Private-property tows in San Francisco: permits, reporting and your rights at the yard
State law covers private-property tows everywhere in California. San Francisco's Police Code adds permits and a few duties of its own.
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.
Every tow company needs a police permit
No one may drive a tow car or run a tow business in San Francisco without a permit from the Chief of Police. Doing business without one, or not displaying it, is a misdemeanor.
Reporting the tow and keeping records
A tow company must call the SFMTA Tow Desk within 30 minutes after leaving private property with a car, with details including the plate, where it was towed from and to, and who authorized it. It must keep a record of each tow for three years.
The rights brochure at the yard
Where owners pick up cars, a permitted company must display SFPD's towing-rights brochure in Chinese, Spanish and English, and you must be able to take a copy before paying, without asking staff. Not doing so can bring a $500 penalty from the Police Department.
Sources: SF Police Code section 3055.2
Charges
The Chief of Police may suspend or revoke a company's permit for charging more than the maximum rate the City set for its contracted tow firms, or for adding unauthorized charges such as release, administrative or special-equipment fees. The Police Code does not say which SFMTA amount is that maximum.
Sources: SF Police Code section 3056
Where to complain
SFPD's towing-rights page lists the District Attorney's Consumer Protection Unit (628-652-4311), the SFPD tow car permit office (415-553-1115) and Small Claims Court (415-551-5880). SFPD's Permits Unit investigates complaints against permitted tow businesses.
Sources: SFPD Vehicle Towing Rights (FAQs); SFPD Permits Unit
Check what the law required for your tow
Last checked .