towing laws authorize police and property owners to have vehicles towed if they are illegally parked or abandoned—but it’s a lot more complicated than that. Getting your car back after it’s been towed often involves paying steep towing and storage fees, so it’s important to know your rights if you’re in this situation.

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When can police tow a vehicle in California?

Towing law in California is an extensive and complicated subject—you could probably spend years studying it! To keep things simple, we’re going to look at three of the most important towing laws in California, starting with

Vehicle Code Section 22651

, which deals with situations where the police are authorized to tow a vehicle.

Section 22651 of the CVC is a seriously long law, so we’re going to break down the main cases when California police may tow your vehicle. These include:

If the vehicle is left unattended on a bridge, a viaduct, or a causeway; or in a tunnel

If the vehicle is left unattended on a highway such that it poses an obstruction or hazard to traffic

If the vehicle has been reported as stolen

If the vehicle is illegally parked and blocking a private driveway or fire hydrant

If the vehicle has been left for four or more hours on the right-of-way of a freeway

If the driver of the vehicle is incapacitated by illness or injury and cannot move the vehicle

If a vehicle found parked on a highway or public land has five or more unpaid parking tickets or five or more notices of failure to pay or appear for other traffic violations

If the vehicle is parked in violation of street cleaning notices

If the driver is arrested while operating the vehicle

If the vehicle has no registration or the driver has no license

This isn’t an exhaustive list—read the full text of the law if you want that—but the short version is this: if your vehicle is illegally parked, obstructing traffic, or posing a hazard to others, the police can tow it. If police tow your vehicle, it will be taken to an impound lot.

How to get your car out of an impound lot in California

If your vehicle is towed to an impound lot, it’s important to get it out within 30 calendar days. Why? Because after that, it goes to auction and you won’t be able to recover it at all.

Police can’t afford to hold your car indefinitely, so act fast. Call the impound lot as soon as possible after the vehicle is towed and ask for instructions. If you are the legal owner of the vehicle, you should be able to get it back by appearing during normal business hours and providing:

Your driver’s license

Proof of current registration

Proof of insurance

If you’re not the legal owner, or if you can’t get to the lot yourself, someone other than the registered owner can claim the vehicle with the same documents and a letter of authorization from the owner.

In theory, getting your car back from the impound lot should be a fairly straightforward process. The wild card? Fees. The exact amount you’ll have to pay varies depending on the circumstances, but be prepared for a charge in the hundreds or even thousands. That includes:

Towing fees

Daily storage fees

Administrative fees

Transfer charge fees

After-hours fees, lien charges, and auction fees (when applicable)

MORE:

My car got towed. Now what?

When can private property owners tow a vehicle in California?

We’ve covered all the reasons that police can tow your car in California—but what about business owners, landlords, and other owners of private property?

California private property towing laws, contained in

Section 22658

of the Vehicle Code, set out specific rules for property owners that limit the circumstances under which they can tow a vehicle. One of the most important requirements is that they give notice before towing your vehicle. That can take a few different forms, such as:

“NO PARKING” signs: The signs must be in plain view, at least 17 inches by 22 inches, and posted in plain view at all entrances. The signs must also include the name and number of the towing company that the property owner has an agreement with, along with the number for the local traffic law enforcement agency.

Notice of parking violation: If the vehicle has been issued a violation notice, the property owner can tow the vehicle after 96 hours.

Inoperable vehicles: If the vehicle is missing an engine, a transmission, wheels, tires, a windshield, or anything that would make it impossible (or illegal) to operate on a public road, the property owner can tow the vehicle if they first notify local law enforcement and wait 24 hours.

If your vehicle is towed by a property owner who fails to comply with any of these requirements, they’re legally responsible for double the towing and storage fees for the vehicle.

The property owner must have the vehicle towed to a storage facility within a 10-mile radius of the car’s original location. That facility must be open during normal business hours (i.e. Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm) and able to release the vehicle outside of those hours.

After towing a vehicle, property owners are legally required to notify law enforcement within one hour. If the legal owner of the vehicle wants to know why their car was towed, the property owner must state the grounds for removal.

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How much does it cost to tow a car?

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When can your car be towed from a parking lot in California?

Under

Section 22953

of the Vehicle Code, a vehicle may be immediately towed from a private parking lot (including retail or restaurant parking lots) if:

The vehicle is blocking an entrance or exit

The vehicle is parked in a fire lane or a disabled parking space

The vehicle is within 15 feet of a fire hydrant

The vehicle is on residential property

The vehicle is parked in a motel or hotel parking lot in a space designated for a specific room

If you’re not in violation of any of those conditions, you should be safe to park for at least an hour—but after one hour, your right to park has elapsed and the property owner is authorized to have your vehicle towed.

MORE:

Car insurance scams: How to avoid insurance fraud

What are my rights if my car is towed in California?

If your car is towed for any reason in California, remember that you have certain rights. These include:

The right to know the grounds on which the vehicle was towed

The right to retrieve your personal property from the vehicle, even if you aren’t able to pay for the vehicle itself to be released

The right to sue the towing company if the vehicle was damaged during removal

The right to notice before your vehicle is towed from private property

If your vehicle has been towed, call the local traffic enforcement agency right away for more detail and instructions. For example, the San Francisco Police Department maintains

a webpage with resources for drivers

whose vehicles have been towed.

MORE:

How to get car insurance with a bad driving record

How to save on car insurance in California

One more harsh reality: you’re likely to see your car insurance rate go up after your vehicle is towed in California. No, getting towed doesn’t automatically raise your rate. But it’s most likely to happen after you’ve gotten a parking ticket, had multiple traffic violations, been arrested for a DUI, or been in an accident—and any of those can raise your premium significantly.

That’s why you need an expert insurance broker in your back pocket to help you even out your rate after a run of bad luck. The

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app is the most efficient broker you’re going to find—that’s because it uses the power of technology to search for rates from over 55 insurers in just 45 seconds, setting you up for success with prompt, competitive rates. Yes, even if your record is less than stellar.

“I saw an ad for
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What is the maximum towing fee in California?

There’s no statewide maximum fee that towing companies can charge—instead, individual law enforcement agencies set the rates for their jurisdictions. Those rates usually aren’t posted publicly, so it can be hard to find this information: your best bet is to call your local law enforcement office and inquire about the maximum fee.

Can a landlord tow your car without notice in California?

No. Unless your vehicle is illegally parked such that it’s causing an obstruction or hazard (e.g. in a fire lane or disabled parking spot), a landlord must give notice and/or post signs before towing your vehicle.

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