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Tow and storage rates in San Antonio
What could be charged for tows and storage in San Antonio, by year and by who set the amount. Each row names the record it comes from and links the source.
How to read these tables. Amounts are in dollars, as the source states them. Use the row that covers the date of the tow, and read the note for vehicle sizes and other details. Rows marked "Not found yet" are gaps we are still researching.
San Antonio City Code limit, parking-lot (nonconsent) tow
| Year or period | Light-duty tow | Medium-duty tow | Heavy-duty tow | Drop charge, light-duty | Other charges | Record, source and status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before January 31, 2013 | $85.00 | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Reported by KSAT when the 2013 ordinance passed KSAT, Feb. 1, 2013 Not yet verified We could not open the article (server error on 2026-10-07); the $85 figure comes from a search summary of it. The City Code history shows the earlier wrecker article dated from Ord. 96242 (2002) and Ord. 2008-03-13-0202, but we have not read those ordinances' fee amounts. |
| January 31, 2013 to now | $177.00 | $196.00 | $602.00 | $88.50 | No other towing fees, including dollies, special equipment or mileage. Free release before hook-up. | City Code § 19-402, Ord. 2013-01-31-0075 (Municode Supp. 146, codified through May 7, 2026) San Antonio City Code § 19-402 (Municode) Official source Applies to private-property tows starting in the city; SAPD-directed tows are exempt (§ 19-389(2)). The drop fee is at most half the tow rate. No amendment found since 2013. |
SAPD-directed tow (City contract rate)
| Year or period | Light-duty tow | Medium-duty tow | Heavy-duty tow | Other charges | Record, source and status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contract from December 1, 2015, until September 30, 2023 | $175.00 | $293.00 | 345 an hour, 2-hour minimum | The City received a $7 commission per tow. | City Auditor report AU23-030 (Nov. 14, 2023), page 3 City Auditor report AU23-030 (PDF) Official source The audit gives the rates in force in 2023 under the tow-manager contract that began December 1, 2015. It does not say whether they changed between 2015 and 2023. |
| October 1, 2023 (one-year extension) | $210.00 | $350.00 | 410 an hour, 2-hour minimum | Not listed | City Auditor report AU23-030, page 3 footnote City Auditor report AU23-030 (PDF); Contractor's fee sheet, July 2023 (PDF) Official source The contractor's July 2023 fee sheet also lists $210 / $350 / $410 an hour, plus a $35 dolly fee. Rates under the contract approved in 2025 are not in any official source we found; we asked SAPD for them in a public information request filed 2026-10-07. |
SAPD impound lot (Growdon Rd.)
| Year or period | Storage, per day | Impoundment fee | Notification fee | Record, source and status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current City Code (last amended March 13, 2008) | $20.00 | $20.00 | $50.00 | City Code §§ 19-51.1, 19-53, 19-53.1 San Antonio City Code ch. 19, art. II, div. 3 (Municode) Official source The Code sets $20 a day for any size of vehicle; the storage section's history runs from the 1959 Code through Ord. 2008-03-13-0202. The City Auditor (2023) describes '$20 + tax' a day, and the contractor's July 2023 sheet lists $35 a day for vehicles over 25 feet, which differs from the Code. |
Booting at San Antonio pay lots
| Year or period | Other charges | Record, source and status |
|---|---|---|
| May 17, 2012 to now | $35 total to remove a boot; no other fees. | City Code § 16-533, Ord. 2012-05-17-0356 San Antonio City Code § 16-533 (Municode) Official source City boots for unpaid parking citations are separate: $60 (§ 19-225(m)). |
Texas maximum, private-property tow (TDLR)
| Year or period | Light-duty tow | Medium-duty tow | Heavy-duty tow | Drop charge, light-duty | Storage, per day | Storage per day, over 25 ft. | Impoundment fee | Record, source and status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before Nov. 1, 2021 | $255.00 | $357.00 | 459 per unit (up to 918) | $127.00 | $20.64 | $36.11 | $20.64 | TDLR news release of Oct. 21, 2021 (the 'old fee' column) TDLR: Changes to Private Property Towing Fees (Oct. 21, 2021) Official source The release gives the amounts in force just before November 1, 2021, not the date they started. |
| Nov. 1, 2021 to now (storage changed Jan. 2024) | $272.00 | $380.00 | 489 per unit (up to 978) | $135.00 | $21.03 | $36.80 | $21.03 | 16 Tex. Admin. Code § 86.455, adopted Oct. 5, 2021; storage and impound amounts from the same TDLR release TDLR: Changes to Private Property Towing Fees (Oct. 21, 2021); 16 Tex. Admin. Code § 86.455 Official source Tow and drop maximums are still in force. The storage and impound amounts in this row applied until the January 2024 change in the next row. |
Texas maximum, storage lot (TDLR)
| Year or period | Storage, per day | Storage per day, over 25 ft. | Impoundment fee | Notification fee | Record, source and status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 to now | $22.85 | $39.99 | $22.85 | $50.00 | 16 Tex. Admin. Code § 85.722 (2023 cost-of-living adjustment) 16 Tex. Admin. Code § 85.722; TDLR towing and storage news (New VSF Storage Fees Start Jan. 1, 2024) Official source TDLR's news item says the new amounts started January 1, 2024; the rule's source note says January 15, 2024. Our tool uses January 15 for flagging. |
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