Tow Yard Storage Fees: Daily Limits by State and City

What are the posted storage maximums in each state and city?

Posted maximums for a standard (light-duty) car, from the fee tables our city tools use. Which amount applies depends on the facts of each tow (who ordered it, the vehicle, the place). Amounts for heavier vehicles are on each city's fees page.

Texas

California

Washington

Colorado

Illinois

Wisconsin

How are tow yard storage fees charged in Texas?

Texas law

The TDLR rule, applying the 2023 biennial CPI adjustment, sets the maximum daily storage fee at $22.85 for a vehicle 25 feet or less and $39.99 for a longer vehicle, and the maximum impoundment fee at $22.85. If an impoundment fee is charged, the bill must specify the exact services performed and the dates. The fees apply to government-owned storage lots too and control over conflicting city ordinances. No other storage-related fees are allowed besides those in the rule and authorized nonconsent towing fees.

Source: 16 Tex. Admin. Code § 85.722(a), (b), (d), (e), (g); Occ. Code § 2303.1552 · Checked on October 5, 2026

The law defines a storage day as beginning at midnight and ending at the next midnight, and allows a full daily fee for any part of a day, except that no more than one day's storage may be charged if the vehicle remains at the facility for less than 12 hours.

Source: Occ. Code § 2303.155(d) · Checked on September 28, 2026

The law lets a storage facility charge daily storage for no more than five days before the owner notice is mailed or published (Texas-registered vehicles) or before the request for owner information is sent to the other state (out-of-state vehicles), and then for each day after notice until the vehicle is removed and all accrued charges are paid.

Source: Occ. Code § 2303.155(e) · Checked on September 28, 2026

The TDLR rule requires every storage facility, including government-run lots, to accept cash, debit cards and credit cards. A facility that violates this may not charge storage beyond the date payment by credit card is tendered, in addition to administrative penalties.

Source: 16 Tex. Admin. Code § 85.711 · Checked on October 5, 2026

City of Houston

A nonconsent storage lot in Houston may charge a daily storage fee no higher than the state daily maximum (Occ. Code § 2303.155(b)(3)), plus notification and other fees only up to those the Vehicle Storage Facility Act allows. Each fee must be separately itemized on the lot's records and on the receipt you get, and the receipt must show the TDLR license number of the person who released the vehicle and a police phone number for wrecker and storage information. No fees other than those allowed by §§ 8-123 and 8-183 may be charged for these services without your consent, and sales tax may be added only where state law imposes it.

Source: Houston Code § 8-183(b)-(d) · Checked on October 5, 2026

How are tow yard storage fees charged in California?

California law

The law limits storage charges: if the vehicle is released within 24 hours from when it was brought into the storage facility, regardless of calendar date, the storage charge may be for only one day; no more than one day's storage may be charged for a vehicle released the same day it was stored.

Source: Veh. Code § 22658(i)(2) · Checked on October 5, 2026

The law limits storage charges to no more than one day of storage if the vehicle is released 24 hours or less after it was placed in storage. After 24 hours, storage may be charged per full calendar day or part of a day.

Source: Civ. Code § 3068.1(a)(1) · Checked on October 5, 2026

The law provides that if, within the first 24 hours of storage, a person entitled to the vehicle (or the owner's insurance representative) requests release, tenders the appropriate fees, and presents documentation, and the storage facility fails to release it or is not open during normal business hours, then only one day's storage may be charged until after the first business day (a day the lienholder is open to the public at least 8 hours). After 24 hours, charges may be by full calendar day.

Source: Veh. Code § 22658(i)(3) · Checked on October 5, 2026

For a vehicle worth $4,000 or less, the law limits the storage lien to no more than 60 days if a completed notice of pending lien sale form was filed under § 3072 within 15 days after the lien arose. The cap extends to 120 days only if: a Declaration of Opposition is filed with DMV; the vehicle has out-of-state registration; the VIN was altered or removed; or a person with an interest in the vehicle becomes known to the lienholder after it complied with § 3072(b).

