How we check the law

Last updated: October 6, 2026

Towed Help runs free self-help tools for people whose cars were towed or booted in U.S. cities: Towed in LA and the other "Towed in" city tools. Each tool lists the state and local towing rules that apply in that place. This page explains where those rules come from, how each one is cited and dated, and how to tell us about a mistake. The tools are run by TS LaGrange LLC.

Where the rules come from

• Official text only. Every rule is written from the official text of the law: state codes on the legislature's own site (for example leginfo.legislature.ca.gov for California and statutes.capitol.texas.gov for Texas), state agency rules from the official rules publisher (for example the Texas Secretary of State's rules portal for TDLR rules), city and county codes from the publisher the city uses (such as Municode or American Legal), and fee schedules, rate notices and procedures from the agency or court that issues them.
• A summary, then the source. Each rule in a tool is a short, plain-language summary of one requirement. It names who the duty falls on (for example the tow company, the storage lot or the property owner) and what the law says follows if it is not met, as the law itself states it.
• Saved copies. When a section is checked, a copy of its official text is saved with the date it was read and the official history note. Where a rule quotes the law, the quoted words are checked against a saved copy when one exists.

Citations

• Every rule shows its official citation, down to the subsection where the text allows (for example "Occ. Code § 2308.456(a)" or "Veh. Code § 22658(a)(1)"), and links to the official source.
• Where a city or county rule and a state rule both cover the same thing, the tool shows both, each with its own citation. Some city amounts differ from state amounts; when they do, the tool says so instead of choosing one.
• A rule whose text has not yet been confirmed against the official source is marked as not verified, and it is never used in the questions-and-answers pages.

"Checked on" dates

• Each city tool's footer says "Information current as of" a date: the date that tool's rules were last checked against the official sources. The same date appears in the page's structured data and in the sitemap.
• Each city's questions-and-answers page (for example Austin or Los Angeles) shows, under every answer, the citation and the date its source text was checked.
• Laws change. Where the tools track a change, they keep the earlier version with its effective dates and ask for the date of the tow, so the person sees the version that applied then. The rule on the date of a tow may have been different from today's; each tool says so and links the official sources so anyone can check them.
• Rules are re-checked against the official text in verification passes, and when someone reports a possible change; the dates on each page show when.

Spanish

The tools and the questions-and-answers pages are in English and Spanish. The Spanish text is a translation of the English summaries. Citations point to the official sources, which are in English.

Corrections

If you think a rule, an amount, a date or a citation is wrong or out of date, please email corrections@towedhelp.org with the city, the rule or page, and the official source you are looking at. We check the official text and correct the tool and its "checked on" date. For questions about using a tool, use the help address shown in that tool.

What the tools are not

• Towed Help is not a law firm. The tools give general legal information, not legal advice, and using them does not create an attorney-client relationship.
• The tools do not decide whether any law was broken in a tow, and they do not predict outcomes. The person chooses which requirements to include, and the letters and complaints are the person's own statements, sent in the person's own name.
• The tools do not represent anyone with an agency, a business or a court.
• The Texas tools state that the website and its forms are not a substitute for the advice of an attorney (Tex. Gov't Code § 81.101(c)).
• Towed Help is not affiliated with any police department, city, county, state agency, the DMV or any tow company.

If you want advice about your specific situation, contact a lawyer or a legal aid organization.