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Audits, reports, rules and contracts about towing in Austin, each with a short summary in plain words and a link to the agency's own copy.
These are government documents. We link to the official copies. Summaries are ours; read the record itself before you rely on it.
APD's page on its Wrecker Enforcement Unit: rotation rosters, yearly truck inspections, city tow-driver licenses after a background check, the free rush-hour removal program on I-35, MoPac and US 183, and how to find a towed car or report an illegal tow.
Official copy:
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How APD tags and impounds abandoned and junked vehicles: a 48-hour orange sticker on streets, a 10-day green sticker for junked vehicles on private property, and 20 days to redeem an impounded vehicle before public auction. Includes the notarized affidavit form for having a vehicle towed from your own property.
Official copy:
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The Sheriff's rules and fee schedule for police-ordered tows in unincorporated Travis County, done by contracted tow companies. It notes that the City of Austin's rules may differ and that unrecovered vehicles can be sold at public auction.
Official copy:
The page was tagged 'Expired' when we read it.
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The City's fee list, with columns for 2025-26 and 2026-27. It sets the police-tow and private-property tow maximums, extra charges such as winching and wait time, the $25 administrative fee, and the $100 booting fee. A note says the Chief of Police decides fee disputes.
Official copy:
Council backup; the signed ordinance has not been read.
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Lists the $54 filing fee for an illegal tow (removal and storage) hearing in any of the five Travis County justice courts, plus appeal and transcript fees.
Official copy:
Checked for the tool on 2026-09-28; not re-opened 2026-10-07.
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Amends the 2025-26 fee schedule to lower the maximum private-property tow fee for vehicles under 10,000 pounds from $275 to $272, effective December 22, 2025.
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Explains how unpaid parking tickets lead to boots or tows on public streets, that the City had issued 36 boot notices since 2022, and its plans to collect more.
Official copy:
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APD's case for raising the police tow fee from $150. It gives the history of Austin's rate ($55 in 1989 to $150 in 2006), compares rates in the Austin area and Texas's largest cities, reports 12,329 APD impounds through AutoReturn in 2018, and says the City received $30 from each police impound tow. APD recommended at least $195.
Official copy:
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The City's towing and booting rules on top of state law: city tow-driver licenses and truck inspections, the one-hour report to APD after a private tow, the right to stop a private tow by objecting and paying the allowed fee, the driver's choice of tow company at crash scenes, and the booting chapter adopted in 2018.
Official copy:
Read for the tool through the Municode service on 2026-09-28 (research/austin-process.md); not re-opened 2026-10-07. Some sections still cite the repealed Transportation Code ch. 684 (now Occupations Code ch. 2308).
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Council authorized a 36-month revenue contract with AutoReturn for managing dispatch, towing and impound services for APD, with estimated revenue of $2.4 million and up to three one-year extensions. A related ordinance amended City Code ch. 13-6 to allow a vendor to manage police towing.
Official copy:
We read the agenda item text; the contract and Ordinance No. 20150521-005 themselves are not yet read.
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We are reviewing these before we post them: