California towing laws split sharply depending on who ordered the tow. Police can remove a vehicle from a public street only under specific triggers listed in Vehicle Code 22651, and in some situations can hold it for 30 days. Private property owners operate under Vehicle Code 22658, which requires posted signs, written authorization, a representative on site, and prompt notice to law enforcement. When any of these rules are broken, California gives drivers real remedies: a drop fee that stops a tow in progress, a post-storage hearing for public tows, and statutory damages of two to four times the charges for an illegal private tow.
When Police Can Tow You from a Public Street
Peace officers and authorized public employees can order a vehicle removed from a public street, highway, or off-street parking facility under Vehicle Code 22651. The statute lists specific scenarios rather than giving officers open discretion.
Common triggers include registration that expired more than six months before the vehicle was found on a public road. Before towing, the officer has to verify through DMV records that no current registration exists; if those records are not accessible on the spot, the vehicle stays put.1California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 22651
A vehicle with five or more outstanding parking violation notices, or five or more unresolved failure-to-appear notices for traffic violations, can also be towed. To get it back, the registered owner must show identification, a California address, and proof that every outstanding parking penalty and traffic violation has been cleared.1California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 22651
Officers can also impound when the driver is arrested and taken into custody, when a vehicle blocks traffic or creates a hazard, or when parking interferes with snow removal or emergency operations. Each situation has to match one of the statute’s listed scenarios.
The 30-Day Impound for Unlicensed Driving
Getting towed for expired tags is one thing. Having your vehicle seized for 30 days is another, and it catches many drivers off guard. Under Vehicle Code 14602.6, an officer who determines that a driver was operating on a suspended or revoked license, or without ever having been licensed, can order the vehicle impounded for a full 30 days.2California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 14602.6
The registered owner pays all towing, storage, and administrative charges that pile up during the hold. Over a month, that can run into the thousands. The impounding agency must notify the legal owner (such as a bank or lienholder) within two working days; if it does not, the agency cannot charge for more than 15 days of storage when the legal owner redeems the vehicle.2California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 14602.6
Early release is possible in limited circumstances. The vehicle must be released before 30 days if it was stolen, if the driver reinstates or obtains a valid license and proper insurance, if the suspension was for an offense that falls outside the serious categories in Vehicle Code Articles 2 and 3 of Division 6, Chapter 2 (which cover DUI-related and major traffic offenses), or if the seizure was not legally authorized for the offense involved.
If a storage facility refuses a valid credit card or cash during the hold, it faces civil liability of four times the towing and storage charges, capped at $500.2California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 14602.6
When a Private Lot Can Tow Your Car
Private property towing runs under Vehicle Code 22658, and the requirements are more demanding than most property owners realize. Every step has to be followed precisely. Skip one and the tow becomes illegal, exposing both the property owner and the towing company to significant financial penalties.
Signs at Every Entrance
Before any tow can happen, signs must be posted in plain view at every entrance. Each sign must measure at least 17 by 22 inches with lettering at least one inch tall. The signs have to state that public parking is prohibited, warn that vehicles will be removed at the owner’s expense, and list the phone number of the local traffic law enforcement agency.3California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – 22658 Authority to Remove Vehicles
A property owner who fails to comply with signage requirements is liable to the vehicle owner for double the towing and storage charges.3California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – 22658 Authority to Remove Vehicles
Written Authorization with Someone on Site
A towing company cannot begin removing a vehicle from private property without written authorization from the property owner or their designated agent, who must be physically present at the time of the tow to verify the violation.3California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – 22658 Authority to Remove Vehicles
The authorization form has to include the vehicle’s make, model, VIN, and license plate; the authorizing person’s name, signature, job title, address, and working phone number; the grounds for the tow; the time the vehicle was first observed on the property; and the time the tow was authorized.
Breaking the written authorization rules carries civil liability of four times the towing and storage charges, plus a possible misdemeanor charge with a fine up to $2,500, up to three months in county jail, or both.3California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – 22658 Authority to Remove Vehicles
Notice to Law Enforcement
After authorizing a tow, the property owner must notify local traffic law enforcement within one hour by phone or the fastest available method. The towing company has its own notification duty after the vehicle leaves. Failing to notify law enforcement within 30 minutes triggers civil liability for three times the towing and storage charges. If the towing company still has not notified within 60 minutes of leaving the property or 15 minutes of arriving at the storage facility, whichever is shorter, it becomes a misdemeanor.3California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – 22658 Authority to Remove Vehicles
Separate rules apply in a few situations: fire lanes, disabled-person parking spaces, parking within 15 feet of a hydrant, and vehicles blocking an entrance or exit can be removed without the standard notice period under Vehicle Code 22953. A vehicle that received a parking violation notice on private property must sit for 96 hours before it can be towed.4California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 22658
Stopping a Tow in Progress: The Drop Fee
If you come back to your vehicle while it is being towed from private property but the truck has not left yet, you can stop the tow. Under Vehicle Code 22658(g), the towing company must immediately and unconditionally release a vehicle that has not yet been removed from the property, as long as the owner or their agent requests it.3California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – 22658 Authority to Remove Vehicles
If the vehicle is already coupled to the tow truck but still on the private property, the towing company can charge a drop fee of no more than half the regular towing rate. You need to be ready to move the vehicle off the property immediately.3California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – 22658 Authority to Remove Vehicles
A tow operator who refuses to release a vehicle under these circumstances is guilty of a misdemeanor. If you arrive and the driver claims it is too late, the question is simple: has the truck left the property? If not, the law is on your side.3California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – 22658 Authority to Remove Vehicles
Getting Your Car Back
Start by calling the local police or sheriff’s department. Both the property owner and the towing company have to notify law enforcement after a private property tow, so the agency can usually tell you which storage yard has your vehicle. For police-ordered tows, the agency that initiated the tow has the storage location on file. Act fast. Storage fees run daily.
