Most drivers never think about towing law until they’re standing in an impound lot, staring at a bill, wondering how the total got so high and whether any of it can be challenged.
That’s the wrong time to learn how the system works. California towing law is detailed and specific, and it cuts both ways, it gives law enforcement clear authority to remove vehicles, but it also gives vehicle owners real, enforceable rights. The drivers who come out of a tow in the best shape are almost always the ones who understood those rights before they ever needed them.
At Foglesong Towing, we’ve worked within California’s towing framework across Ontario and the Inland Empire for more than four decades. This guide puts the essentials in plain language: when your car can legally be towed, what a tow company is and isn’t allowed to do, and what recourse you have if you believe a tow was improper. Consider it a reference worth reading now, while your car is still in your driveway.
When California Law Allows Your Car to Be Towed
The primary law governing vehicle removal in California is California Vehicle Code §22651. It grants peace officers and certain authorized employees, like parking enforcement officers, the authority to tow and impound vehicles under a defined list of circumstances. Those circumstances generally fall into a few categories.
Safety and traffic hazards. A vehicle can be towed if it obstructs the normal flow of traffic, blocks a driveway or fire hydrant, prevents emergency access, or is left disabled on a freeway right-of-way for an extended period. When a vehicle creates an immediate hazard, officers do not have to provide prior notice before towing.
Driver and criminal issues. If a driver is arrested, for DUI, for driving on a suspended or revoked license, or on an outstanding warrant, the vehicle may be impounded. The same authority applies when a driver is injured or incapacitated after a collision and unable to arrange for the vehicle, which is one of the more common ways a car ends up towed after an accident. If you find yourself in that situation, the guide to what to do if your car is towed after an accident in Ontario walks through the next steps. Driving without a valid license or on a suspended license can also trigger a mandatory hold, which we’ll cover further down.
Registration and parking violations. A vehicle can be towed if its registration has been expired for more than six months, if it displays no license plates, if it has accumulated five or more unpaid parking citations, or if it has been parked in the same spot on a public street for more than 72 consecutive hours.
One important distinction: CVC §22651 covers tows initiated by law enforcement on public property. Tows from private property, apartment complexes, shopping centers, and similar lots, are governed by a different statute, California Vehicle Code §22658. Under that section, a property owner can have a vehicle removed without police pre-approval, but only if specific signage and written authorization requirements are met. When those requirements aren’t satisfied, the tow may be improper. For a fuller breakdown of each legal trigger, the guide to why police tow cars in Ontario walks through them in detail.
What Tow Companies and Impound Lots Can, and Can’t, Do
Once your vehicle is towed, the tow company and impound lot operate under rules designed to protect you from overcharging and abuse. Knowing these rules is often the difference between paying a fair bill and paying far more than you owe.
Rates are regulated for police-authorized tows. In Southern California, tow companies operating on police rotation lists are bound by Towing Service Agreements that cap rates for light-duty vehicles. Under those agreements, you can generally expect a base tow rate in the range of $300–$325, daily storage fees of roughly $75–$90, and an after-hours gate fee capped at half the base tow rate. These aren’t arbitrary, they’re contractual limits. Private tows have more pricing flexibility, which is exactly why getting an itemized estimate up front matters.
You have the right to an itemized invoice. A tow company must be able to show you every charge, broken down line by line. If a charge doesn’t make sense or wasn’t disclosed, you’re entitled to an explanation. Reviewing that invoice carefully is one of the simplest ways to catch an error or an inflated fee.
You can retrieve personal belongings without paying the full balance. California law is clear that your personal property inside the vehicle, medication, documents, car seats, and other items, cannot be held hostage behind an unpaid towing bill. If an impound lot refuses access to your belongings until you pay in full, that’s a violation worth documenting and reporting.
The “return before it leaves” rule. Under California law (AB 2210), if you return to your vehicle before the tow truck has left the property, the driver is required to release it immediately and can charge no more than half the standard tow rate. They cannot demand full payment, and they cannot refuse to release the car. If a driver won’t drop your vehicle under those circumstances, you have the right to call local law enforcement to enforce the law.
You’re entitled to notification. After a tow, the law enforcement agency or tow company must notify the registered owner of the impound, including the legal grounds for the tow, the location of the vehicle, the steps required to obtain a release, and information on how to request a hearing. Operators who ignore these requirements are often the same ones behind common towing scams in Southern California, which makes knowing the rules your best defense.
Your Rights If You Think a Tow Was Wrong
If you believe your vehicle was towed improperly, California law gives you a specific and powerful tool, but it’s time-sensitive, so acting quickly matters.
The Post-Storage Hearing. This is the right most drivers don’t know they have. If you think a tow was invalid, you can request a Post-Storage Hearing from the agency that ordered it. The hearing exists solely to determine whether the impoundment was valid and to review any mitigating circumstances. The critical detail: you generally must request the hearing within 10 days of the date your vehicle was removed. If the hearing officer finds the tow was invalid, the law enforcement agency is usually responsible for the towing and storage fees. If the tow is upheld, you remain responsible for the costs, but you’ve lost nothing by asserting the right. For the full sequence of locating your car, gathering documents, and paying fees to secure a release, the step-by-step guide to retrieving an impounded vehicle in Ontario covers the process in detail.
The 30-day hold. In certain situations, a vehicle may be placed on a mandatory 30-day impound. Under CVC §14602.6, this typically applies when the driver was arrested for DUI or was found driving on a suspended or revoked license. During a 30-day hold, the vehicle generally cannot be released early, even to the registered owner, unless a successful challenge is made at a hearing. It’s one of the most consequential outcomes of a tow, and understanding it in advance helps you respond quickly if it happens.
Where to file a complaint. If you believe a tow company violated towing regulations or overcharged you, you have several options. The California Bureau of Automotive Repair handles complaints about towing violations. For tows initiated under a local agency’s authority, you can contact that department’s tow administration office directly, in Ontario, that’s the City of Ontario Police Tow Administration. For fraud or broader consumer protection issues, the California Department of Insurance takes complaints at 800-927-4357. In every case, documentation is what turns a complaint into a result, keep your receipts, photos, and written communications.
The common thread across all of these rights is timing. The law gives you real recourse, but most of it operates on short windows. The faster you act, locating the vehicle, requesting a hearing, filing a complaint, the more of your rights you preserve. you don’t have to take these risks. There’s no prize for handling a dangerous repair yourself when professional help is already on the way.
Know the Law Before You Need It
California towing law can feel overwhelming when you’re in the middle of it, but the framework is knowable, and it exists as much to protect drivers as to authorize tows. Understanding when a tow is legal, what a company can charge, and how to challenge an improper impound turns a stressful, expensive-feeling situation into one you can actually manage. The drivers who fare best are simply the ones who learned the rules ahead of time.
If your situation involves a contested tow, a 30-day hold, or charges tied to a serious violation, it’s worth speaking with a qualified attorney, this guide is a plain-language overview, not legal advice. But for the everyday questions drivers face after a tow, knowing your rights is often enough. At Remolque Foglesong, we operate transparently and within the law because that’s how a trustworthy company should work. If you have questions about a tow, a bill, or what to do next anywhere in Ontario or the Inland Empire, we’re available 24/7 to give you a straight answer.