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Tow and storage rates in Denver
What could be charged for tows and storage in Denver, 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.
City and County of Denver impound (police and City tows to the Vehicle Impound Facility)
Set by: Denver City Council (D.R.M.C. sec. 54-813)
| Year or period | Tow, standard car | Storage, per day | Record, source and status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980-2010 | Not found yet | Not found yet The code's history note lists amendments to the impound charge in 1980, 1983, 1988, 1999, 2002, 2008 and 2009, but we have not found the dollar amounts in those ordinances yet. We plan to ask the City Clerk for them. | |
| 2011 to now | $120.00 | $20.00 | D.R.M.C. sec. 54-813(a); City Vehicle Impound page D.R.M.C. sec. 54-813 (Municode); Vehicle Impound (Denver Sheriff) Official source Over 6,000 lbs.: $170 tow and $30 a day. Storage starts 24 hours after the car reaches the lot. The section was last amended by Ord. No. 377-11 (July 11, 2011); we have not yet confirmed that these amounts date from that ordinance. Stolen cars: no fees (City page; sec. 54-813(b)(3)). |
| City relocation tow (current) | $100.00 | Not listed | City 'Tickets, Towing & Disputes' page; D.R.M.C. sec. 54-791(b) Tickets, Towing & Disputes (Denver); D.R.M.C. ch. 54, art. XV (Municode) Official source When the City moves a car to a nearby legal spot instead of impounding it. The code caps this fee at $150, based on actual costs; the City's page lists $100. |
State maximum for a private-property (nonconsensual) tow, car or light truck
Set by: Colorado Public Utilities Commission (4 CCR 723-6, Rule 6511)
| Year or period | Tow, standard car | Storage, per day | After-hours release, most | Record, source and status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before 2021 | Not found yet | Not found yet The PUC has set nonconsensual tow rates since 2003 (vehicles under 10,000 lbs.). New rates followed the Towing Task Force's 2016 recommendations (Proceeding No. 16R-0095TO), but we have not found those amounts on an official page yet. | ||
| 2021 base amounts | $203.90 | $39.18 | $86.19 | Base amounts written in PUC Rule 6511 (PUC Decision R23-0721, Attachment A); Towing Task Force Report (2021 data) PUC Decision R23-0721, Attachment A (Secretary of State PDF); Towing Task Force Report, October 2022 (PUC PDF) Not yet verified The rule says these amounts are adjusted for inflation every March 15 starting in 2022. The Task Force report gives $203.90 as the 2021 maximum. The exact start date of these amounts is not confirmed. |
| Mar. 15, 2022 to Mar. 14, 2023 | Not found yet | Not found yet The PUC's page lists previous rates back to March 15, 2023 only. We have not found the posted amounts for this period. | ||
| Mar. 15, 2023 to Mar. 14, 2024 | $228.01 | $43.80 | $96.38 | PUC towing-rates page, previous rates Towing Rates (Colorado PUC) Official source Private-property notice letter $75 (public property $150). |
| Mar. 15, 2024 to Mar. 14, 2025 | $239.88 | $46.08 | $101.40 | PUC towing-rates page, previous rates Towing Rates (Colorado PUC) Official source The PUC page shows two periods with the same light-vehicle amounts (March 15 to April 29, 2024, and from April 30, 2024). |
| Mar. 15, 2025 to Mar. 14, 2026 | $245.32 | $47.12 | $103.70 | PUC towing-rates page, previous rates Towing Rates (Colorado PUC) Official source The PUC page shows two periods with the same light-vehicle amounts (March 15 to April 13, 2025, and April 14, 2025 to March 14, 2026). |
| From Mar. 15, 2026 | $250.91 | $48.19 | $106.06 | PUC towing-rates page (2.28% inflation adjustment) Towing Rates (Colorado PUC) Official source Plus mileage of $3.80 a mile (up to 12 miles near I-25, 16.5 elsewhere) and a monthly fuel surcharge. No drop charge after a residential tow; $97.70 at most after a commercial tow. Notice letter $75. Heavier vehicles: tow $288.57 to $439.15; storage $59.45. |
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