towing laws give owners of private property, businesses, or parking lots the right to remove illegally-parked vehicles. If your car is towed, you have the right to know what happened to your vehicle and where you can get it back. which will likely involve a service fee.

There’s nothing worse than getting ready to leave and finding out that your car has been towed. Shouldn’t you have been told that your car was being towed, or is the “No Parking” sign enough reason to tow your vehicle?

Navigating Florida’s car laws can be tedious, which is why

Jerry

, the

super app

created to make life easier for car owners, created this handy guide to towing laws in the Sunshine State. We’ll cover who can legally tow your vehicle and when, and how to get your vehicle back. As a bonus, we’ll outline how to avoid

car insurance

premium hikes after you reclaim your car!

When can police tow a vehicle in Florida?

Florida’s towing laws extend primarily to businesses and property owners. If you’re interested in the specifics of these laws, you can read on or check out Florida

Statute 715.07

In most cases, it is the responsibility of the property owner to tow a vehicle. They must report the tow to the police within 30 minutes of removing the car.

Law enforcement officers are allowed to tow abandoned vehicles. Police must contact the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to determine the owner and lien holder of an abandoned vehicle and send a notice to the involved parties. If five days pass without a reply, the police will retain the vehicle. They can donate the vehicle or sell it at auction if it isn’t claimed within 35 days.

Some other cases where the police can remove a vehicle include:

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

If the vehicle is left unattended on a highway or poses a hazard to traffic

If the vehicle has been reported as stolen

If the vehicle is blocking a fire hydrant

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

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

Of course, this list doesn’t cover all the possible scenarios where your car may be towed by police — the full section of the Florida law can give you more information — but generally, if your vehicle is illegally parked, blocking traffic, or posing a hazard to public safety, the police can tow it.

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

If your vehicle is towed, you must reclaim it within 35 days. After that, the impound lot is free to auction it off.

If you think your car was towed, the first step is to confirm that it hasn’t been stolen. Ask the owner of the property you were parked on if your vehicle was towed. If so, they should provide you with the name of the towing company so you can contact them. You can also call local law enforcement to get the details.

Call the towing company or impound lot as soon as possible. They are legally required to release your vehicle to you within one hour of your request, as long as it’s within normal business hours. You’ll have to provide proof of ownership, including:

Driver’s license

Proof of current registration

Proof of insurance

If you’re not the legal owner, or if you don’t have a way to get to the impound lot, someone else can claim the vehicle by using the same documents listed above and a letter of authorization from the owner.

And then there’s the question of fees. Before you pay fees, inspect your car thoroughly to make sure there isn’t any damage. You may have to pay anywhere from $75 to $800 depending on the following:

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 Florida?

Property owners can request a tow if you are illegally parked on their property.

However, specific requirements must be met to legally tow a vehicle. For one thing, they must give notice before towing your vehicle. Most commonly, this requirement is fulfilled by “NO PARKING” signs—however, the signs must meet the following:

Signs must be visibly placed at each driveway or curb access within five feet from the public right-of-way line ornot less than one sign for each 25 feet

Use at least two-inch light-reflective letters on a contrasting background

Clearly indicate that unauthorized vehicles will be towed away at the owner’s expense

The words “tow-away zone” must be included on the sign in letters at least four inches high

Provide the name and phone number of the towing company servicing the area

Permanently installed with the words “tow-away zone” appearing between three feet and six feet above ground level

Installed at least 24 hours before a vehicle is towed

Permit local government inspection of notices before any towing

If 20 or fewer parking spaces are available, can display a sign stating “Reserved Parking for Customers Only, Unauthorized Vehicles or Vessels Will be Towed Away At the Owner’s Expense”

There are exemptions, of course, including:

Single-family residences

If personal notice has already been given to the owner or legal driver of the vehicle

If a parked vehicle restricts the normal operation of a business

If the vehicle is blocking access to a private driveway

Property owners may also issue a parking violation notice or tow vehicles that are deemed inoperable, like cars missing engines or wheels. In these cases, the property owner can report the vehicle to law enforcement and tow it after 24 hours. The same applies to abandoned vehicles.

The property owner must use a professional towing service that will store the vehicle in question within a 10-mile radius of the car’s original location. That facility must operate during normal business hours (i.e. Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm).

After towing a vehicle, property owners must report the tow to law enforcement within 30 minutes. If the legal owner of the vehicle questions the tow, the property owner must state the grounds for removal.

What does all this mean for you? Well, if you feel that the property owner did not fulfill the parking notice or towing requirements required by Florida law, you can pursue legal action to prove their responsibility for towing and storage fees.

MORE:

How much does it cost to tow a car?

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

A parking lot can tow your vehicle if it’s blocking access, is improperly parked, or poses a hazard to public safety. Your vehicle may be towed from a parking lot if:

It’s blocking an entrance or exit

It’s parked in a fire lane or a disabled parking space

It’s within 15 feet of a fire hydrant

It’s on residential property

It’s parked in a motel or hotel parking lot in a space designated for a specific room

If you are towed from a parking lot, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Parking lots must clearly label parking areas and restrictions. Keep an eye out for signage and fire hydrants, and you should be able to avoid a trip to the impound lot.

MORE: Car insurance scams: How to avoid insurance fraud

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

You have rights if your car is towed in Florida. These include:

The right to know when and why the vehicle was towed and where it is being held

The right to know the name of the company that towed your car and what fees to expect

The right to retrieve your personal property from the vehicle, even if you can’t afford to release the vehicle itself

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

Again, if your vehicle has been towed, you can contact local law enforcement for details about where your car is being held and how to release it.

MORE:

How to get car insurance with a bad driving record

How to save on car insurance in Florida

Unfortunately, getting towed can cause your car insurance rates to go up. In conjunction with a parking ticket or other traffic infraction, your premiums can increase significantly.

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What is the maximum towing fee in Florida?

Unfortunately, there’s no statewide maximum fee to cap what towing companies can charge, but they can’t charge you more than their posted rates. Between daily storage fees, administration fees, and the basic tow fee, towing fees can add up, so make sure you pick up your impounded car as soon as possible.

Can a landlord tow your car without notice in Florida?

No. Unless your vehicle is illegally parked and causing an obstruction or hazard, a landlord must give notice and/or post signs before towing your vehicle. However, if the car is considered abandoned and has been designated so by the police, it may be towed.

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