Key Takeaways
- At least 42 states now cap non-consensual towing fees or require tow companies to file rate schedules with a regulator - up sharply since 2020.
- Most states require the towing company to notify local police within 30 minutes to a few hours of a private-property tow; no police report on file is a strong sign the tow was mishandled.
- Missing, undersized, or single-entrance-only signage is one of the most common - and most winnable - grounds for disputing a tow.
- The 'no charge for the first 24 hours of storage' rule some people cite isn't universal - it applies in a handful of states (New Mexico and New York, among others), not nationwide. Check your state in the table below.
- Daily storage fee caps range roughly $20-$75 depending on the state; base tow fee caps run from about $65 (Hawaii) to $175+ (New Hampshire) where a cap exists at all.
- Never confront the tow yard or try to physically stop or retrieve your car yourself - that risk turns you from the wronged party into the one facing criminal charges.
I recently visited some friends for dinner at their new apartment in a large 300-unit complex. When I got back to where I’d parked, the space was empty.
After a minute of panicked disbelief — was I even in the right row? — I accepted my car was gone. A small, easy-to-miss towing sign with a company phone number told me it had been towed, not stolen.
I called the towing company and tried to explain I’d parked legally. They weren’t interested; they were just following the apartment management’s instructions, they said, and offered nothing in the way of customer service.
I needed the car for work the next day, so I paid the $150 charge and got it back. I was not a happy camper.
I’d parked in an unreserved spot with no visible signage restricting it, and my friends — who’d lived there for two weeks and parked in similar spots without issue — were sure their lease didn’t ban visitor parking either. So I started digging into towing law, and here’s what I found, updated with the current state-by-state rules.
Check You Didn’t Actually Violate a Parking Rule
Before anything else, confirm you were actually parked illegally. Look for signage at the lot’s entrances or near the space itself.
If you can, check the lease of whoever you were visiting — it should spell out visitor parking rules. Then call the apartment manager and ask directly why your car was towed; they’re usually more responsive than the tow company, partly because they still have to answer to their own tenants.
Get Proof the Tow Followed the Rules
A properly executed tow requires the company to photograph the “violation” before hooking up your car, and in most states, to notify local police so your car isn’t logged as stolen. Getting those photos from the tow company isn’t always easy — expect to go back, and expect a fee for copies.
Call the local police department where the tow company operates and ask whether the tow was actually reported. Police can’t force a release, but they can confirm whether procedure was followed, and they’ll act as a witness if things get heated at the lot.
Don’t expect police to treat this as a priority, either — it’s a minor civil matter to them, and they typically have a longer working relationship with the tow operator than with you.
Don’t Be a Hero
The single biggest mistake people make is taking matters into their own hands — yelling at, threatening, or physically confronting tow yard staff. Do that and you become the one facing charges, not them.
Work through the police for the initial complaint, then follow your state’s formal dispute process (below) if talking to the tow company and property manager doesn’t resolve things.
Predatory Towing Is a Real Business Model
Once a tow company has your car, it can refuse to release it until its fee is paid — and storage charges keep accruing daily. If those charges eventually exceed the car’s value, the company can auction it off and keep the proceeds.
Most vehicle owners don’t know the specific protections their state gives them, can’t afford to take time off to fight it in court, and get little help from police, who usually aren’t towing-law specialists either. That imbalance is exactly why state governments have kept adding new towing protections — Georgia, for example, now requires booting companies to post an all-inclusive flat-rate sign at every entrance, a rule that only took effect in 2026.
Many of these state towing statutes exist because the auto insurance industry lobbied for them too — negligent or predatory towing drives up claims and premiums, so insurers, consumer groups, and state regulators have largely been pushing in the same direction on this.
If a company’s fee tactics ever feel like the same kind of buried, after-the-fact charge you’d see from an airline or car rental company padding your bill with fees you never agreed to, that instinct is usually right — and the same “get it in writing, then dispute it” playbook applies.
