California Vehicle Code Section 22658 sets the rules for towing a vehicle from private property without the owner’s consent. It tells property owners when they can order a tow, tells towing companies what they must do before hooking a car and after storing it, caps what they can charge, and gives vehicle owners the right to sue for double or quadruple the fees when the rules are broken.1Justia Law. California Vehicle Code § 22658
When a Tow From Private Property Is Legal
A property owner, or someone in charge of the land, can only authorize a tow in specific circumstances. The most common one is proper signage warning drivers that unauthorized vehicles will be towed. Without signs, an inoperable vehicle missing major parts like an engine or tires can be removed only after the property owner notifies local traffic law enforcement and waits 24 hours. If the property owner instead issues a notice of parking violation, they must wait 96 hours before ordering the tow.2Justia Law. California Vehicle Code § 22658 – Section: subdivision (a)
A towing company can be given standing permission to remove vehicles blocking fire lanes, parked within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, or obstructing an entrance or exit, but only through a specific written agreement with the property owner.3Justia Law. California Vehicle Code § 22658 – Section: subdivision (l)
What the Signs and Written Authorization Must Contain
Signs are where many private-property tows fall apart legally. Each sign must be posted in plain view at every entrance, measure at least 17 by 22 inches, and use letters at least one inch tall. It must state that public parking is prohibited and unauthorized vehicles will be towed at the owner’s expense. It must list the phone number of local law enforcement and the name and phone number of every towing company under written agreement with the property.4Justia Law. California Vehicle Code § 22658 – Section: subdivision (a)(1)
Before hooking the car, the towing company must obtain written authorization. The document has to include the reason for the tow, the time the vehicle was first spotted, the time the tow was authorized, the vehicle’s identifying information, and the signature, name, title, and contact details of the person authorizing removal. That person generally must be present to verify the violation when the tow happens.3Justia Law. California Vehicle Code § 22658 – Section: subdivision (l)
Notification, Storage Location, and Hours
Once the car is moving, the towing company has to contact local police or the sheriff. That notification is due within 60 minutes of the tow or within 15 minutes of arrival at the storage yard, whichever comes first. If the company misses the 30-minute mark, the vehicle owner may recover three times the cost of the tow and storage, unless notification was genuinely impossible.5Justia Law. California Vehicle Code § 22658 – Section: subdivision (m)
The storage yard has to be within 10 miles of where the car was parked. Anything farther requires prior written approval from local law enforcement. The facility must be open for retrieval during normal business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding state holidays), and must also release vehicles after those hours.6Justia Law. California Vehicle Code § 22658 – Section: subdivision (n)
Getting Your Car Back and What You Can Be Charged
To reclaim the vehicle, the legal owner or their agent has to show a government-issued photo ID and proof of ownership such as a title. If you retrieve the car within 24 hours of it entering storage, the company can only bill you for one day of storage.7Justia Law. California Vehicle Code § 22658 – Section: subdivisions (i) and (q)
Rates are considered excessive if they exceed what local law enforcement or the California Highway Patrol have approved for their own contracted services. The facility must accept cash or a valid bank credit card in the name of the person paying, and must post a clear sign explaining accepted payment methods. Refusing a valid credit card is a misdemeanor. After-hours, weekend, or state holiday pickups can carry a gate fee, but it cannot exceed half the initial hourly tow rate.8Justia Law. California Vehicle Code § 22658 – Section: subdivisions (i), (k), and (n)
If Your Car Was Towed Illegally
Vehicle owners have direct remedies under the statute. A property owner can be liable for double the towing and storage costs for failing to meet signage requirements, skipping the required waiting periods, or refusing to explain why the vehicle was towed. Towing companies face civil liability for four times the charges when they tow without proper written authorization or violate the payment and signage rules at the storage yard.9Justia Law. California Vehicle Code § 22658 – Section: subdivisions (e), (f), (k), and (l)
The towing company must give you a notice that includes the phone number for local law enforcement or a prosecutor’s office. You can also sue in civil court to recover fees paid plus statutory penalties.3Justia Law. California Vehicle Code § 22658 – Section: subdivision (l) For individual money claims up to $12,500, small claims court is an option.10Justia Law. California Code of Civil Procedure § 116.221