehicle remains unclaimed after 60 days from the date the notice was sent under
3.17subdivision 3, a third notice must be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the
3.18registered owner, if any, of the unauthorized vehicle and to all readily identifiable lienholders
3.19of record.
3.20 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to vehicles
3.21impounded on or after that date.
3.22 Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 168B.07, is amended by adding a subdivision to
3.23read:
3.24 Subd. 1a.Crime victim's vehicle; charges prohibited for 180 days.Notwithstanding
3.25any law to the contrary, the registered owner of an impounded crime victim's vehicle shall
3.26have a right to reclaim such vehicle from the unit of government or impound lot operator
3.27taking it into custody within 180 days without payment of towing or storage charges. If the
3.28registered owner reclaims an impounded vehicle after 180 days, the unit of government or
3.29impound lot operator may require payment of reasonable towing and storage charges before
3.30releasing the vehicle.
3.31 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to vehicles
3.32impounded on or after that date.
3Sec. 5.
25-00737 as introduced11/25/24 REVISOR KLL/HL 4.1 Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 168B.08, is amended by adding a subdivision to
4.2read:
4.3 Subd. 5.Unauthorized sale of crime victim's vehicle; reimbursement.If a crime
4.4victim's vehicle is disposed of or sold at auction or sale before the vehicle is eligible for
4.5disposal or sale, the unit of government responsible for taking the vehicle into custody must
4.6reimburse the owner of the vehicle in an amount equal to the greater of the fair market value
4.7of the vehicle or 110 percent of the proceeds derived from a sale conducted under this
4.8section. The owner must claim reimbursement within two years of the disposal or sale.
4.9 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to vehicles
4.10impounded on or after that date.
4.11 Sec. 7. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 169.042, is amended by adding a subdivision to
4.12read:
4.13 Subd. 3.Fees and fines prohibited.The victim of a vehicle theft or the owner of a
4.14vehicle that was stolen shall not be required to pay any fine as a result of the vehicle theft
4.15and shall not be required to pay any fees for the towing, impoundment, or other storage of
4.16the stolen motor vehicle. Any fees for the towing, impoundment, or other storage of the
4.17stolen motor vehicle shall be assessed against any person convicted of the theft of the vehicle.
4.18 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to vehicle
4.19thefts committed on or after that date.
4.20 Sec. 8. [611A.025] FINES OR FEES PROHIBITED.
4.21 A victim shall not be required to pay any fine or fee for any services performed by a
4.22unit of government or law enforcement agency as a result of a crime, including but not
4.23limited to towing, impoundment, or storage fees related to the recovery of a stolen vehicle,
4.24unless the victim is convicted of a related offense.
4.25 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to crimes
4.26committed on or after that date.
4.27 Sec. 9. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 611A.675, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
4.28 Subdivision 1.Grants authorized.The commissioner of public safety shall make grants
4.29to prosecutors and victim assistance programs for the purpose of providing emergency
4.30assistance to victims. As used in this section, "emergency assistance" includes but is not
4.31limited to:
4Sec. 9.
25-00737 as introduced11/25/24 REVISOR KLL/HL 5.1 (1) replacement of necessary property that was lost, damaged, or stolen as a result of
5.2the crime;
5.3 (2) purchase and installation of necessary home security devices;
5.4 (3) transportation to locations related to the victim's needs as a victim, such as medical
5.5facilities and facilities of the criminal justice system;
5.6 (4) cleanup of the crime scene; and
5.7 (5) reimbursement for reasonable travel and living expenses the victim incurred to attend
5.8court proceedings that were held at a location other than the place where the crime occurred
5.9due to a change of venue; and.
5.10 (6) reimbursement of towing and storage fees incurred due to impoundment of a recovered
5.11stolen vehicle.
5.12 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to crimes
5.13committed on or after that date.
5.14 Sec. 10. [626.745] MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT; INVESTIGATION AND NOTICE.
5.15 A law enforcement agency that receives a report that a motor vehicle has been taken
5.16from the owner's possession or is being used without the owner's permission must investigate
5.17the report. The law enforcement agency must provide the motor vehicle's owner with an
5.18update on the status of the investigation within 60 days of the report and must provide the
5.19notice required under section 169.042.
5.20 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to thefts
5.21reported on or after that date.
5Sec. 10.
25-00737 as introduced11/25/24 REVISOR KLL/HL