Your State’s Towing Rules: Fee Caps, Notice Rules, and Where to Complain
This is the part that actually changes what you should do next. Towing law is entirely state-by-state — there’s no federal towing statute — so what’s illegal in one state may be perfectly legal a few miles away across a state line.
The table below summarizes each state’s key non-consensual (private-property) towing protections: the notice or police-reporting requirement, and the fee cap or headline consumer protection. Local city and county ordinances can add further requirements on top of these, so treat this as your starting point, not the final word.
| State | Notice / Reporting Requirement | Fee Cap or Key Protection |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama (AL) | No fixed reporting window in state rule | Rates must be “reasonable,” approved by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency |
| Alaska (AK) | Owner/lienholder notified within 7 working days | No statewide fee cap; notice timing is the main protection |
| Arizona (AZ) | Police notified within 1 hour | Storage capped around $15/day |
| Arkansas (AR) | Police notified within 2 hours | No storage fee may be charged until police are notified |
| California (CA) | Tow company must give a reasonable chance to leave first | No blanket lot-wide tow authorization allowed (VC §22658); owner can request a hearing |
| Colorado (CO) | Set by recent consumer-protection bills | Fee/documentation rules tightened under HB 24-1051 |
| Connecticut (CT) | Police notified within 2 hours | Base tow fee capped near $130 (light-duty vehicles) |
| Delaware (DE) | Photographic evidence required | Storage fee capped at $500 |
| District of Columbia (DC) | Towing control number required | Owner responsible for fees; strict licensing rules |
| Florida (FL) | Posted rate sheet required at entrance | Credit cards must be accepted; 24-hour retrieval access guaranteed |
| Georgia (GA) | State-issued permit required to tow | Fee cap around $150; storage lot must be secured |
| Hawaii (HI) | — | Tow capped near $65 + $7.50/mile; storage $20–$25/day |
| Idaho (ID) | Interested parties identified within 72 hours | Vehicle must be released once fees are paid |
| Illinois (IL) | Police notified within 30 minutes; photo required | Itemized final invoice required, including any damage noted |
| Indiana (IN) | Local law enforcement notified | Fee capped near $150 in Indianapolis; storage ~$30/day |
| Iowa (IA) | — | No statewide rate cap — one of the least-regulated states |
| Kansas (KS) | Written storage-fee notice required | Mileage fee capped at $3/mile beyond a 20-mile round trip |
| Kentucky (KY) | Police notified within 2 hours | Company must secure the vehicle against damage/theft |
| Louisiana (LA) | Written owner/lienholder notice after 45 days | Written contract required between property owner and tow company |
| Maine (ME) | Notice required if holding past 3 days | Storage capped near $900 for a 30-day period |
| Maryland (MD) | Set by recent consumer bills | Excessive nonconsensual-tow fees restricted (Transp. Code §21-10A-04) |
| Massachusetts (MA) | Municipal rules vary | Primarily governs officer-ordered tows; check local ordinance for private lots |
| Michigan (MI) | Signage posted 24 hours before towing; police notified after 7 days unclaimed | Stolen-vehicle check required before towing |
| Minnesota (MN) | — | Can’t tow a ticketed vehicle from public property for 4 hours (with safety exceptions) |
| Mississippi (MS) | — | Owner liable for “reasonable” towing/storage cost; no hard cap |
| Missouri (MO) | — | Tow company must have a visible business address and a secure lot |
| Montana (MT) | Certified letter to owner/lienholder within 15 days | No release until fees paid |
| Nebraska (NE) | — | Company may hold vehicle until paid, or dispose of it after 90 days |
| Nevada (NV) | Warning required before towing | Can’t tow from residential/public lots or a disabled vehicle without consent |
| New Hampshire (NH) | — | Tow capped at $175; storage capped at $50/day |
| New Jersey (NJ) | Owner/lienholder notice within 30 days | Storage capped at $750 if notice isn’t given in time |
| New Mexico (NM) | Valid public-safety reason required | No storage fee for the first 24 hours |
| New York (NY) | Compliant signage required | No general statewide rate cap; some localities bar storage fees for the first 24 hours |
