{"id":11691,"date":"2024-11-11T12:33:29","date_gmt":"2024-11-11T20:33:29","guid":{"rendered":"\/wp-site\/?p=11691"},"modified":"2025-07-08T12:29:44","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T19:29:44","slug":"everything-you-need-to-know-about-texas-towing-laws","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jerry.ai\/state-laws\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-texas-towing-laws\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything You Need to Know About Texas Towing Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"\/car-insurance\/texas\/\">Texas<\/a> towing laws permit law enforcement and private property owners to tow illegally parked or abandoned vehicles. Retrieving your towed vehicle can be expensive and difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jerry-card\"><div class=\"shadow-variant-card relative overflow-hidden rounded-xl p-8\"><div class=\"flex flex-col gap-3\"><span class=\"text-lg font-medium text-slate-900\">QUICK LOOK<\/span><div class=\"jerry-block-content text-sm text-slate-700\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Police and private property owners have the right to tow vehicles in some cases.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Texas car owners have the right to retrieve personal property from their towed cars.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You may have to pay hefty towing and storage fees up to hundreds of dollars.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Claim your vehicle within 30 days or you could lose your car in a public auction.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"police-can-tow-unattended-stolen-or-illegally-parked-vehicles-in-texas\">Police can tow unattended, stolen, or illegally parked vehicles in Texas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If your vehicle is illegally parked, blocks traffic, or poses a hazard to others, law enforcement has the right to tow it.<br><br>Texas towing laws are complicated, and they\u2019re governed by <a href=\"https:\/\/statutes.capitol.texas.gov\/Docs\/TN\/htm\/TN.545.htm#545.3051\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Transportation Code Section 545.305<\/a>. This is the section that dictates the towing laws in Texas and gives circumstances where police are legally authorized to tow a vehicle.<br><br>Here are the main causes that would permit police to tow your vehicle under state law:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If the vehicle is unattended on a bridge, viaduct, or causeway; or if it\u2019s in a tube or tunnel and obstructs traffic<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If the vehicle is unlawfully parked and blocks the entrance to a private driveway<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If the vehicle has been reported as stolen<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If the vehicle has been abandoned for more than 48 hours<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If the vehicle cannot be moved because the driver is incapacitated by illness or injury<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If the driver is arrested while operating the vehicle<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If your vehicle gets towed by the police, they will take it to an impound lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-get-your-car-out-of-an-impound-lot-in-texas\">How to get your car out of an impound lot in Texas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Time limit: 30 days<br><br>If your vehicle ends up in an impound lot, you\u2019ll have to act fast. The vehicle storage facility (VSF) may sell your car through a public auction after 30 days if you ignore the second notice that\u2019s been mailed out to you.<br><br>Make sure to call the VSF without delay after your vehicle has been towed and follow protocol. To reclaim your vehicle, you must go to the VSF in person and provide the following documents:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Proof of identification (state-issued driver\u2019s license, ID card, etc.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Proof of ownership (current registration, insurance card, certificate of title, etc.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Fees: Hundreds of dollars<br><br>You can\u2019t leave the impound with your car without paying an inordinate amount of fees. The exact amount will vary based on your situation, but we can guarantee it definitely won\u2019t be cheap. You can expect to pay in the hundreds to cover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Tow charge<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Daily storage charge<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Notification fee<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Impoundment fee<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Governmental or law enforcement fees<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jerry-cta\"><div class=\"flex flex-col items-start gap-4 rounded-xl border border-zinc-200 px-12 py-8 md:flex-row md:items-center md:gap-14\"><div class=\"flex-1\"><span class=\"text-xl font-black text-gray-900\">SIMPLIFY YOUR CAR INSURANCE IN MINUTES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"flex-1\"><a href=\"\/signup\/insured?service=insurance \" class=\"bg-primary block w-full rounded-full px-14 py-2 text-center font-black text-white hover:no-underline\">Find savings now<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"when-can-private-property-owners-tow-a-vehicle-in-texas\">When can private property owners tow a vehicle in Texas?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/statutes.capitol.texas.gov\/Docs\/OC\/htm\/OC.2308.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Section 2308.252<\/a> of the Texas Occupations Code, private property owners may call a tow truck at the owner\u2019s expense if the following rules are ignored:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cNO PARKING\u201d signs: The sign must be located in the private parking facility at the time of towing for at least 24 hours. A phone number should be included on the sign.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Notice of parking violation: You may receive an actual notice from the property owner on your windshield that explains that the vehicle is parked in an unauthorized parking space and must be removed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you ignore this first notice: A second tow ticket notice must be mailed to you with the same warning. The property owner has to give you until the 15th day after the postmark date of the notice to move it. They must also include a phone number available 24 hours so you can locate your vehicle.