Source: Civ. Code § 3068.1(b)(1)-(4) · Checked on October 5, 2026

California law: after a crash or a stolen-car recovery

For a tow after an accident or the recovery of a stolen vehicle (Veh. Code § 22524.5(c)(1)), the law treats as presumptively unreasonable storage fees above 50 percent of the daily storage rate when a vehicle is recovered within the first four hours of storage. This list does not prohibit fees authorized in a written agreement between a law enforcement agency and a towing or storage company, including an official police garage, if the law enforcement agency initiated the tow (§ 22524.5(e)).

Source: Veh. Code § 22524.5(c)(1), (c)(3)(K), (e) · Checked on October 5, 2026

For a tow after an accident or the recovery of a stolen vehicle (Veh. Code § 22524.5(c)(1)), the law treats as presumptively unreasonable any storage fees for a day on which a storage facility fails to release the vehicle after the owner has requested release and paid all fees then due. This list does not prohibit fees authorized in a written agreement between a law enforcement agency and a towing or storage company, including an official police garage, if the law enforcement agency initiated the tow (§ 22524.5(e)).

Source: Veh. Code § 22524.5(c)(1), (c)(3)(J), (e) · Checked on October 5, 2026

City of Los Angeles (police-ordered tows)

The OPG agreement starts storage when the vehicle arrives at the OPG facility; if release is requested within 24 hours only one day may be charged; after that, full calendar days (midnight to midnight) may be charged.

Source: L.A. Bd. of Police Comm'rs, Official Police Garage Towing and Storage Agreement sec. 10.3 (2013 prototype agreement in force for current OPGs, e.g., Contract C-129787; same section in the 2026 template agreement, TOPS Manual App. A); OPG Rules (3/16) Rule 18 · Checked on September 27, 2026

How are tow yard storage fees charged in Washington?

Washington law

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

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 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. The State Patrol's table for its own impounds, effective October 15, 2025 through October 14, 2026, lists $297.00 an hour for class A and E trucks, a $75.00 storage rate, and $149.00 an hour for hourly labor or an after-hours release (an extra driver or employee). The limits use the State Patrol rate in effect when the company filed its fee schedule, which this tool does not know, so it does not compute them.

Source: RCW 46.55.118 · Checked on October 6, 2026

City of 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

How are tow yard storage fees charged in Colorado?

Colorado law

Storage may not exceed the PUC's 24-hour maximum ($48.19 for a vehicle rated under 10,000 lbs. from March 15, 2026). After a private-property tow, only the first 24 hours of storage, prorated by the hour, may be charged until the owner notification under § 42-4-2103 is complete, and storage may not be charged retroactively after that. After a residential tow, storage must keep being prorated by the hour. Storage may not be charged for any time the carrier's garage keeper's liability insurance was not in force.

Source: 4 CCR 723-6, Rule 6511(d); Colorado PUC towing rates (effective March 15, 2026) · Checked on October 6, 2026

A towing carrier may not charge storage for any 24-hour period in which it did not store the vehicle (it may prorate a partial period), and may not charge or keep any fee for a nonconsensual tow from private property that the PUC's rules do not identify. The PUC rules say the same for every nonconsensual and police-ordered tow: no fees or charges not specifically identified in state law or PUC rule.

Source: C.R.S. § 40-10.1-405(1)(c); 4 CCR 723-6, Rules 6511(b)(V), 6512(k) · Checked on October 6, 2026

Not more than ten days after a tow, the towing carrier must find the owner and any lienholder and notify them by certified mail, return receipt requested. It should wait 24 hours after the tow and then send the notice as soon as reasonably practical, and may charge no more than $75 to send it. The carrier may not recover daily storage fees from the day of the tow until the day it sends this notice, except for the first 24 hours. The PUC rule adds that storage cannot be charged retroactively once notice is complete, and that after a residential tow storage must keep being prorated by the hour.

