My Car Gets Towed | What I Should Do ?

By Max Anthony •  Updated: 04/12/21 •  4 min read

Have you ever found yourself wondering what happens when my car gets towed and how to retrieve it back ? It’s always a stressful situation, especially if the vehicle was in an illegal parking space.

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Lucky for us there are ways of getting help! We have researched the process so that we can guide you through locating where they could be taken on the towing day–plus tips about retrieving them quickly once they’re discovered. This blog post takes readers through why cars get towed and how to go about retrieving them.

Signs Your Car Gets Towed

 Car Gets Towed
Bergingstruck met auto (tow truck with car) | wikimedia

Maybe you parked in a no-parking zone, or near an intersection. Maybe your car was blocking the fire hydrant and needed to be towed for safety purposes.

There are many reasons why people get their cars towed off roadsides–and there could be even more ones than what’s listed here:

unpaid parking tickets

Your DMV records may come back with a slew of unpaid parking tickets and red flags, which results in your car being towed to the city lot.

A police officer has every right to run your plates through their DMV system during routine patrol checks for violations. If they find that you have outstanding fines on them, such as those from unpaid parking tickets or other traffic-related offenses like speeding or driving while intoxicated (DWI), then it’s likely they’ll tow away your vehicle without warning so that these financial penalties can be dealt with accordingly by law before having some sort of criminal action taken against you!

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Illegal Parking

Your car may have been towed because you parked on the street where parking was not allowed. Check your parking area for signs that you should not park there.

You may have accidentally parked in a disabled area or one of these places reserved for shoppers. Next time, check out these types of places and make sure you don’t forget them when choosing a place available!

Maybe Your Vehicle Was Stolen

If you do not have any remaining violations, unpaid payments, and you have not parked illegally there is always the possibility that your car may be stolen.

If so, call the police department to report it as soon as possible so that they can start investigating for more information!

Tips To Get Back Your Towed Car

car gets towed
Towing a Taurus | Flickr

You should ask yourself if your car was towed to a private lot or city impound. If it is at the police department, then you need to call them and they will be able to tell you where. This information could also help locate how much money would cost for recovery of any lost property in that vehicle too!

You might think finding out what happened with your car after being towed away can take some time, but luckily there are several ways we have located this info about an individual’s vehicle as well as their location – quickly:

1. Find your towed vehicle’s location .

2. Check the towing company’s hours of operation .

3. Call and ask for a release fee estimate

4. Ask if you can pay with cash or credit card over the phone .

5. Arrive at the tow yard during business hours with your driver’s license, proof of insurance, and any other required documentation.

How Long Can A Towing Company Keep My Car?

car gets towed
car gets towed | wikimedia

A towing company can keep your car for up to three days. If you’re not able to pick it up, the company will store it in a secure location until you contact them. The company is required by law to give you notice that they have your vehicle and where it’s being stored. 

You may be charged storage fees if you don’t retrieve your car within the specified time frame. If you have a vehicle in storage, it will cost you $25 per day for every day it is stored.

If your car was towed because of an accident or other incident, the towing company can keep your car up to 30 days if they believe there might be evidence inside that could help with their investigation.

Final Words

Your car gets towed is a major distraction that will take a lot of time. If you’re drawn to it, don’t panic! Follow the steps outlined in this article and you will get out of trouble quickly realizing your rights to avoid any further stress during the experience. Understanding how it all works can also provide tons of relief and make everything easier for everyone involved – including you!

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Max Anthony

Max is a gizmo-savvy guy, who has a tendency to get pulled into the nitty gritty details of technology and cars. He attended UT Austin, where he studied Information Science. He’s married and has three kids, one dog and a GMC truck and a Porsche 911. With a large family, he still finds time to share tips and tricks on cars, trucks and more.