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If your vehicle gets towed by a private property owner, you\u2019ll have to reach out to that person to find out the name of the towing company and the VSF that has removed and stored your towed vehicle.<br><br>The vehicle owner may have to pay the towing fee associated with a private property tow, even if it was a non-consent tow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"when-can-your-car-be-towed-from-a-parking-lot-in-texas\">When can your car be towed from a parking lot in Texas?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Under Texas Occupations Code subsection <a href=\"https:\/\/statutes.capitol.texas.gov\/Docs\/OC\/htm\/OC.2308.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">86.455<\/a>, a vehicle may be towed from a parking lot in Texas if it is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Blocking traffic, an entrance, or an exit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Obstructing a fire lane or a disabled parking space<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leaking a fluid that presents a hazard or threat to others or the property<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Unlawfully parked on residential property<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The same rules apply here, where you might be compelled to pay the towing operator the tow fee as the owner of an unauthorized vehicle in a private parking lot.<br><br>Call the tow truck operator at the telephone number listed on the parking lot signs to arrange an appointment. Make sure to confirm whether they accept credit card payments and whether someone needs to be present to release any booting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-are-my-rights-if-my-car-is-towed-in-texas\">What are my rights if my car is towed in Texas?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If your motor vehicle has been towed in Texas, by law, you still have certain rights. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The right to find out the VSF location where your vehicle has been towed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The right to retrieve your ownership documents or personal property from the vehicle without having to pay a fee<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The right to access or claim your vehicle 24 hours, or within one hour at VSF locations that do not accept cars 24 hours a day<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The right to request a tow hearing in the county where your vehicle was towed, if you believe your vehicle was wrongfully towed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If your vehicle has been towed, you can call your local traffic enforcement agency for more information and instructions on how to proceed.<br><br>If you got a tow for a wrecker as the result of an accident, your insurance may or may not pay for the car to get hooked up and dropped off at a repair shop or salvage yard. You may need to pay out-of-pocket if you\u2019re at fault for the crash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jerry-meet-experts\" data-wp-interactive=\"jerry\/meet-experts\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;modalVisible&quot;:false}\">\n  <div class=\"font-circular text-2xl font-extrabold text-slate-900\">Expert-driven. Built for you.<\/div>\n\n  <div class=\"my-3\">\n    <div class=\"flex justify-between items-center py-3 border-b border-neutral-200 cursor-pointer font-semibold text-gray-900\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.toggleModal\">\n  <button class=\"text-left text-base\" type=\"button\">\n    Why you can count on Jerry&#8217;s articles  <\/button>\n\n  <div class=\"transition data-[visible=true]:md:rotate-180 text-xs iconify i--chevron-down text-gray-500\" data-wp-bind--data-visible=\"context.modalVisible\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"modal-backdrop fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-50 overflow-hidden overscroll-contain bg-black\/70 font-body transition-transform delay-100 duration-0 md:relative md:z-auto [&amp;:not([data-visible=true])]:translate-y-full [&amp;:not([data-visible=true])]:bg-black\/0 [&amp;:not([data-visible=true])]:md:hidden\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.onModalInit\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.hideModal\" data-wp-bind--data-visible=\"context.modalVisible\">\n  <div class=\"modal-view fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 flex max-h-[75%] w-full flex-col rounded-t-3xl bg-white pb-7 pl-7 pt-3.5 transition md:relative md:rounded-none md:pl-0 md:transition-none [&amp;:not([data-visible=true])]:translate-y-full [&amp;:not([data-visible=true])]:md:hidden\" data-wp-bind--data-visible=\"context.modalVisible\">\n    <div class=\"modal-header md:hidden flex justify-between items-center pb-1 mb-1 border-b border-zinc-200\">\n      <div class=\"modal-title text-base font-semibold\">Summary<\/div>\n\n      <div\n        class=\"modal-close-btn wp-block-group w-11 h-11 mr-2.5 content-center text-center\"\n        data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.hideModal\"\n      >\n        <div class=\"iconify i--close text-gray-500 cursor-pointer\"><\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"modal-body pr-7 overflow-y-auto\"><div class=\"wp-block-template-part\"><div class=\"flex flex-row items-center gap-2.5 rounded-lg bg-gray-pink px-4 py-5\">\n  <span class=\"iconify mt-0.5 shrink-0 self-start text-xs text-primary i--shield-check\"><\/span>\n\n  <div>\n    <div class=\"font-body text-xs font-bold text-primary\">Our goal is clear, trustworthy information.<\/div>\n    <div class=\"mt-1 font-body text-xs text-gray-600\">\n      Our content is created, edited and fact checked by a team of licensed insurance agents, automotive pros and\n      experienced journalists who know the industry inside and out. Facts are thoroughly researched, verified and kept\n      current, and our editorial team is separate from our business partners, so our opinions &#038; tips are unbiased. All\n      insights drawn from Jerry\u2019s proprietary, aggregated customer auto insurance quotes data provide unique, real-world\n      guidance.