SFMTA tow or SFPD tow? Which hearing and which deadline in San Francisco
Who ordered the tow decides where you dispute it and how long you have. Ask first, then count the days.
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.
Find out who ordered it
Call the City impound at 415-865-8200. It can tell you whether SFMTA or SFPD ordered the tow. SFPD-ordered tows cannot be scheduled on SFMTA's hearing portal.
Sources: SFMTA tow hearing request page; SFMTA Towed Vehicles page
SFMTA tows: 30 days, or 10 in one case
Request a hearing within 30 calendar days of the tow (the hearing itself can be later). If the car is worth $500 or less and has not been picked up, the deadline is 10 days. Hearings are by phone, video or in writing, with limited in-person hearings at 11 South Van Ness Avenue.
- If the car is still impounded and you cannot pay, you are entitled to a hearing within 2 business days. SFMTA's hearing page gives 415.646.2016 for its Tow Hearing Coordinator.
- If the tow is found invalid, tow and storage fees are dismissed; SFMTA says refunds are mailed 4 to 6 weeks later.
Sources: SFMTA Protest a Tow page; SFMTA tow hearing request page
SFPD tows: 10 days
For a tow SFPD ordered, request a hearing by mail or by calling 415-678-3625 within 10 days of the tow. The hearing officer decides only whether the tow was legal; if it was not, you get a waiver or a refund (through SFMTA if you already paid).
Sources: SFPD Towed Vehicle Information; Vehicle Code section 22852
Tows for unpaid tickets
Since a 2023 appeals court ruling, a safely and legally parked car cannot be towed without a warrant only because of unpaid parking tickets. SFPD's Bulletin 23-174 says officers need a court order before a tow for five or more unpaid tickets. The bulletin lists October 27, 2026 as its end date; the court ruling has no end date.
Sources: Court of Appeal opinion A164180; SFPD Bulletin 23-174
Check what the law required for your tow
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