Storage facilities will require a valid driver’s license and proof of ownership, usually your current registration card or the title. Call the yard before you drive over to confirm the total due and the payment methods accepted. Fees typically include the base towing charge, daily storage, and sometimes an administrative fee from the agency that authorized the tow.
Facilities holding vehicles towed from private property must accept valid credit cards and cash. A facility that refuses either owes the vehicle owner four times the amount of the towing and storage charges.3California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – 22658 Authority to Remove Vehicles
These facilities must be open during normal business hours, defined as Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding state holidays. They must also release vehicles after hours, but a gate fee applies. The maximum after-hours charge is half the hourly tow rate originally charged for removing the vehicle.4California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 22658
Inspect the exterior carefully before driving away, and ask for an itemized receipt that breaks down every charge. That receipt is your primary evidence if you later challenge the tow or file a damage claim. Photograph any new scratches or dents before you leave the lot.
Fighting a Public Tow: Post-Storage Hearings
If a public agency ordered the tow and you believe it was not legally justified, Vehicle Code 22852 gives you the right to a post-storage hearing. This remedy applies to tows directed by a public agency, not to private property tows, which carry their own penalty remedies.
The agency that directed the tow must mail or personally deliver a storage notice to the registered and legal owners within 48 hours, excluding weekends and holidays. That notice has to include the storage location, a description of the vehicle, the authority and reason for the tow, and a statement explaining how to request a hearing.5California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – 22852
You have 10 days from the date on the notice to request a hearing. The request can be made in person, in writing, or by phone. Once requested, the hearing must be held within 48 hours, excluding weekends and holidays. The hearing officer cannot be the same person who ordered the tow.5California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – 22852
If the hearing finds there were no reasonable grounds for the tow, the agency that employed the person who ordered it pays all towing and storage costs. Miss the 10-day deadline or skip a scheduled hearing, and you waive the right to challenge the tow through this process.5California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – 22852
Suing for an Illegal Private Tow
Vehicle Code 22658 does more than set rules. It builds in financial penalties that make illegal towing genuinely expensive, and the remedies stack. A single bad tow can trigger more than one.
- Failure to post proper signage or state the grounds for removal: the property owner owes the vehicle owner double the towing and storage charges.
- Charging excessive towing or storage rates: civil liability of four times the amount charged, plus potential misdemeanor exposure with a fine up to $2,500 and up to three months in jail.
- Refusing to accept a credit card or cash: four times the towing and storage charges, plus the same misdemeanor exposure.
- Violating written authorization requirements: four times the towing and storage charges, plus misdemeanor penalties.
- Failing to notify law enforcement within 30 minutes: three times the towing and storage charges.
- Refusing to release a vehicle on request before it leaves the property: misdemeanor.
Small claims court is the most common venue for pursuing these statutory damages. Bring your itemized receipt, photographs of the lot’s signage (or lack of it), and any communication with the towing company.3California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – 22658 Authority to Remove Vehicles
If You Don’t Reclaim the Vehicle
Storage facilities do not hold vehicles indefinitely. California law lets a lienholder sell an unclaimed vehicle to recover unpaid towing and storage charges, with notice sent by certified mail to the registered owner, legal owner, and known interested parties at least 31 days before the sale but no more than 41 days before it.6California DMV. Lien Sale Procedure for Vehicles Valued At $4,000 or Less
Lien processing fees are capped at $70 for vehicles valued at $4,000 or less and $100 for vehicles worth more. No lien processing fee can be charged if the vehicle is redeemed within 72 hours of initial storage. Under current law, the DMV is not required to notify you if your vehicle sells for more than the amount owed, and you have three years to claim surplus proceeds before the money is forfeited.6California DMV. Lien Sale Procedure for Vehicles Valued At $4,000 or Less If you want the vehicle back, every day of delay adds storage fees and shortens the window before the sale paperwork begins.