| North Carolina (NC) | Written property-owner authorization + annual permit required | Occupied vehicles cannot be towed |
| North Dakota (ND) | — | Violations mean free return and no storage fee charged |
| Ohio (OH) | Posted conditions required for private tow-away zones | Governed by O.R.C. §4513.601 |
| Oklahoma (OK) | Governed by the Nonconsensual Towing Act of 2011 | Broadly regulates public-interest and private-property tows |
| Oregon (OR) | Mailed notice within 3 business days | Vehicle held at a secure, tower-controlled location |
| Pennsylvania (PA) | Owner may summon their preferred tow operator | Applies mainly to officer-directed tows (2024 Act 43) |
| Rhode Island (RI) | Notice given to owner | Dispute filed with the Public Utilities Commission within 10 days |
| South Carolina (SC) | Police notified within 30 minutes; written owner authorization required | Storage billable up to 7 business days before formal notice required |
| South Dakota (SD) | Owner notified within 24 hours | No fee collectible if the 24-hour notice is missed |
| Tennessee (TN) | 10 days’ written notice posted on the vehicle (residential landlords) | — |
| Texas (TX) | Posted signage at entrance and exit required | Written property-owner agreement or request required |
| Utah (UT) | — | Property owner/manager may tow or boot under local ordinance |
| Vermont (VT) | Written authorization required per tow | Tow capped near $125 (public-property abandoned vehicles) |
| Virginia (VA) | Written authorization required at time of tow | Storage capped at $25/day for the first 10 days |
| Washington (WA) | Signage required at private and public lots | Vehicle considered abandoned after 120 hours |
| West Virginia (WV) | Prior written request from property owner/lessee required | No tow without that written request |
| Wisconsin (WI) | Police must be notified before removal | No charge allowed if police weren’t notified first |
| Wyoming (WY) | No specific towing statute | Taking a vehicle without authority is a misdemeanor under general law |
Compiled from state statutes and consumer-protection filings current as of mid-2026. Local city/county ordinances often add further rules — always double-check with your specific city if the table above doesn’t resolve your question.
If you’re not sure where to start, this is the order that actually works: call your local police non-emergency line first to confirm the tow was properly reported, then contact the property manager or lot owner, then — if you still believe you were overcharged or wrongly towed — file with your state’s consumer protection office or, for a handful of states like Rhode Island, the state Public Utilities Commission. For patterns of deceptive or predatory towing, you can also report it to the FTC, which treats predatory towing as an unfair business practice even without a dedicated federal towing law.
Subscribe or follow us — I’ll update this table as more states pass new towing protections.
Keeping a small cushion in a high-yield savings account also just makes this whole situation less stressful. A surprise $150–$500 charge to get your own car back is annoying regardless, but it’s a lot less of a crisis if it doesn’t wreck your week’s budget while you sort out a dispute. That’s part of the broader case I make in my guide to good personal finance for keeping some cash liquid instead of fully invested — and if you’re rebuilding your budget after an unexpected hit like this, my full money roadmap walks through how to prioritize where the next paycheck goes.
Common Issues to Watch Out For
Assuming the “first 24 hours free” rule applies everywhere. It’s real in a few states, but most states don’t have it — check the table above instead of assuming.
Confronting tow yard staff in person. I get why the instinct is there, but getting loud or aggressive with the tow operator only risks turning you into the person facing charges, not them.
Not documenting the lack of signage. If you think you were towed illegally, photograph the entrances and nearby signage (or lack of it) as soon as you can — ideally within a day or two, before anything changes.
Paying cash without an itemized receipt. Several states require an itemized invoice and credit card acceptance; a “cash only, no receipt” policy is itself often a violation worth reporting.
