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Tow Fees in Seattle: Posted Maximums and Storage Rates

Answers taken from the rules Towed in Seattle 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 6, 2026.

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

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

Inside Seattle, a private impound with a class A, D or E tow truck may cost no more than (from April 20, 2026): $306.88 for the first hour of towing (or any part of it); $54.75 for each 15 minutes after the first hour; $42.98 for each 12 hours of storage, charged to the nearest half day; $100 for an after-hours release; and the $15 City impound fee, itemized separately. An uncompleted tow (hooked up but not yet driven away) costs at most $76.72 per 15 minutes, counted from dispatch to release. The hourly fee must include all ancillary work - winching, dolly service, drive line removal, chains, portable lights, vehicle hookup, tire replacement and standby time - and the labor of one person; no charge for extra labor is allowed. These limits apply only if the vehicle was parked and upright, had all its wheels and tires, had no broken axle, and was not in an accident where it was impounded.

Source: SMC 6.214.220, 6.214.350; FAS maximum private impound fees (effective April 20, 2026) · Checked on October 6, 2026

For a private impound done with a class A, D or E tow truck, the hourly towing rate on the company's filed fee schedule may not exceed 135% of the State Patrol's maximum class A hourly rate, the daily storage rate may not exceed 135% of the State Patrol's maximum daily storage rate, and the after-hours release fee may not exceed 100% of the State Patrol's maximum after-hours release fee. These limits apply only if the vehicle was parked and upright, had all its wheels and tires, had no broken axle, and was not in an accident at the place it was impounded from. They do not apply to police impounds, and a city ordinance on private-impound rates enacted before January 1, 2013 may still apply.

Source: RCW 46.55.118 · Checked on October 6, 2026

Police-authorized impounds in Seattle are towed by the City's contractor, Lincoln Towing, at contract prices. For Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2026 the City lists: a Class A impound (passenger cars and pickups) $297 in the north zone or $263 in the south zone, each including the dolly fee and the first half hour of winching; storage of $22 (north) or $19 (south) per 12 hours for vehicles 20 feet or under, with no storage fee for the first 12 hours; a driving-while-license-suspended impound $139.50 plus $17 per 12 hours; and the City administrative fee of $35, or $67 for suspended-license and scofflaw impounds.

Source: City of Seattle FAS, Max Towing Fees: Police-Authorized Impounds (rates Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2026); SMC 11.30.290 · Checked on October 6, 2026

What can a storage lot charge for storage in Seattle?

A tow company must file its fee schedule with the Department of Licensing, and no fee may exceed the filed fees. Towing is charged by the hour, and after the first hour to the nearest quarter hour. Storage is charged on a 24-hour basis, to the nearest half day, starting when the vehicle has been unloaded and the paperwork done at the storage lot; unloading and paperwork time may be billed as tow time in 15-minute steps, up to 60 minutes in all. Every invoice given to the person redeeming must be itemized so each fee is clearly discernible, and must show the time of day the vehicle arrived at the storage lot.

Source: RCW 46.55.063(1), (3)-(5); WAC 308-61-135(2) · Checked on October 6, 2026

What rules apply when a car is booted in Seattle?

A property owner may not immobilize (boot) a vehicle owned by someone else. This does not apply to property owned by the state or a local government, such as a city booting a car for unpaid parking tickets. A violation is a crime. Seattle's code repeats the rule (SMC 11.30.340).

Source: RCW 46.55.300; SMC 11.30.340 · Checked on October 6, 2026

What must the bill and the posted rate sheet show?

A tow company may not include in its lien any charge that is not specifically authorized. Mechanic fees and prior storage fees are not allowed; all fees must be included in the towing and storage rates, no fee for other services is allowed, and no fee may be listed on the rate sheet without a provision for it. The daily storage rate may not be raised between the impound and the redemption or auction.

Source: WAC 308-61-185(1), (3) · Checked on October 6, 2026

For every tow in Seattle, the tow company must give the person redeeming the vehicle a copy of a sequentially numbered receipt listing: its name, address, phone and place of business; the tow truck's license or fleet number; the name and address of whoever engaged the tow; the vehicle's license number, year, make, model and color; the registered owner's name and address if known; the date, time and place the service began and ended; the specific services; the total, itemized by service with the time spent for time-based fees; the signatures of the employee and of the person the vehicle was released to (unless refused); and whether the tow was voluntary or involuntary, and if involuntary, whether a private or public entity requested it.

Source: SMC 6.214.240 · Checked on October 6, 2026

Inside Seattle it is a misdemeanor for a tow company, driver or agent to demand or collect more than the maximum rates in SMC 6.214.220, to charge for more time than was spent towing or for services not rendered, or, for an uncompleted tow, to refuse to release the vehicle to someone who shows reasonable proof of ownership or authorization and pays the uncompleted-tow fee. For each such violation, restitution is mandatory.

Source: SMC 6.214.260(A), (C) · Checked on October 6, 2026

A tow company has a lien on the impounded vehicle for towing and storage only if it has a valid and signed impoundment authorization, and not if the impound is found invalid. The lien does not cover personal property in the vehicle. After an auction, its claim against the registered owner for any shortfall is limited to $500 ($1,000 for vehicles over 10,000 pounds) unless the impound is found invalid; that limit does not apply to police-directed impounds, and auction costs or buyer's fees may not be added.

Source: RCW 46.55.140(1) · Checked on October 6, 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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