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Towed in Denver: was it the City or a private tow company?
Denver has two very different kinds of tows. A City tow goes to the Sheriff's Vehicle Impound Facility and follows City rules. A tow ordered by an apartment complex, HOA or business is a private-property tow regulated by the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC). The fees, deadlines and complaint routes are different.
General information, not legal advice. The papers you got from the police, the tow company, the storage lot or a state agency control your dates. Agencies change phone numbers and steps, so check the agency's own page too.
1. Check whether the City moved or impounded it
Denver does not always impound a car it tows. It often moves the car to a legal spot nearby and charges a relocation fee (the City lists $100; the code caps it at $150).
The City's Tow Tracker searches cars at City impound lots by plate or VIN. If nothing comes up, the car may be at a private lot, or it may have been moved. Denver Police's non-emergency line, (720) 913-2000 (press 0), can look up where a towed car is.
Sources: Tow Tracker (City and County of Denver); Tickets, Towing & Disputes (Denver)
2. If it is at the City's Vehicle Impound Facility
The lot is at 5160 York St., (720) 865-0470. City charges are $120 for the tow and $20 a day after the first 24 hours for cars up to 6,000 lbs. ($170 and $30 above that). Victims of a recovered stolen car pay no tow or storage fees.
To drive the car out you need current registration, current insurance and a valid U.S. state driver's license, and the car must be roadworthy. To have it towed out, you need photo ID and proof of ownership, and only a PUC-certified tow truck may take it. Personal checks are not accepted.
Sources: Vehicle Impound (Denver Sheriff); Towing and Impound FAQ (Denver); D.R.M.C. sec. 54-813 (Municode)
3. If a private tow company took it
The tow company must tell the police within 30 minutes of the tow, so police can tell you who has the car. Signs at the property must name the tow company and its phone number.
The PUC sets the most the company may charge. From March 15, 2026, that is $250.91 for the tow of a car or light truck and $48.19 per 24 hours of storage, plus mileage and a fuel surcharge, a $75 certified-letter fee, and an after-hours release fee of up to $106.06.
Sources: C.R.S. 42-4-2103 (C.R.S. 2024, title 42); Towing Rates (Colorado PUC)
4. Where questions and complaints go
City tows: the City's impound hearing process (see the guide on Denver impound hearings). Private-property tows: the PUC's Consumer Affairs unit, 303-894-2070 option 2, or its online complaint form. The PUC reports that it obtained 469 refunds totaling about $280,000 from 2022 through 2024.
Check what the tow company or the City had to do
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