Waiting too long to dispute. States that offer a formal hearing or complaint process — Rhode Island’s Public Utilities Commission route is a good example — often give you as little as 10 days to file. Don’t sit on it.
What’s Changing: States Keep Tightening These Rules
Predatory towing complaints have driven a wave of new state legislation in the last few years — Florida’s rate-sheet requirement, Delaware’s photo-evidence mandate, and Colorado’s 2024 consumer-protection overhaul are recent examples. Given how often new bills move through state legislatures on this topic, I expect more states to add or raise fee caps and reporting requirements over the next year or two, and I’ll keep this table current as that happens.
My car was towed last night in Fremont, California. It was parked outside an apartment complex which are for guests and there were no signs of “Restricted Parking” or “Permit Required”. My Friend whom I was visiting forgot to mention me about it and also since there were no signs, I didn’t think I had to clear it with my friend. Anyways it does not make sense to me how one would know if a permit is required to park there. Any suggestions? I had to pay ~$550 to get my car back.
I parked my car in a grocery store parking lot where there was no public signage saying overnight parking was illegal / towing was possible. The towing company was cash only, and charged me $174, which is more than the $108 legal maximum fee in Massachusetts. They also only let me pay cash, wouldn’t give me a receipt, or tell me what the charges were. Is this wrong or normal?
Seems very shady. You should report the company to MA authorities and leave negative google/yelp/FB reviews for these companies. Other than legal actions, leaving negative online reviews can have the most impact to these companies.
Hi! Having a similar situation -please let me know if you were successful in your case, I am also pursuing one. I was towed from a totally vacant, apparently private, lot that had ABSOLUTELY NO SIGNS anywhere saying that it was a private lot, that they tow, who tows there, etc- illegal.
Steps you should take if this happens to you:
1.) File a police report immediately
– this is when you will see if the towing company towed properly. If your vehicle wasn’t called in over the comsat system and doesn’t have a number assigned to it’s tow then you immediately have a case against the towing company, as they have violated lawful procedures.
2.) Contact the Property manager
-The Property manage has lawful obligations to notify you prior to the vehicle being towed. If you don’t have a contracted parking agreement in place and nobody can reach you because your info isn’t on file, you are probably screwed and you have now learned a costly lesson. But, if you are a tenant in an apartment building and your vehicle is on file then they are obligated to make you aware, in some cities/states they have to make multiple attempts.
-The property manager should also be able to provide you the towing company contact information and will have had to instruct the towing company on which vehicle was to be towed, in a gated community they will will have had to given the towing company access so if they fail to follow proper state and local law then you now have a 2nd case.
-Also, keep in mind that in some states you are entitled to multiple times the costs/damages associated with the entirety of the tow and even punitive damages. If you have a parking company that manages your apartment complex’s parking then you will have 3 total entities that are responsible and liable.
3.) Contact an attorney
This is where things can get expensive, if you are lucky you can get someone pro bono that hates seeing towing companies come out on top. Consult with someone to advise you on which of your rights have been violated according to your state law. Make sure to keep records of everything that happens, present those records to the attorney, be sure to include pictures and receipts.
Personally I recommend getting your vehicle out of the tow yard asap to keep that cost down and then the attorney will handle all the work from there and advise any actions you should take.
Look at it like this:
Tow=$700, Attorney fees= $5000, Car rental=$1000, time missed from work= $1000, tow damages to vehicle= $1500, vehicle value = $5000, getting vehicle back $200, misc = $500. Multiply those amounts by whatever the maximum is you can in your state to give you an idea of how serious your complex, tow company, and attorney should be taking this. If your vehicle is wrongfully the parties involved need to be held accountable for their actions and the best way to do that is financially, they are doing it to other people and will do it again. These suits can be much more serious than getting your tow fee back if laws were broken and your rights have been violated.
