In Massachusetts, police and private property owners can have vehicles towed if they are illegally parked or abandoned. You may have to pay high towing and storage fees to get your vehicle back after it\u2019s been towed, so you need to know your rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Massachusetts state law allows the state police to tow your vehicle when:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There might be more reasons why law enforcement might tow your vehicle, but these are the big ones. If your vehicle is towed by the police, it will be taken to an impound lot.
The bottom line: Police may only tow your vehicle if it\u2019s parked illegally or has been abandoned, or in certain emergency circumstances, like inclement weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If your vehicle is taken to an impound lot, make sure you recover it within 30 calendar days. After this, the vehicle will go to auction and you won\u2019t be able to get it back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Call the impound lot as soon as you can after your vehicle is towed to get instructions for recovery. If you\u2019re the registered owner of the vehicle, you should be able to get the vehicle back by showing up during normal business hours and providing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re not the towed vehicle\u2019s owner, you should still be able to recover the vehicle with the above items.
It should be simple to get your car back from the impound lot\u2014should be. More often than not, fees complicate the recovery of a vehicle and can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fees include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Private property towing laws are covered by Section 120D<\/a> of Massachusetts law. Parking lot tows follow the same laws as those that govern tows from private property. Your vehicle can also be towed from a parking lot if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can check your driving record to see if you have any outstanding tickets through the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n If your car is towed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for any reason, you have certain protections under Massachusetts general laws. Your rights include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your vehicle has been towed, call the tow company right away for more details and instructions. You can find this information on a sign posted on the private property your vehicle was towed from, or from the local police department if the police had your vehicle towed. As of July 2022, the max charge for involuntary towing by police or from private property is $108. The max rate for storage is $35 per 24 hours.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll have to double-check your lease on this one\u2014sometimes, landlords can sneak parking regulations into your lease and count that as notice of a tow. Otherwise, your landlord has to provide you with notice that you\u2019re in violation of parking rules.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n\n
This law mandates that a property owner or their agent must provide written notice to the chief of police or their designee that they are going to tow a vehicle. The property owner must also expressly forbid you from parking there, either verbally or by displaying tow away signs.
If a property owner doesn\u2019t follow the above criteria, they are subject to a fine of up to $100.
Once your vehicle is towed, it must be stored in a convenient location\u2014that means you won\u2019t have to travel 20 miles, for example, to get your car back.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMassachusetts towing laws for parking lots<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Know your rights if your car gets towed in Massachusetts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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All Massachusetts private tow companies are regulated by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities.<\/a> If you think you\u2019ve been wrongly towed, you can file a complaint<\/a> with the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n FAQ <\/h2>\n \n \n \n
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