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What changed: towing updates in Dallas–Fort Worth
New laws, rules and rates that affect people whose cars were towed, newest first. Each item is our own short summary with a link to the official source.
Dallas raises its tow-fee limits for the first time in years
In its fiscal year 2025-26 fee ordinance, the Dallas City Council raised the most a company may charge for a parking-lot tow of a car from $121 to $165 (medium $191 to $300; heavy $445 to $489 per unit, $978 at most). For police-requested tows the car rate went from $150 to $165, the heavy rate from $550 to $489 per unit, and the hourly charges after two hours stayed in place.
Passed September 17, 2025; in effect from publication on September 20, 2025.
Two Texas towing laws take effect: no-license and no-insurance tows, and online notices
Since September 1, 2025, Texas police may remove a car being driven by someone without a valid license or without insurance, even without an arrest (S.B. 857). Storage lots that are allowed to give notice by publication may now use an approved website instead of a newspaper (H.B. 3928).
Bill to make cities restudy tow fees every two years did not pass
House Bill 5499 would have required Texas cities and counties that regulate nonconsent tow fees, such as Dallas and Fort Worth, to study them at least every two years and reset them. It passed the House and was referred to the Senate Transportation Committee on May 21, 2025, its last action.
Dallas County hires a towing-management company for Sheriff's tows
The Dallas County Commissioners Court approved a five-year, no-cost agreement (March 18, 2025 to March 17, 2030) with Traffic Incident Management Solutions, LLC to manage emergency and non-emergency tows for the Sheriff's Office. Revenue from auctions of unclaimed vehicles goes to a county fund.
Approved March 18, 2025 (vote 3-1, one abstention).
Denton replaced its police-towing and nonconsent-towing articles with one article on nonconsent towing and booting. The maximum tow fee follows the state limit, a $15 'local regulation fee' is added to each nonconsent tow released for payment, boot removal is capped at $85 plus the $15 fee, and storage lots must release cars at any hour once fees are paid.
Statewide storage-lot maximums rise to $22.85 a day
The Texas maximum daily storage fee at licensed lots became $22.85 for a vehicle 25 feet or shorter and $39.99 for a longer one, with a $22.85 maximum impoundment fee. Fort Worth's police-tow fee list uses these same amounts.
In effect since January 2024 (TDLR says January 1; the rule's note says January 15).
Fort Worth's City-approved fees for police-ordered tows became $180 for a standard tow or rollback and $300 an hour (two-hour minimum) for heavy duty, with a $32 administrative fee and state-level storage of $22.85 a day. The towing is managed by AutoReturn through the City's rotation program.