This website and the documents it makes are not a substitute for the advice of an attorney.
Your car was towed in Dallas: police tow or private tow, and where to look
Dallas has separate rules for police-requested tows and for tows from parking lots, and they go to different places.
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.
Police tows go to the Auto Pound
Cars towed at the police department's request are kept where the police designate, normally the Dallas Police Auto Pound at 1955 Vilbig Road (214-670-5116). DPD says cars can be picked up from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The owner or driver of a wrecked or disabled car may ask for another destination, but police at the scene must approve it.
- Bring the original driver license or state photo ID, proof of insurance, and the title or a bill of sale; someone other than the owner needs a notarized Authorization to Release.
Sources: DPD Auto Pound general information; DPD Claiming a Vehicle; Dallas City Code §§ 15D-54, 15D-55
Parking-lot tows go to the lot named on the signs
A car towed from private property must go straight to the storage lot named on the property's tow signs, and that lot must be inside the city. The tow company must get a police tow number within an hour, and the lot must report the tow within two hours. 3-1-1 can tell you whether your car was towed and by whom.
Sources: Dallas City Code §§ 48A-40, 48A-42; Dallas Transportation Regulation FAQ
What it can cost
Since September 20, 2025 a parking-lot tow of a car in Dallas costs at most $165, and a police-requested tow of a car $165 plus $73 for each hour over two hours. No hook-up or dolly fee may be added to a private tow. Storage lots are limited by state rules: $22.85 a day for most cars, a $22.85 impoundment fee, and a notification fee of up to $50 that cannot be charged if you pick the car up within 24 hours.
Sources: Ordinance 33232; 16 Tex. Admin. Code § 85.722
Deadlines
A request for a tow hearing must reach a justice court in the county the car was towed from before the 14th day after the tow, not counting weekends and holidays. Dallas County's justice courts charge $54.
Sources: Occ. Code § 2308.456; Dallas County JP 3-1 filing fees
Check your DFW tow with our free tool
Last checked .