Hawaii’s towing laws cap what a tow company can charge, require posted warning signs before any private-property tow, and give vehicle owners the right to sue for at least $1,000 plus attorney’s fees if the rules are broken. The core statute is Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 290-11, and the numbers in it are unusually specific: $65 for a standard hookup, $25 a day for the first week of storage, and a hard rule that your vehicle must be released for free if you get there before the tow truck drives off.
When a Tow Is Legal in Hawaii
Three statutes cover three situations. A vehicle parked on private or public property without permission can be towed at the owner’s expense under HRS 290-11, but only if the property owner, occupant, or person in charge orders it and the required signage is posted.1Justia Law. Hawaii Code 290-11 – Vehicles Left Unattended on Private and Public Property; Sale or Disposition of Abandoned Vehicles County police can order a tow under HRS 291C-165.5 for traffic violations, after an accident where the vehicle cannot move on its own, or when the vehicle blocks or endangers traffic; the registered owner pays.2Justia Law. Hawaii Code 291C-165.5 – Removal of Motor Vehicles
Vehicles left on public roads can be treated as abandoned under HRS 290-1. If the county has no local ordinance defining abandonment, the default is a vehicle left unattended for more than 24 continuous hours and unlawfully parked on a public highway or on adjacent land like a shoulder, easement, or right of way.3Justia Law. Hawaii Code 290-1 – Abandoned Vehicles; Removal and Disposal
Signage Requirements for Private Property Tows
A tow from private or public property under HRS 290-11 is only authorized if the property has a proper warning sign. The statute is specific. Letters must be at least two inches high, light-reflective, and on a contrasting background. The sign has to state that unauthorized vehicles will be towed at the vehicle owner’s expense, and it must list the name, address, and phone number of the tow facility where the vehicle will be taken. Placement matters too: the sign has to be clearly visible to a driver approaching any parking space, though posting at each entrance is enough if the entire lot is restricted.1Justia Law. Hawaii Code 290-11 – Vehicles Left Unattended on Private and Public Property; Sale or Disposition of Abandoned Vehicles
If any required detail is missing, or the sign is not properly posted, the tow arguably falls outside the statute’s authorization and the tow company faces the penalties described below.
Maximum Fees a Tow Company Can Charge
HRS 290-11 writes every allowed charge directly into the statute and says no other charges are authorized. The caps are:
- Standard tow: $65
- Dolly tow: $75
- Mileage: $7.50 per mile towed
- Storage, first seven days: $25 per day or any fraction of a day
- Storage, day eight and after: $20 per day
- Difficult hookup surcharge: $30, allowed only for hookups above or below ground in a multilevel facility
- Overtime surcharge: $15, for tows between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Monday through Thursday, or from 6:00 p.m. Friday to 6:00 a.m. Monday
Anything charged above these amounts is not authorized by law.1Justia Law. Hawaii Code 290-11 – Vehicles Left Unattended on Private and Public Property; Sale or Disposition of Abandoned Vehicles
The Drop Rule When You Arrive During Hookup
If you reach your vehicle while the tow truck is still hooking up and has not yet driven off, the tow company must release it at no charge. The statute draws the line at the moment the truck starts moving. Before that, you owe nothing. If the vehicle cannot be safely released right there, the operator can move it to a nearby safe release point, but still cannot charge a fee.1Justia Law. Hawaii Code 290-11 – Vehicles Left Unattended on Private and Public Property; Sale or Disposition of Abandoned Vehicles
Notice, Receipt, and the 30-Day Clock
After the tow, the company must identify the legal owner and last registered owner through the Department of Transportation or the county department of finance and mail written notice by registered or certified mail within 15 days. The notice must describe the vehicle, state its location, list the maximum towing charges allowed by law, and include the consumer information phone number for the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.1Justia Law. Hawaii Code 290-11 – Vehicles Left Unattended on Private and Public Property; Sale or Disposition of Abandoned Vehicles
When you pick up the vehicle, the company has to give you a receipt that also shows the maximum charges allowed by law and the DCCA phone number. Keep it. If you later dispute the bill, the receipt is your primary evidence of what you paid against what the statute allows.
The notice also starts a 30-day clock. If the vehicle is not recovered within 30 days after the notice is mailed, it is deemed abandoned. The tow company can then sell it or dispose of it as junk after publishing one advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation in the state. Certified mail delays can eat into that window, so act quickly once you know where the vehicle is.1Justia Law. Hawaii Code 290-11 – Vehicles Left Unattended on Private and Public Property; Sale or Disposition of Abandoned Vehicles
What You Can Do If You Were Overcharged or Wrongly Towed
Under HRS 290-11(g), any violation of the towing statute is automatically treated as an unfair or deceptive practice under HRS 480-2. That matters because HRS 480-13 lets a consumer injured by an unfair or deceptive practice sue for the greater of $1,000 or three times the actual damages, plus reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs. For elder consumers, the minimum is $5,000 or treble damages, whichever is greater.1Justia Law. Hawaii Code 290-11 – Vehicles Left Unattended on Private and Public Property; Sale or Disposition of Abandoned Vehicles4Justia Law. Hawaii Code 480-13 – Suits by Persons Injured; Injunctions; Costs; Attorney Fees
A small overcharge can turn into liability many times the original fee, and the attorney’s fees provision means a lawyer may take a strong case without requiring payment upfront because the tow company pays the legal costs if you win.
Two practical venues exist. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs handles complaints and can investigate towing companies through its Office of Consumer Protection.5Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Office of Consumer Protection Hawaii’s small claims court hears money-damage claims up to $5,000, with mediation before a judge sees the case, and most towing disputes fit comfortably within that limit.6Hawaii State Judiciary. Small Claims Questions and Answers For a clear violation, the HRS 480-13 route is often the stronger option because of the treble damages and fee-shifting.