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Tow and storage rates in Texas
What could be charged for tows and storage in Texas, by year and by who set the amount. Each row names the record it comes from and links the source.
How to read these tables. Amounts are in dollars, as the source states them. Use the row that covers the date of the tow, and read the note for vehicle sizes and other details. Rows marked "Not found yet" are gaps we are still researching.
State maximum for a private-property tow
| Year or period | Up to 10,000 lbs. | 10,001 to 25,000 lbs. | Over 25,000 lbs. (per unit) | Heavy-duty tow, most | Drop charge, light-duty | Drop charge, medium-duty | Drop charge, heavy-duty | Record, source and status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before September 2010 | Not found yet | Texas Occupations Code ch. 2308 (Texas Towing and Booting Act) Not found yet No statewide cap on private-property tow fees found before the fee-study law (Occ. Code sec. 2308.0575, effective September 1, 2010). Some cities set their own amounts. | ||||||
| 2010 to February 2015 | Not found yet | 16 Tex. Admin. Code sec. 86.455 with source note (Cornell LII copy) Not found yet TDLR first adopted sec. 86.455 effective September 1, 2010 (35 TexReg 7788) and amended it effective January 16, 2012 (37 TexReg 116). We have not yet read the amounts in those versions. | ||||||
| March 2015 to October 2021 | $255.00 | $357.00 | $459.00 | $918.00 | $127.00 | $178.00 | $229.00 | 16 TAC sec. 86.455 as amended effective March 1, 2015 TDLR news: changes to private property towing fees (Oct. 21, 2021); 16 Tex. Admin. Code sec. 86.455 with source note (Cornell LII copy) Official source Amounts are the 'old maximum' in TDLR's 2021 notice. The March 1, 2015 start date comes from the rule's source note (40 TexReg 701), read on an unofficial copy. |
| November 2021 to now | $272.00 | $380.00 | $489.00 | $978.00 | $135.00 | $190.00 | $244.00 | 16 TAC sec. 86.455 as amended effective November 1, 2021 TDLR news: changes to private property towing fees (Oct. 21, 2021); TDLR: towing consumer information Official source Adopted October 5, 2021 (46 TexReg 7400). Still the amounts on TDLR's consumer page on October 7, 2026. A city may set a lower amount for tows that start inside it. |
State maximum storage-lot fees
| Year or period | Daily storage, 25 ft. or less | Daily storage, over 25 ft. | Impoundment fee (one time) | Notification fee (maximum) | Record, source and status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Until December 2019 | $20.00 | $35.00 | $20.00 | $50.00 | Occ. Code sec. 2303.155(b)-(c) Texas Occupations Code ch. 2303 (Vehicle Storage Facility Act); H.B. 4447 (2023) committee report bill analysis Official source The amounts written in Occ. Code sec. 2303.155. A 2023 committee report says they had not changed since at least December 31, 2005. |
| 2020 to 2021 | $20.64 | $36.11 | $20.64 | $50.00 | TDLR 2019 biennial adjustment (16 TAC sec. 85.722) TDLR news: updates to tow and VSF laws (Feb. 19, 2020); H.B. 2983 (2025) committee report bill analysis Official source First inflation adjustment under H.B. 1140 (2019). The rule was adopted October 25, 2019. Ends Oct. 31, 2021: the 2021 adjustment took effect Nov. 1, 2021 (TDLR notice of Oct. 21, 2021). |
| Nov. 2021 to 2023 | $21.03 | $36.80 | $21.03 | $50.00 | TDLR 2021 biennial adjustment TDLR news: changes to private property towing fees (Oct. 21, 2021); TDLR news: new VSF storage fees start Jan. 1, 2024; H.B. 2983 (2025) committee report bill analysis; Texas Occupations Code ch. 2303 (Vehicle Storage Facility Act) Official source TDLR's Oct. 21, 2021 notice: storage $21.03 (25 feet or less) and $36.80 (longer), impoundment $21.03, which 'Licensees may start employing ... on November 1, 2021' (re-read 2026-10-08). TDLR's January 2024 notice lists the same amounts as the previous fees. |
| 2024 to now | $22.85 | $39.99 | $22.85 | $50.00 | TDLR 2023 biennial adjustment (16 TAC sec. 85.722(d)-(e)) TDLR news: new VSF storage fees start Jan. 1, 2024; TDLR: VSF fees and other charges Official source TDLR's notice gives January 1, 2024; the rule's source note gives January 15, 2024 (rule adopted January 5, 2024). No 2025 adjustment was posted on TDLR's fee page or news list when we checked on October 7, 2026. |
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