How San Jose sets police tow rates
San Jose's police tow rates are not invented by the City. They track the California Highway Patrol's approved rates for the San Jose area.
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.
CHP rates as the ceiling
Under Council Policy 9-8 (1983, amended 2008), City staff review the CHP's San Jose-office tow rates each year and ask the Council to match them. The CHP's local commander reviews each operator's rates, and the approved rates are the most an operator may charge on CHP calls.
Sources: Staff memorandum, Jan. 2, 2019; CHP Tow Service Agreement 2025-2026, section 12
How the numbers moved
- April 2017: $215 basic tow, $87.50 a day outdoor storage.
- January 16, 2019: $225 tow, $90 a day.
- July 2026: $335 tow, $130 a day, as posted by SJPD.
Sources: Staff memorandum, Jan. 2, 2019; SJPD Public Safety Fees
The City's release fee
The release fee is a separate City charge. It was $252 in 2017-18 and $290 in 2018-19; after the City Auditor questioned how it was calculated, it dropped to $122 on February 13, 2019.
Why it matters for private tows
State law uses the local police tow rate as the benchmark when judging whether a private-property tow charge is excessive.
Sources: Vehicle Code section 22658(i)
Check what the law required for your tow
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