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Tow Fees in Milwaukee: Posted Maximums and Storage Rates

Answers taken from the rules Towed in Milwaukee uses. Each one gives its official source and the date that source was checked. Which rules apply depends on the facts of each tow; the tool asks about them. Rules current as of October 13, 2026.

We are not a law firm, and we are not your lawyer. This website gives general information and self-help forms that you choose and fill in yourself; it does not give legal advice and is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Deadlines can end your rights.

What are the posted maximum tow and storage charges for Milwaukee?

How much can a tow company charge for a private-property tow in Milwaukee?

For a tow from private property, no removal charge may exceed $150, whether the vehicle is moved by flatbed, hook and chain, wheel-lift, boom or any other method.

Source: Wis. Admin. Code § Trans 319.03(1)(a) · Checked on October 12, 2026

Up to $150 more may be charged only for necessary special equipment or travel over 20 miles, and only if the vehicle is unusual or 10,001 lb or more, the space was hard to reach, or the round trip exceeded 20 miles ($3.00 a mile beyond 20, with odometer readings on the tow slip). Administrative, gate and lien processing fees, and fees for equipment or procedures ordinarily required, may not be charged under this paragraph.

Source: Wis. Admin. Code § Trans 319.03(1)(d) · Checked on October 12, 2026

On a non-consensual tow, the tow operator may not charge more than the state maximums in Wis. Admin. Code § Trans 319.03, and may not charge any storage fee for any 24-hour period in which the business was not open, with the car available for recovery, for at least 4 hours between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Source: Milwaukee Code § 93-47-4-f, h · Checked on October 13, 2026

What can a storage lot charge for storage in Milwaukee?

Storage may not exceed $25 for each 24-hour period at an outdoor storage facility, or $35 at an indoor one. The storage period counts 24-hour periods from the time the towing service gave the police notice until the vehicle is retrieved, rounded up.

Source: Wis. Admin. Code § Trans 319.03(1)(b), (c), (4) · Checked on October 12, 2026

No storage fee may be charged for any calendar day on which the storage facility is open for retrieval less than 4 consecutive hours between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The rule's own example: a car towed Friday night and picked up Monday morning, from a lot closed Sunday, is charged for two days, not three.

Source: Wis. Admin. Code § Trans 319.03(4) and Note · Checked on October 12, 2026

For a City tow to the secure impound lot, the reclamation charge is $150 and storage is $25 a day. The car is released on payment of all reclamation charges and proper identification. A notice telling the owner where the car is, how to reclaim it, and that a review before the city attorney is available is mailed to the last known address within 72 hours after the tow.

Source: Milwaukee Code § 101-25-1-b · Checked on October 13, 2026

What happens if I get back to my car before it is towed away in Milwaukee?

If the owner or authorized operator is there and offers to move the car or correct the violation before the car is attached to the tow truck in any way, no fee may be charged (except for a repossession or when a police officer directs otherwise). Once equipment is attached but the car is not yet fully hooked up (lifted, with lights and chains, the only step left being to drive away), the car may not be towed if the person pays a drop fee of no more than $50 and moves the car. The operator must tell the person this, give 5 minutes to pay, take cash, credit or debit cards, and give a receipt.

Source: Milwaukee Code §§ 93-47-3, 93-3-10 · Checked on October 13, 2026

What must the bill and the posted rate sheet show?

The schedule of fees for non-consensual towing in Wis. Admin. Code § Trans 319.03 must be posted in a conspicuous place near the main entrance of the towing business and inside each of its tow trucks.

Source: Milwaukee Code § 93-47-6-b · Checked on October 13, 2026

No towing business may ask for or take payment, or a waiver of the right to contest damages, before giving the owner or authorized operator a reasonable opportunity to inspect the car for damage or missing contents.

Source: Milwaukee Code § 93-47-5 · Checked on October 13, 2026

Put a charge next to a posted maximum

Pick a posted maximum and type the amount on your bill. The box shows the two numbers side by side; which amount applies to a tow depends on its facts.

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