towing laws permit law enforcement and property owners to tow illegally parked or abandoned vehicles—but there’s more to it than that. If your car gets towed, you’ll have to pay hefty towing and storage fees so it’s crucial to understand your rights.

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When can police tow a vehicle in Texas?

Texas towing laws are a long and complicated matter, so let’s break it down by looking at the most important towing laws in Texas. We’ll start with

Transportation Code Section 545.305

which deals with circumstances where police are legally authorized to tow a vehicle in Texas.

Section 545.305 of the TTC is pretty lengthy so we’ll just go over the main causes that would permit Texas police to tow your vehicle, including:

If the vehicle is unattended on a bridge, viaduct, or causeway; or if it’s in a tube ortunnel that results in the obstruction of traffic

If the vehicle is unlawfully parked and blocks the entrance to a private driveway

If the vehicle has been reported as stolen

If the vehicle has been abandoned for more than 48 hours

If the vehicle cannot be moved because the driver is incapacitated by illness or injury

If the driver is arrested while operating the vehicle

In other words: if your vehicle is illegally parked, blocks traffic, or poses a hazard to others, law enforcement has the right to tow it. If your vehicle gets towed by the police, they will take it to an impound lot.

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

If your vehicle ends up in an impound lot, you’ll have to act fast because the vehicle storage facility (VSF) may sell your car through a public auction after 30 days if you ignore the second notice that’s been mailed out to you.

Make sure to call the VSF without delay after your vehicle has been towed and follow protocol. To reclaim your vehicle, you must go to the VSF in person and provide the following documents:

Proof of identification (state-issued driver’s license, ID card, etc.)

Proof of ownership (current registration, insurance card, certificate of title, etc.)

And you can’t leave the impound with your car without paying an inordinate amount of fees. The exact amount will vary based on your situation, but we can guarantee it definitely won’t be cheap. You can expect to pay in the hundreds for the following:

Tow charge

Daily storage charge

Notification fee

Impoundment fee

Governmental or law enforcement fees

MORE:My car got towed. Now what?

When can private property owners tow a vehicle in Texas?

Now that we’ve gone over all the reasons law enforcement can tow your vehicle in Texas— what about private property owners?

According to

Section 2308.252

of the Texas Occupations Code, private property owners may tow a vehicle at the owner’s expense if the following rules are ignored:

“NO PARKING” signs: The sign must be located in the private parking facility at the time of towing for at least 24 hours. A phone number should be included on the sign.

Notice of parking violation: You may receive an actual notice from the property owner on your windshield that explains that the vehicle is parked in an unauthorized parking space and must be removed. If you ignore this first notice, a second notice has to be mailed to you with the same warning and the property owner has to give you until the 15th day after the postmark date of the notice to move it. The property owner must include a phone number that is available 24 hours a day so you can locate your vehicle.

If your vehicle gets towed by a private property owner, you’ll have to reach out to the property owner to request information on the name of the towing company and the VSF that has removed and stored your towed vehicle.

MORE:

How much does it cost to tow a car?

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

Under Texas Occupations Code

86.455

, a vehicle may be towed from a parking lot in Texas if the vehicle is:

Blocking traffic, an entrance, or an exit

Obstructing a fire lane or a disabled parking space

Leaking a fluid that presents a hazard or threat to others or the property

Unlawfully parked on residential property

MORE:Car insurance scams: How to avoid insurance fraud

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

If your car has been towed in Texas, you still have certain rights under the law. These include:

The right to find out the VSF location that your vehicle has been towed to

The right to retrieve your ownership documents or personal property from the vehicle without having to pay a fee to do so

The right to access or claim your vehicle 24 hours or within one hour at VSF locations that do not accept cars 24 hours a day

The right to request a tow hearing in the county that your vehicle was towed if you believe your vehicle was wrongfully towed

If your vehicle has been towed, you can call your local traffic enforcement agency for more information and instructions on how to proceed.

MORE:How to get car insurance with a bad driving record

How to save on car insurance in Texas

While getting towed won’t necessarily raise your insurance rates, your premium will go up drastically if you’ve received a parking ticket, accrued multiple traffic violations, gotten into an accident, or have been arrested for a DUI in the process of getting your vehicle towed. But with comparison super app

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Here’s how it works: just download the Jerry app and sign-up within roughly 45 seconds to unlock numerous customized quotes from some of the nation’s top providers. Once you find a policy that works for you, Jerry’s team of expert agents will take it from there—from finalizing all the paperwork to helping you cancel your old policy.

That’s right! Jerry is a one-stop shop that all drivers need in their pockets. On average, Jerry customers save over $800 a year on car insurance!

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What is the maximum towing fee in Texas?

It depends on the weight of your vehicle. The maximum charge for a private property tow is $272 for a car weighing up to 10,000 pounds. For vehicles weighing between 10,000 and 25,000 pounds, the fee is $380, while vehicles weighing more than 25,000 pounds have a maximum towing fee of $978.

Can a landlord tow your car without notice in Texas?

No. A landlord must give notice and/or post signs before towing your vehicle unless you have parked illegally in an unrestricted area or you’re causing an obstruction, such as parking in a fire lane or disabled parking spot.

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