DO NOT LOSE YOUR COOL, DO NOT THREATEN ANYONE, DO NOT THREATEN A LAWSUIT.
Keep your mouth shut, rely on family and friends to help get you through this rough patch, and let the lawyer do his job. No apartment complex, parking company, or tow company will want this publicized and they will likely settle out of court and the insurance companies will pay up.
Thanks for the clear and detailed reply.
This has happened to me recently and they took two of My vehicles one being my daily driver and the other being my prize possession that I spent the past 10 years building and had almost $20,000 invested into. They were taken off private property when they both ran and drove. There only reason for towing was do to tags a few months out of date. But since they took both my vehicles I had no way make it to work in order to pay the impound fees and have now been auctioned off..I live in Iowa.
Thanks this is very helpful I have the same situation and this helped a lot. Could you please tell me if the law take any legal action against the towing company after that?
Unethical action
I am in the same situation my car will start from the hotel the Days inn in West Covina didn’t have any signs or anything my car wasn’t even there an hour it was only there like 20 minutes and it got towed without notify me of anything which from what I understand is that the karma theater over an hour for it to be told and the towing company just to put it back down they charge me $340 to put down my car and release it it didn’t even get towed away not even a block couple feet up from the hotel… What time does the towing company have a contract together so now it explains why the hotel wants a car is towed I’m sure how they have a contract together he must be getting some kind of compensation for calling the cars or something in exchange since they have a contract together I’m still trying to go about how will I start this how will I put it out there because I’m pretty sure as me this is more victims and I’m sure there’s a lot more people that have lost their cars because they cannot afford the towing fees… Does anybody have any advice or anything for this please message me thank you
It is illegal for them to tow your car if parked legally in public parking for the first hour in California.
One Hour Tows
If the property has free parking open to the public then a vehicle can be towed after it has been improperly parked for one hour.
This applies to restaurants, stores and other places which are private property, there is no charge to enter and park, and the property is open to the public to enter. This does not include motel/hotel spaces for specific rooms or apartments and other residential property where a space is marked for a room. If the spaces are unmarked then the one hour rule applies.
If a vehicle is towed before it has been parked for an hour the penalty is two times the towing and storage fees.
(Vehicle Code 22953)
Hope this helps
I took my registered insured vehicle across the street to my friend’s apt complex. He was preparing to buy it. The next day some one had stolen the plates, we left a note for the landlord on their answering machine, called the cops about the stolen plates and informed the nieghbor and then the next day the lousey dog townan “ENCHANTMENT TOWING” Ignored the writing on the windshield with the plate number and the insurance certificate that I left in the front windshield area and took my jeep.. I’m going tomorrow morning to try to settle this. ANY WORDS OF ADVICE?
Help me please my car was towed while I was in jail and I live in it
A friend had mine illegally towed the investigating officer went to her house and told her she has to pay me $100,800 she lied about it so under Colorado law she has to pay me I’m going to look into having her pay my car rental
I just had a massive win against a tow truck. I heard the truck pull up so I immediately grabbed my registration stickers that I had already purchased. I just hadnt put them on yet. I quickly put them on the front license plate then walked around and put them on the back plate. I walked up to the guy and was like what are you doing? He goes I’m towing this vehicle for expired tags. I said you might want to look again. He got really mad and said he had pictures that proved those werent there when he pulled up. The cops were called and long story short they made him release the vehicle. I could tell he was pissed. I made sure to give him the finger as he drove off without my car.
Nice win!
Hey did u wind the case ?