Source: C.R.S. § 42-4-2103(3)(c)(I)(A), (3)(c)(II); 4 CCR 723-6, Rule 6511(d)(I)(D)-(E) · Checked on October 6, 2026

City and County of Denver

A vehicle the City removes and impounds is released only after the impound and storage charges are paid. The impound charge is $120 for a vehicle of up to 6,000 lbs. gross vehicle weight and $170 above that. If it is not claimed within 24 hours, storage starts at $20 a day ($30 over 6,000 lbs.) after 24 hours following its receipt at the impound lot, for every day or part of a day.

Source: Denver Revised Municipal Code § 54-813(a) · Checked on October 6, 2026

How are tow yard storage fees charged in Illinois?

Illinois law

The ICC sets the maximum rates for relocation tows and for storage beyond 24 hours. A relocator may not charge for storage for the first 24 hours after the tow, may not charge other services to the vehicle's owner or operator, and any credit card fee counts toward the maximum. The ICC must require a relocator to refund anything charged above the rate, including a card fee. Charging other than the ICC rates is unlawful.

Source: 625 ILCS 5/18a-200(6), 18a-300(12) · Checked on October 6, 2026

No storage may be charged after the vehicle is claimed with proper ID and payment is tendered, or for days or hours the relocator is closed to the public. If the vehicle had been reported stolen before the tow, storage is limited to 8 days at the daily rate. The relocator must keep reclaim hours during all hours it tows and for 2 hours after.

Source: 92 Ill. Adm. Code 1710.122(b)-(d), 1710.123 · Checked on October 6, 2026

City of Chicago

For a vehicle the City impounds under § 9-92-030 (parking and tow-zone violations, hazards, abandoned vehicles and similar), the owner pays $250 for the tow ($350 at 8,000 lbs. or more) and $50 a day storage ($100 at 8,000 lbs. or more). No fees for a tow found to be erroneous; storage is capped at $1,500 per vehicle; only one day of storage if the vehicle is disposed of; and no fees if the vehicle was stolen at the time and the theft was reported in a timely manner. The City's page says charges are paid in cash or by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express or Diners Club; checks and money orders are not accepted.

Source: Chicago Mun. Code § 9-92-080(b); City of Chicago, Common Towing Questions · Checked on October 6, 2026

How are tow yard storage fees charged in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin law

Storage may not exceed $25 for each 24-hour period at an outdoor storage facility, or $35 at an indoor one. The storage period counts 24-hour periods from the time the towing service gave the police notice until the vehicle is retrieved, rounded up.

Source: Wis. Admin. Code § Trans 319.03(1)(b), (c), (4) · Checked on October 12, 2026

No storage fee may be charged for any calendar day on which the storage facility is open for retrieval less than 4 consecutive hours between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The rule's own example: a car towed Friday night and picked up Monday morning, from a lot closed Sunday, is charged for two days, not three.

Source: Wis. Admin. Code § Trans 319.03(4) and Note · Checked on October 12, 2026

Up to $150 more may be charged only for necessary special equipment or travel over 20 miles, and only if the vehicle is unusual or 10,001 lb or more, the space was hard to reach, or the round trip exceeded 20 miles ($3.00 a mile beyond 20, with odometer readings on the tow slip). Administrative, gate and lien processing fees, and fees for equipment or procedures ordinarily required, may not be charged under this paragraph.

Source: Wis. Admin. Code § Trans 319.03(1)(d) · Checked on October 12, 2026

UW-Madison

UW-Madison Transportation Services says a vehicle is subject to towing and impoundment if it has $100 or more in unpaid citations (30 days or more past due) or an altered, counterfeit or stolen permit, among other towable violations. Towed cars go to University Towing Service, 2716 County Highway N, Cottage Grove, (608) 665-3203 (Lot 59 on football days; Lot 60 for WIAA tournaments at the Kohl Center). The vehicle tow fee is $130; storage is $50 a day for a car or truck ($27 for a moped or motorcycle) if not picked up the same day, and none if retrieved the same day. All citations and towing fees must be paid before release.

Source: Wis. Stat. § 36.11(8); UW-Madison Transportation Services, Citation Information and Rates · Checked on October 12, 2026

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