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History of towing in Denver
How towing rules in Denver took shape: ordinances, contracts, court rulings and state laws, in date order. Every entry links to its source.
How to read this timeline. Entries are in date order. Most rest on a court opinion, a law or a government record. Entries marked "Not yet verified" rest on one secondary or self-reported source, and entries marked "From a news report" rest on news coverage. We leave out private people's names and accusations against companies that have no published outcome.
State oversight and Denver's impound code (1950s to 2013)
Denver's impound rules trace back to the 1950 City code; today's sections on impound charges, owner notices and disposal of unclaimed cars all list 1950 code sections as their origin.
Source: D.R.M.C. secs. 54-813 to 54-816 history notes (Municode)
The legislature places towing carriers under the jurisdiction of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission.
Denver City Council amends the impound charge section (now sec. 54-813) at least a dozen times, from Ord. 427-80 (August 25, 1980) to Ord. 377-11 (July 11, 2011), the last change. The current charges are $120 to tow and $20 a day.
The dollar amounts in each earlier ordinance are not yet found.
Colorado reorganizes its abandoned-vehicle law into part 18 (public property) and part 21 (private property) of the Vehicle Code, with notice, lien and sale steps for each.
Source: C.R.S. 42-4-1805 and 42-4-2103 history notes (C.R.S. 2024, title 42)
The PUC gains power to set minimum and maximum rates for nonconsensual tows of vehicles under 10,000 lbs.
HB 09-1279 rewrites parts of the abandoned-vehicle law, including the owner notices and how private-property tow companies sell unclaimed cars.
Source: C.R.S. 42-4-2103 and 42-4-2104 history notes (C.R.S. 2024, title 42)
Rate setting, a towing task force and booting rules (2014 to 2021)
HB 14-1031 creates the Towing Task Force to recommend maximum rates for nonconsensual tows and lets the PUC regulate rates for heavier vehicles too.
Source: Towing Task Force Report, October 2022 (PUC PDF); 2025 Sunset Review timeline (COPRRR PDF)
The Task Force sends rate recommendations to the PUC, which adopts weight classes and hourly rates for police-ordered tows (Proceeding No. 16R-0095TO).
The 2016 rate amounts themselves are not yet found.
SB 19-236, the PUC sunset bill, gives the PUC power to permit and discipline private vehicle booting companies.
The PUC opens a towing rulemaking (Proceeding 19R-0709TO). This and a 2021 proceeding lead to a yearly inflation adjustment of tow rates every March 15.
Source: PUC Decision C19-0994 (Secretary of State PDF); Towing Task Force Report, October 2022 (PUC PDF)
HB 21-1283 adds five seats to the Towing Task Force (including mobile home owners, people with disabilities and the Attorney General's office) and orders a 2025 review of the PUC's towing oversight.
The towing bill of rights and stronger enforcement (2022 to 2026)
The Governor signs HB 22-1314, often called the towing bill of rights: 24-hour notice for most residential tows, no tows for expired registration alone, free release before the car leaves, and release for 15% of fees up to $60.
HB 22-1314 takes effect. It also cuts the private-property notice fee from $150 to $75 and stops storage charges past 24 hours until the owner is notified.
Source: DORA press release, August 10, 2022; Towing Task Force Report, October 2022 (PUC PDF)
The Towing Task Force reports to the PUC on maximum tow rates and on the gap between regulated and market tow prices.
The PUC's adjusted maximum for a private-property tow of a car reaches $228.01, with storage at $43.80 per 24 hours.
Denver City Council adopts Ordinance 373-23, requiring City agencies that tow to report every tow to Council twice a year, including any attempt to reach the owner first.
A PUC judge issues the decision rewriting the towing rules to carry out HB 22-1314 (Proceeding 23R-0085TO).
The Attorney General signs a $1 million consumer protection settlement with a large metro-area towing company ($764,000 paid to the State and $236,000 in balances not collected). The company denied wrongdoing.
The Governor signs HB 24-1051 (effective August 7, 2024): signed permission for each tow, bilingual signs, return within 48 hours after an unlawful tow, and PUC power to suspend or revoke permits.
The Governor signs HB 25-1117, setting state rules for private booting: signed authorization, 24-hour notice, photos, and release within 90 or 120 minutes.
Denver Ordinance 1237-25 amends the City's section on disposing of unclaimed impounded vehicles (sec. 54-816).
We have not yet read what this ordinance changed.
The 2025 sunset review of the PUC reports a sharp rise in towing cases since 2022; the PUC's towing oversight is scheduled to end in 2030 unless continued.
Source: 2025 Sunset Review (COPRRR PDF)
The PUC's maximums rise 2.28%: $250.91 for a private-property tow of a car and $48.19 per 24 hours of storage.
Source: Towing Rates (Colorado PUC)
Denver moves parking ticket disputes online, ending the Parking Magistrates program in Denver County Court.
For the rates over the years, see tow and storage rates. Know a record that belongs here? Email corrections@towedhelp.org.
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