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Towed from a private lot in Seattle: the City's extra rules and maximum fees
Inside Seattle, a private-lot tow has to meet state law and a City chapter, SMC 6.214. The City's rules add fee limits and paperwork the tow company must keep.
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.
The maximum fees
Since April 20, 2026 the most a company may charge for a private impound is $306.88 for the first hour, $54.75 for each 15 minutes after that, $42.98 for each 12 hours of storage, $100 for an after-hours release, plus the City's $15 impound fee. The hourly fee has to cover everything (winching, dollies, standby time, one person's labor); no add-ons are allowed.
These limits apply when the car was parked upright with all its wheels, no broken axle, and was not in an accident at that spot. Tows after an accident that the owner arranged are not capped. Earlier years' maximums are in the rates table.
Sources: Seattle FAS: Max Towing Fees, Private Property Impounds; SMC 6.214.220, 6.214.350
When a company may tow without the driver's consent
The tow company needs a contract with the property owner, the state-required signs, the owner's authorization for that car, a secure storage lot within a reasonable distance, and dated digital photos showing the car as parked before it was hooked up, on the contracted property, with the signs.
Sources: SMC 6.214.230
The receipt and other rules
Every tow in the city needs a numbered, itemized receipt listing the company, the truck, the times and each service. A company may not make you sign a waiver promising not to dispute the tow, block a lawful release, or bill for time not spent; overcharging is a misdemeanor with mandatory restitution.
Sources: SMC 6.214.240, 6.214.260
Complaints and hearings
Overcharge complaints about private tows go to the City's Consumer Protection office in FAS, which can require the company to send its photos, contract, authorization and invoice. To contest the tow itself, the state hearing for a private impound is in King County District Court: the tow company's hearing request form, filed within 10 days, with an $83 fee.
Sources: Seattle: Towing complaints, private property tows; SMC 6.214.340; King County District Court: towed/impounded vehicles; King County District Court fees
Check what the tow company had to do
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