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Tow and storage rates in the Rio Grande Valley
What could be charged for tows and storage in the Rio Grande Valley, 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.
Police rotation-list tows
| Year or period | Police-called tow, light vehicle | Private-lot tow, light vehicle | Heavy, per hour | Drop fee | Record, source and status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before February 2023 | Not found yet | Not found yet Rates before Ordinance 2023-30 not found. | |||
| February 2023 to now | $200.00 | $100.00 | $115.00 | $40.00 | McAllen Code § 114-151 (Ordinance 2023-30) McAllen Code ch. 114, art. VII (eCode360) Official source 'Light' here means under three tons. A condition of the voluntary police rotation list. Drop fee is $65 if the car is claimed at the storage lot within 1.5 hours (no storage). Extra: $50 an hour in high water after the first hour, $7.50 per 15 minutes of waiting after the first hour, $2 a mile outside city limits, $50 for a rollover. Over three tons, private lot: $115 an hour. |
| Before October 2024 | Not found yet | Not found yet KRGV reported the 2024 amount was about double the old one; the old amount is not in our sources. | |||
| October 2024 to now | $300.00 | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | KRGV report on Ordinance 2024-48 KRGV, Oct. 3, 2024; Harlingen Code ch. 46, art. III (eCode360) Not verified (unofficial copy) The Code puts tow fees in the chapter 18 fee schedule, which we have not opened. The report does not say which tows the $300 covers. |
| All years | Not found yet | Not found yet No city towing ordinance or rate schedule found for these cities; state maximums apply to private-property tows and storage. | |||
Collision tows from the rotation list
| Year or period | Police-called tow, light vehicle | Heavy, per hour | City administration fee | Record, source and status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before November 2013 | Not found yet | Not found yet Earlier schedules (ordinances of 1992, 1993, 2006, 2008 and 2012) not found. | ||
| November 2013 initial schedule | $200.00 | $115.00 | Not listed | Brownsville Code § 110-128 'initial schedule' (Ordinance 2013-919-J) Brownsville Code ch. 110 (Municode) Not yet verified The Code says the schedule is adjusted each December by City Commission resolution; we have not found any resolution, so the current amounts are not known. The initial schedule lists a $200 collision haul for vehicles under a 2.5-ton truck, $115 an hour for 2.5-ton trucks, $425 for an 18-wheeler, plus hourly, dolly, cleanup and labor charges. Its storage and 'preservation' lines differ from the state storage rules, which TDLR's rule (16 TAC § 85.722(b)) says take precedence over a conflicting city ordinance. |
| October 2019 to now (City fee) | Not listed | Not listed | $20.00 | Brownsville Code § 110-131 (Ordinance 2019-919-K) Brownsville Code § 110-131 (Municode) Official source City administration fee collected by the storage lot on nonconsent tows and sent to the City. |
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