For a non-consensual tow in California — the kind ordered by police or by a private property owner — a towing company’s charges are capped by the California Highway Patrol’s published maximum rates. For fiscal year 2025–26, that ceiling is $326.55 per hour for towing a standard passenger car or light truck, plus $77.78 per day for outdoor storage or $81.06 per day for indoor storage.1City of Pomona. California Highway Patrol Maximum Allowable Tow and Storage Rates FY2025-26 If you called the tow truck yourself after a breakdown, none of this applies; consensual tows are governed by whatever price you agreed to before the truck arrived.
The CHP Rate Ceiling
California does not set a single statewide dollar figure in statute. Instead, the CHP publishes maximum allowable rates each fiscal year, and Vehicle Code Section 22524.5 declares fees for accident and stolen-vehicle recovery tows “reasonable” only when they do not exceed what public agencies pay for similar services.2California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 22524.5 Those two rules work together to make the CHP schedule the practical cap for non-consensual tows across the state.
The rate depends on vehicle class. For FY 2025–26:
- Class A (standard passenger car or light truck): $326.55 per hour for the tow, $77.78 per day outdoor storage, $81.06 per day indoor storage.
- Class D (tractor-trailer): up to $603.70 per hour for the tow, roughly $89 to $91 per day for storage.1City of Pomona. California Highway Patrol Maximum Allowable Tow and Storage Rates FY2025-26
Individual cities and counties can negotiate lower rates with their contracted operators, and many do. No law enforcement tow should exceed the CHP figures, and any accident or stolen-vehicle tow priced above them is presumptively unreasonable under Section 22524.5.
Fees That Are Presumptively Unreasonable
Section 22524.5 also names specific fee practices that are considered unreasonable unless the tow company can prove otherwise. These caps apply to tows resulting from accidents or stolen-vehicle recoveries.2California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 22524.5
- An after-hours towing surcharge on top of a gate fee cannot exceed 10 percent of the normal towing rate.
- A tow yard cannot charge a premium daily storage rate just because your vehicle happens to sit through a holiday.
- If you retrieve your vehicle within the first four hours of storage, the storage fee cannot exceed half the posted daily rate.
When you get the invoice, compare each line against the CHP maximums and this list. Anything above them puts the burden on the company to justify the number.
The Drop Fee Rule for Private Property Tows
If your car is being towed from a parking lot or apartment complex and you get back to it before the tow truck has left the property, the operator must release it immediately and unconditionally. A “drop fee” can be charged for the trouble of responding, but it cannot exceed half the regular towing rate.3California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 22658 A driver who refuses to release the vehicle after you show up and offer the drop fee is violating the Vehicle Code.
Private-property tows carry other requirements that can invalidate the whole tow if broken, and an invalid tow means you owe nothing. The property must have signs at every entrance measuring at least 17 by 22 inches, with one-inch lettering, stating that unauthorized vehicles will be removed at the owner’s expense and listing the local traffic enforcement agency and the tow company. The property owner, lessee, or authorized agent must give written authorization for each specific vehicle and must be physically present when the tow begins.3California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 22658 If any of that is missing, the tow itself is unlawful and any charge for it is unenforceable.
Payment Methods and Your Belongings
What you actually pay at pickup is also constrained. A storage facility must accept cash, an insurer’s check, or a valid bank credit card.4California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 22651.07 A yard that insists on cash only is breaking the law.
You are also entitled to retrieve personal belongings from your towed vehicle before paying any towing or storage fees, and to inspect the vehicle for damage. Access must be provided during normal business hours, defined as Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding state holidays, at no charge.4California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 22651.07 Some yards try to hold personal property as leverage until the full bill is paid. That practice is illegal.
How to Dispute an Overcharge
Ask for an itemized invoice before you pay, and keep a copy. Then check the total against the CHP schedule and the Section 22524.5 rules above. Where a charge exceeds the ceiling or fits one of the presumptively unreasonable categories, tell the company and put the objection in writing.
If law enforcement or a public agency ordered the tow, you have the right to a post-storage hearing to challenge whether the tow was valid. The agency that ordered the tow must mail or personally deliver a storage notice to the registered and legal owners within 48 hours, not counting weekends and holidays. That notice must state the storage location, describe the vehicle, give the authority and reason for the tow, and explain how to request a hearing. You can request one in person, by phone, or in writing, and the hearing must be held within 48 hours of your request, again excluding weekends and holidays. If the hearing officer finds the tow was not justified, the agency is responsible for the towing and storage costs.5California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 22852
Speed matters here. Storage fees accumulate daily, so every day you wait adds to a bill you may end up owing if the tow is ultimately upheld.
For a tow from private property, the first thing to check is Section 22658 compliance: the signage, the written authorization, the presence requirement, and the drop-fee rule. Any missing piece can make the tow itself unlawful.
Beyond those specific channels, you can file a complaint with the California Department of Consumer Affairs by calling (800) 952-5210 or submitting a complaint online.6Department of Consumer Affairs. Consumer Self-Help, Tips and Resources to Resolve Consumer Complaints Your county district attorney’s consumer complaint line is another option, and small claims court handles individual disputes up to $10,000 without requiring an attorney. Tow companies that cannot justify their charges in writing tend to settle once they see that the vehicle owner knows the rules.