Georgia Vehicle Towing Laws: Signage, Fees, and Complaints

Georgia’s vehicle towing laws let a property owner have an unauthorized car removed, but they also cap what the towing company can charge, dictate what warning signs must say, and require the company to be licensed by the Department of Public Safety. If any of those rules are broken, the company loses the right to collect a single dollar for the tow.¹

When a Private-Property Tow Is Legal

Under O.C.G.A. 44-1-13, a car can be towed from private property only when it is parked there without the owner’s or an authorized agent’s permission. That covers reserved spaces, blocked driveways and fire lanes, and parking rules posted on the property. The property owner or a designated agent, such as a property manager, is the one who has to request the tow. A towing company cannot patrol a lot on its own and hook cars at will.¹

The company doing the towing also has to be licensed. Only towing and storage firms that hold a permit from the local governing authority or the Department of Public Safety, and that operate a secure impoundment facility, are allowed to remove vehicles from private property. If an unlicensed operator tows your car, the tow itself may be unlawful even if you were parked where you shouldn’t have been.¹

Signage the Property Must Post

Georgia regulations set precise standards for towing signs. Each sign must be at least 12 inches by 18 inches, with general lettering no smaller than three-quarters of an inch. The words “Private Parking” must appear in bold letters at least one and a half inches tall. Signs must be clearly visible and free from obstructions.²

The content requirements are just as specific. A compliant sign has to include:

A clear warning that unauthorized vehicles will be towed.
The towing company’s name, address, phone number, and impound lot location.
The towing fees and daily storage fees the company charges.
The hours the lot is open for vehicle retrieval.
The forms of payment the company accepts.³

If a lot has no compliant sign, you have a strong argument that the tow was improper. Before you leave the scene, photograph the entrances and the area near where you parked. Missing signage is one of the cleanest grounds for challenging charges later.

What the Tow Can Cost

The Department of Public Safety sets maximum rates for non-consensual towing through a statewide tariff. The current schedule is Maximum Rate Tariff No. 5, effective June 17, 2024. Companies can charge less than the tariff amounts but never more, and the rates vary by vehicle weight class.⁴

The First 24 Hours Are Free for Storage

Georgia law prohibits a towing company from charging any storage fee for the first 24 hours after a vehicle is removed from private property. The clock starts at the moment of removal, not when the car arrives at the impound lot. Any storage charge for that first day violates the statute.¹

Storage fees also cannot be charged for any day the lot is closed or unavailable for pickup. Companies must staff the impound facility during normal business hours at least six days a week and keep someone reachable by phone around the clock, with authority to release vehicles.⁵

Notification Fees Are Capped

A towing company can charge a notification fee for contacting law enforcement and trying to reach the owner. Under the current tariff, that fee cannot exceed $26 for the first 24 hours. An additional charge of up to $65 may apply after 72 hours. Total notification charges on any single tow are capped at $91.⁴

How You Can Pay

Companies must accept cash, commonly recognized traveler’s checks, money orders, certified checks, and cashier’s checks. Taking credit or debit cards is optional, but a company that does accept them cannot add a surcharge for using them. Check the posted sign for accepted payment methods before you head to the lot.⁵

Stopping a Tow Before It Leaves

If you get to your car while the tow truck is still there, what you owe depends on how far along the operator is.

Before the vehicle is hooked or loaded, the operator must release it at no charge. You just need to produce the key and agree to move the car off the property immediately. Once the vehicle is hooked or on the flatbed but hasn’t left the property yet, the operator must still release it, but can charge a “drop fee.” The current tariff caps that fee at $130 for a passenger vehicle under 20,000 pounds and $195 for heavier vehicles, with no storage or other charges added.⁶⁷

Once the truck leaves the property, the drop fee no longer applies and the company can charge the full tariff rate. Speed matters. If you see the truck, don’t wait.