My car was towed from my apartment complex and it was an illegal tow I did all my research and it was a clear violation of my rights my property management authorized an illegal tow it’s supposed to be permanent parking only for residents and I had my permit issued by property Management in my window cuz it’s a sticker now my property management said first it was a stolen permit I know for a fact is not because the property manager handed it to me herself then they tried to say it was not valid if the validity was taken from the permit then how come I wasn’t notified of this they also said that my car had no tags no registration that’s impossible because I had proof it was paid $961 back registration I paid a month and a half before the tow plus I have the proof that she did give me a permit there’s the camera footage from the apartments of the office and the email I sent her stating my insurance information and car vehicle information so that will prove that she got caught in a lie the reason why I didn’t have my taxes cuz I’m waiting for a smog cars not quite ready for smog yet either way she couldn’t authorize the tow to begin with cuz I had a permit to park there. Talk to the tow company and they’re not budging saying it was legal cuz she authorized it but looking at the law they had numerous things that they didn’t follow one of the things is my car was not blocking the red zone was not blocking a fire hydrant and was not blocking the entrance nor are the stalls assigned to anybody the first come first serve for the residents but you have to have a permit which I did my car was in my stall they also put a warning sticker on my car the first time that’s ever happened by the way stating that no permit no registration you will be towed on the second day at 9:00 a.m. they towed my car three and a half hours after the notice was put on my vehicle California law states in order to be towed at all from the apartment complex 96 hours must lapse before you can tow California law was not following the notice that they put on there was not followed no property Management wants to evict me i think in retaliation for me pushing the issue about my car. I couldn’t pay my rent cuz my money orders we’re in my car my car is at the tow yard still I can’t afford to get it out I am low income I’m trying right now to raise money from family and friends or anybody who will help right now my car is at $2,000 to get out I only have about 1100 I’ve managed to hustle up this is extremely frustrating annoying and flat out illegal I got a 3-day notice to pay it or quit and now I got served the eviction court papers all that to add the stress on about my car towing company refuses to release my car while it takes on $100 a day I’ve talked to police they’re no help they don’t even hardly know the law I can’t talk to property Management because I got a case against them now or with them and I’m scared I’m going to lose my car it’s the only thing I have to get to work I just replaced the front end of my car myself and that’s why I’m tapped out what do I do somebody please help I’m literally going to have a nervous breakdown from all the stress I’m getting no help I’m getting evicted and I’m losing my car I’m trying to kill the raise money still cuz I refuse to lose my car and got the lean paper and I entered the declaration of opposition waiting to give it to the DMV myself personally I can’t afford a lawyer need to pro bono attorneys but they’re few and far and hard to come by especially for this particular faction of law. The property management is the Jon Stewart company. They are horrible evil and flat out worst company I have ever dealt with with the human rights violations civil rights violations and flat-out line and illegal practices that they do I can’t believe they’re still in business just type in the John stewart company lawsuits in Google and you will see all the lawsuits against them and all the eviction lawsuits they have on people for nothing I’m losing hope somebody please help me
You’re first mistake is living in California. When it comes to taxes and fees that place will rob you blind.
OK I’ve been reading for weeks on towing laws & read other people’s situations & most importantly I’ve been searching for an attorney to help me. I know I have a case but all I seeing is advertising for lemon laws & accident attorney’s. It’s Friday and Monday the lien will clear on my motorcycle and it will be gone. I printed out the towing laws & highlighted all the errors the property manager had made and presented them to him & he laughed in my face. He is very errogant & the first time I spoke with him he said he thought the bike belonged to somebody else who was not allowed on the property then told me the bike looked like it was abandoned but it had only been parked there since 5:00 AM and he towed it that morning. I seriously need an attorney now. If anybody can refer one that can work on contingency please do ASAP!
My Car was towed from my complex while in my correct parking place. Reason they towed it was my permit was not visible, it fell from my mirror. I paid 500.00 the next day to have my vehicle released. I feel that this was illegal, I’m a paying resident, car was in my parking place, and the complex is private property. Do I have a case?
Determine the going rate for renting the car they towed. Send the party responsible for the tow a bill for renting the car.
Class action lawsuit is what needs to be done
I am on the same situation
I am a resident and forget to put my parking permit, I had to pay $150, I went ahead and paid because I had to use my car to work but I am trying to get a refund beck from the property management