\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <div class=\"text-base font-semibold text-gray-900\">Our experts<\/div>\n\n  <div class=\"my-8 flex flex-col gap-8 items-center justify-center\">\n          <div\n        class=\"meet-experts-item group relative flex h-auto w-full flex-none flex-col justify-between overflow-hidden rounded-3xl py-9 text-sm shadow-variant-card\"\n        data-expand=\"false\"\n        data-wp-init=\"callbacks.onItemInit\"\n      >\n        <div class=\"grid h-full w-full grid-cols-1 overflow-hidden px-8 md:grid-cols-4\">\n          <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Mariza-Morin.png\" class=\"size-16 rounded-full md:size-32 col-span-1 md:ml-4\" alt=\"meet-experts-thumbnail\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Mariza-Morin.png 250w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Mariza-Morin-150x150.png 150w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Mariza-Morin-56x56.png 56w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Mariza-Morin-120x120.png 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 346px) 260px, (max-width: 576px) 432px, (max-width: 720px) 540px, (min-width: 720px) 250px, 100vw\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/>\n          <div class=\"col-span-3\">\n            <div class=\"my-4 flex-1 content-center font-circular text-lg font-medium text-slate-900 md:mt-0\">\n              Mariza Morin            <\/div>\n\n            \n            <div class=\"text-slate-500 mt-2 leading-6\">\n              <p>Mariza Morin is an insurance writer with over 10 years of experience in the writing and research industry. Mariza specializes in car insurance, car maintenance, and home insurance content at Jerry, and has over 600+ published articles that help readers handle everything from scheduling regular car maintenance to saving money. Before joining Jerry\u2019s editorial team, Mariza earned her Masters in Library and Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a B.A. in Art History and Photography from the University of Texas at Arlington.<\/p>            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n        <div class=\"absolute hidden group-data-[expand=true]:flex bottom-0 w-full h-24 bg-gradient-to-t from-white from-30% to-transparent to-100% items-end justify-center\">\n          <div\n            class=\"flex cursor-pointer flex-row items-center gap-2 my-4 font-circular text-primary\"\n            data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.onItemExpandClick\"\n          >\n            <span class=\"text-sm\">See more<\/span>\n            <span class=\"iconify i--chevron-down text-xs\"><\/span>\n          <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n          <div\n        class=\"meet-experts-item group relative flex h-auto w-full flex-none flex-col justify-between overflow-hidden rounded-3xl py-9 text-sm shadow-variant-card\"\n        data-expand=\"false\"\n        data-wp-init=\"callbacks.onItemInit\"\n      >\n        <div class=\"grid h-full w-full grid-cols-1 overflow-hidden px-8 md:grid-cols-4\">\n          <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Jessica-Barrett.png\" class=\"size-16 rounded-full md:size-32 col-span-1 md:ml-4\" alt=\"meet-experts-thumbnail\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Jessica-Barrett.png 250w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Jessica-Barrett-150x150.png 150w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Jessica-Barrett-56x56.png 56w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Jessica-Barrett-120x120.png 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 346px) 260px, (max-width: 576px) 432px, (max-width: 720px) 540px, (min-width: 720px) 250px, 100vw\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/>\n          <div class=\"col-span-3\">\n            <div class=\"my-4 flex-1 content-center font-circular text-lg font-medium text-slate-900 md:mt-0\">\n              Jessica Barrett            <\/div>\n\n            \n            <div class=\"text-slate-500 mt-2 leading-6\">\n              <p>Jessica Barrett is a senior insurance writer and editor with 10 years of experience in the automotive and travel industries. A specialist in car insurance, car loans, and car ownership, Jessica\u2019s mission is to create comprehensive content that car owners can use to manage their costs and improve their lives. As a managing editor for a team of writers and insurance specialists, Jessica has edited over 2,000 articles for Jerry on topics ranging from local insurance shopping tips to refinancing car loans with bad credit. Before joining Jerry as a senior content editor in 2021, Jessica created visual content for clients such as Expedia, Vivid Seats, Budget Direct Car Insurance, Angie\u2019s List, and HomeAdvisor. Her content was published in Business Insider, Forbes, Apartment Therapy, and the BBC.<\/p>            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n        <div class=\"absolute hidden group-data-[expand=true]:flex bottom-0 w-full h-24 bg-gradient-to-t from-white from-30% to-transparent to-100% items-end justify-center\">\n          <div\n            class=\"flex cursor-pointer flex-row items-center gap-2 my-4 font-circular text-primary\"\n            data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.onItemExpandClick\"\n          >\n            <span class=\"text-sm\">See more<\/span>\n            <span class=\"iconify i--chevron-down text-xs\"><\/span>\n          <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Illegally parked, abandoned, or stolen vehicles can be legally towed in Texas. You\u2019ll have 30 days to pay for retrieval.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":63654,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jerry_authors":"[{\"id\":\"300\",\"type\":\"main-author\"},{\"id\":\"158\",\"type\":\"editor\"}]","jerry_author_ids":[300],"jerry_idx_page_label":"","jerry_meta_desc":"Illegally parked, abandoned, or stolen vehicles can be legally towed in Texas. You\u2019ll have 30 days to pay for retrieval.","jerry_related_posts":"[6079,5177,9650]","jerry_summary":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[515],"tags":[644,359,665],"class_list":["post-11691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-state-laws","tag-resource_state_laws","tag-texas","tag-texas_learn"],"modified_by":"harveen.sran@getjerry.com","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jerry.ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jerry.ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jerry.ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerry.ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerry.ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11691"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/jerry.ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11691\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63655,"href":"https:\/\/jerry.ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11691\/revisions\/63655"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerry.ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/63654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jerry.ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerry.ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerry.ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}