Colorado towing laws cap what a tow company can charge for a nonconsensual tow, require permits and prompt notice, and give vehicle owners specific rights to get their car and personal belongings back. As of March 15, 2026, the Public Utilities Commission’s maximum base fee for a standard tow (vehicles 10,000 pounds or less) is $250.91, with storage capped at $48.19 per 24-hour period.1Colorado Public Utilities Commission. Were You Towed From a Commercial Area – 2026 Rates Storage fees run by the day or any part of a day, so acting quickly matters.
Maximum Fees a Tow Company Can Charge
For a passenger vehicle weighing 10,000 pounds or less, the PUC caps the base tow at $250.91 and daily storage at $48.19 per 24-hour period or any portion of one. Heavier vehicles have higher maximums. Companies must prominently post their maximum allowable fees at their place of business and on their website, and they must provide an itemized bill on request. They cannot charge for services they did not actually perform.2Colorado General Assembly. HB22-1314 Towing Carrier Nonconsensual Tows
The Drop Fee If You Catch Them in Time
If you reach your car after it has been hooked up but before the tow truck leaves the property, you have the right to pay a reduced drop fee instead of the full tow. The maximum drop fee for a standard vehicle is $79.40, adjusted annually. The driver has to stop and offer you this option and tell you what payment methods are accepted. If they fail to do that, the company cannot charge or keep any fees for the tow at all.3Colorado Secretary of State. 4 CCR 723-6 – Transportation Rules – Section 6511 Rates and Charges
How to Get Your Vehicle Back
Tow companies must accept cash and valid major credit cards. They cannot refuse your card or demand cash only. Any credit card surcharge is capped at 2% of the transaction or the merchant’s actual processing cost, whichever is less.4Legal Information Institute (LII). 4 CCR 723-6-6512 – Release of Motor Vehicle and Personal Property
The 15% Partial-Payment Option After a Residential Tow
If your vehicle was towed from a residential property such as an apartment, condo, or mobile home community, you can get it back by paying just 15% of what you owe, capped at $60, and signing a payment agreement form available on the PUC’s website. The rest of the balance is not due for at least 90 days. The tow company must comply and cannot pile on extra conditions or approval steps.4Legal Information Institute (LII). 4 CCR 723-6-6512 – Release of Motor Vehicle and Personal Property Many owners never hear about this option. Ask for it by name.
Essential Items You Can Retrieve for Free
Colorado regulations require the tow company to release certain items from your vehicle immediately on demand, without any payment:
- Prescription medicines, medical equipment, and medical devices
- Child restraint systems (car seats)
- Credit cards and cash (so you can pay the towing charges)
- State or federal issued identification
- Cell phones
During business hours, release has to happen on demand. Outside business hours, within the first 24 hours after the tow, the company has to release these items within one hour of being contacted.4Legal Information Institute (LII). 4 CCR 723-6-6512 – Release of Motor Vehicle and Personal Property
Notice Rules at Apartments and HOAs
A 2022 law (HB22-1314) prohibits a homeowner association or similar body from towing a vehicle out of a common parking area unless written notice has been posted at least 24 hours in advance. Exceptions apply when a vehicle blocks a fire lane, sits in a handicap space without a permit, or creates an immediate safety hazard; those vehicles can still go without the waiting period.2Colorado General Assembly. HB22-1314 Towing Carrier Nonconsensual Tows
When a Tow Is Legally Authorized
The rules split by where the car was parked. On public property, under C.R.S. 42-4-1803, a law enforcement officer who finds a vehicle that appears abandoned or is obstructing a highway can direct a tow. The officer has to give the operator written authorization listing the year, make, model, VIN, and storage location.5Justia. Colorado Revised Statutes Section 42-4-1803 – Abandonment of Motor Vehicles – Public Property
On private property, a property owner or lessee (or their authorized agent) can order a tow of an abandoned or unauthorized vehicle. Within 30 minutes of the tow, the operator has to notify the county sheriff, the sheriff’s designee, or the local chief of police with the operator’s name, the storage location, and a description of the vehicle including make, model, color, year, license plate, and VIN.6Colorado Public Law. Colorado Revised Statutes 42-4-2103 – Abandonment and Nonconsensual Towing of Motor Vehicles – Private Property
After a private-property tow, the operator has up to ten days to identify the owner and any lienholder and send notice by certified mail. The fee for sending that notice is capped at $75, and daily storage fees do not accrue between the day of the tow and the day the notice actually goes out, except for the first 24 hours of storage.6Colorado Public Law. Colorado Revised Statutes 42-4-2103 – Abandonment and Nonconsensual Towing of Motor Vehicles – Private Property If you ask for the bill and the storage days do not line up with when notice was mailed, that is worth questioning.
If You Were Overcharged or Towed Improperly
The PUC accepts consumer complaints through its online portal. Consumer Affairs reviews the complaint first and may ask for more information. If it cannot be resolved there, it goes to the Transportation Investigations Unit, where an investigator reviews the materials, may conduct field research, and decides whether a violation occurred.7Colorado Public Utilities Commission. Towing – Consumer Info
Before formal enforcement, the PUC can direct the tow company to release your vehicle at no charge or refund money you already paid. If the case warrants it, the PUC can issue a warning letter or a Civil Penalty Assessment Notice with monetary penalties, and serious cases can bring criminal charges. A carrier that disputes a penalty can have the case heard by an Administrative Law Judge.7Colorado Public Utilities Commission. Towing – Consumer Info
Filing a PUC complaint is free and does not stop you from also suing. Colorado small claims courts handle disputes up to $7,500, which covers most tow bills with room to spare. Save every receipt, photograph the signage (or absence of it) where you parked, and keep every text, email, and call log with the tow company. That evidence is usually what decides these cases.
Extra Protection for Active-Duty Servicemembers
Under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, a person holding a storage lien on an active-duty servicemember’s property cannot foreclose or enforce that lien during the member’s period of military service and for 90 days afterward without first getting a court order. That rule reaches tow companies holding a vehicle and running storage fees. Violating it is a federal misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison, a fine, or both. Servicemembers or their family members can contact an installation legal assistance office or file a complaint with the Department of Justice.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 50 U.S. Code 3958 – Enforcement of Storage Liens