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Tow and storage rates in Austin
What could be charged for tows and storage in Austin, by year and by who set the amount. Each row names the record it comes from and links the source.
How to read these tables. Amounts are in dollars, as the source states them. Use the row that covers the date of the tow, and read the note for vehicle sizes and other details. Rows marked "Not found yet" are gaps we are still researching.
Police and other nonconsent tows (not from private property)
| Year or period | Under 10,000 lbs. | 10,000 to 25,000 lbs. | Over 25,000 lbs. | Hooked up, not removed | Administrative fee | Record, source and status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | $55.00 | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | APD Tow Fee Study (2019), history of tow fee increases APD Tow Fee Study, May 22, 2019 (Council backup, item 19-1797) Official source From the history table in APD's 2019 study. Light-duty rate only. |
| 1996 | $65.00 | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | APD Tow Fee Study (2019) APD Tow Fee Study, May 22, 2019 (Council backup, item 19-1797) Official source An 18% increase, per APD's 2019 study. |
| 2001 | $95.00 | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | APD Tow Fee Study (2019) APD Tow Fee Study, May 22, 2019 (Council backup, item 19-1797) Official source A 46% increase, per APD's 2019 study. |
| 2006 to 2019 | $150.00 | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | $25.00 | APD Tow Fee Study (2019) APD Tow Fee Study, May 22, 2019 (Council backup, item 19-1797); City of Austin FY2026-27 Fees, Fines and Other Charges, Exhibit A (Council backup, Aug. 17, 2026) Official source A 58% increase, per APD's 2019 study. The current fee schedule says it replaces the 2006 fee ordinance No. 20060518-008. The 2019 study gives a sample police-tow bill: $150 tow, $20 impound, $25 administrative fee, $50 notice and $20 a day storage. |
| 2019 to at least January 2023 | $185.00 | $350.00 | $800.00 | Not listed | Not listed | Council action, June 2019 (news reports) Austin Monitor: Council sets tow fee to track with consumer price index change (June 2019); Austin Monitor: Public Safety Commission raises questions about proposed tow fee increases (Jan. 11, 2023); KXAN: Public Safety Commission rejects recommendation to raise towing fee in Austin (Jan. 10, 2023); City of Houston, proposed non-consent tow rates (Dec. 14, 2021): survey of Texas city rates Not verified (unofficial copy) Council raised the police tow fee to $185 in June 2019, per the Austin Monitor; Houston's 2021 survey of Texas cities also lists Austin at $185. One KXAN report says $180. The 2023 reports give $350 medium and $800 heavy. We have not read the 2019 ordinance. |
| 2023 to September 2025 | Not found yet | Not found yet We have not found when the police tow maximum went from $185 to $275. The FY2023-24 and FY2024-25 fee schedules still need to be read. | ||||
| FY2025-26 | $275.00 | $400.00 | $800.00 | $50.00 | $25.00 | City fee schedule FY2025-26 (Ord. No. 20250813-004) City of Austin FY2026-27 Fees, Fines and Other Charges, Exhibit A (Council backup, Aug. 17, 2026) Official source The '2025-2026 Amended Fee' column of the FY2026-27 schedule. |
| FY2026-27 | $275.00 | $400.00 | $800.00 | $50.00 | $25.00 | City fee schedule FY2026-27, Exhibit A City of Austin FY2026-27 Fees, Fines and Other Charges, Exhibit A (Council backup, Aug. 17, 2026) Official source Proposed-fee column of the Council backup; we did not read the signed ordinance. |
Private-property tows
| Year or period | Under 10,000 lbs. | 10,000 to 25,000 lbs. | Over 25,000 lbs. | Hooked up, not removed | Record, source and status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before October 2025 | Not found yet | Not found yet In June 2019 Council left the private-property tow fee unchanged and asked APD to study it (Austin Monitor). The private-property amounts before FY2025-26 are not yet found. The state maximum always applied as a ceiling (see the Texas rates page). | |||
| October 1 to December 21, 2025 | $275.00 | $350.00 | $800.00 | $50.00 | City fee schedule FY2025-26 before Ord. No. 20251211-068 Ordinance No. 20251211-068 (Dec. 11, 2025); City of Austin FY2026-27 Fees, Fines and Other Charges, Exhibit A (Council backup, Aug. 17, 2026) Official source $275 was above the state's $272, so the state maximum was the real limit for light-duty tows. |
| December 22, 2025 to now | $272.00 | $350.00 | $800.00 | $50.00 | Ord. No. 20251211-068; FY2026-27 schedule Ordinance No. 20251211-068 (Dec. 11, 2025); City of Austin FY2026-27 Fees, Fines and Other Charges, Exhibit A (Council backup, Aug. 17, 2026) Official source The $800 heavy-duty amount is above the state's $489 per unit; the tool treats that as an open question. |
County law-enforcement tows (unincorporated areas)
| Year or period | Under 10,000 lbs. | Record, source and status |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 to January 2018 | $175.00 | APD Tow Fee Study (2019), neighboring agencies APD Tow Fee Study, May 22, 2019 (Council backup, item 19-1797) Official source Travis County Sheriff's tows in unincorporated areas; $175 per APD's 2019 study. |
| January 2018 to now | $275.00 | Travis County Commissioners Court (as reported by APD) APD Tow Fee Study, May 22, 2019 (Council backup, item 19-1797); Travis County Sheriff's Office: vehicle impound Not yet verified Commissioners Court raised it to $275 in January 2018 (APD's 2019 study). The Sheriff's fee page still lists $275 but was tagged 'Expired' when we read it. |
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