Getting Your Car Back

The towing company has to notify local law enforcement after removing a vehicle, which means the fastest way to find your car is to call the police non-emergency line and ask which company has it.¹

You are entitled to retrieve the vehicle upon paying the lawful towing and storage charges. If the sign at the property didn’t include fee information, or if there was no sign at all, photograph the scene. A company found to have violated O.C.G.A. 44-1-13 cannot collect any fees for the removal or storage, so documenting problems can wipe out the bill entirely.¹

If You Don’t Pick Up the Vehicle

Storage fees accumulate every day the car sits, and Georgia’s Abandoned Motor Vehicle Act gives the towing company a path to take ownership.

Within 15 calendar days of the tow, the company must send a notification letter to every known owner by certified mail or hand delivery. The letter warns that the company can petition a court to foreclose its lien after 10 calendar days and that a court may order the vehicle sold. If the owner cannot be identified, the company must run a newspaper ad in the county where the vehicle is located within 60 days, once a week for two consecutive weeks.⁸

After the notice period, the company can file a petition in the magistrate court of the county where the vehicle is located, no sooner than 10 days and no later than six months after the notice was sent. The filing fee is capped at $11. The company sends a copy of the petition to any known owner by certified mail along with a standardized answer form. You have 10 days after receiving the petition to file an answer. Ignoring the papers lets the company request a default judgment; if you answer, the court schedules a trial within 10 days.⁹

Penalties for Illegal Towing

The Department of Public Safety can impose a civil penalty of up to $2,500 for any violation of O.C.G.A. 44-1-13. On top of that fine, a company that violates the statute forfeits the right to collect any fees for that tow.¹

A vehicle owner can also sue the towing company in civil court. Georgia’s statute of limitations for personal property claims is four years from the date the right of action arises, so there is time to build a case, though acting sooner preserves evidence and stops storage disputes from compounding. Courts can award damages covering the tow cost, storage fees paid, and other losses caused by an unlawful removal.¹⁰

How to File a Complaint or Sue

Start with the towing company. Many disputes come down to misunderstandings about the tariff or the signage, and some companies will correct billing errors when you point to the specific rule.

If that doesn’t work, where you go next depends on the type of tow. For non-consensual tows from private property, file a complaint with the Georgia Department of Public Safety using Form DPS TR0031, available through the DPS Carrier Vehicle Enforcement office. The DPS has enforcement authority over licensed towing companies and investigates violations of the tariff and towing regulations.¹¹ For issues tied to a local ordinance, contact law enforcement in the city or county where the tow happened, since many municipalities have their own towing codes on top of state rules.

The Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division offers general guidance on towing but doesn’t enforce towing laws and can’t represent you individually. The division directs non-consensual towing complaints to the DPS and points people toward a private attorney or magistrate court if the dispute stays unresolved.¹²

For any dispute involving real money, magistrate court in the county where the towing company operates is the most practical venue. Bring photographs of the property’s signage (or lack of it), your payment receipts, any correspondence with the company, and a copy of the DPS Maximum Rate Tariff showing the fee caps. If the tow lacked proper signage, the company wasn’t licensed, or the fees exceeded the tariff, the case is usually straightforward.

1
Justia. Georgia Code 44-1-13 – Removal of Improperly Parked Cars or Trespassing Personal Property
2
Georgia Department of Public Safety. Non-Consensual Towing Rules – Signs Specifications
3
Legal Information Institute. Georgia Comp. R. and Regs. R. 570-38-7-.14 – Signs Specifications
4
Georgia Department of Public Safety. Statewide Maximum Rate Tariff No. 5 – Nonconsensual Towing
5
Georgia Department of Public Safety. Rules of the Department of Public Safety – Non-Consensual Towing
6
Legal Information Institute. Georgia Comp. R. and Regs. R. 570-38-7-.16 – Vehicle Not Towed Upon Operator Returning
7
Georgia Department of Public Safety. Statewide Maximum Rate Tariff No. 5 – Nonconsensual Towing
8
Justia. Georgia Code 40-11-19 – Notification Letter to Owners; Advertisement; Lien Upon Vehicle
9
Justia. Georgia Code 40-11-19.1 – Petition to Foreclose a Lien on Motor Vehicle
10
Justia. Georgia Code 9-3-32 – Accrual of Actions for Recovery of Personal Property
11
Georgia Department of Public Safety. Non-Consensual Towing – CVE Regulations Compliance
12
Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division. Towing