You came back to the lot and the car was gone. The sign gives a phone number, and the yard on the other end gives you a total. Is that total legal? In a lot of the country there is a written answer, and it's a smaller number than most people expect.
We pulled the current private-property tow caps from the agencies that set them in Texas, Colorado, Virginia, the Chicago area, New York City and Miami-Dade County, and the rule California uses instead of a fixed number. All figures were checked against the official pages on October 27, 2026.
What a tow company is allowed to charge you
The phrase that matters is "non-consent." You didn't call this tow truck. A property owner did, or a towing company patrolling under contract with the property. Those tows are the ones states and cities cap. When you call a tow yourself, after a breakdown, most of these limits don't apply and the company sets its own price. New York City's consumer agency says that directly.
Here is the light-duty cap in each place. "Light-duty" means an ordinary car, SUV or pickup. Each agency draws that line a little differently, and the table shows where.
| Where | Max tow fee (light-duty) | Who sets it | What counts as light-duty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $272 | TDLR, 16 TAC 86.455 | 10,000 lb GVWR or less |
| Colorado | $250.91 | Colorado PUC | 10,000 lb GVWR or less |
| Chicago area (IL) | $238.20 + $2.50 invoice fee | Illinois Commerce Commission | Under 8,000 lb GVWR |
| Virginia | $210 | Va. Code 46.2-1233.1 | Passenger cars |
| Miami-Dade County (FL) | $145 | Miami-Dade rate sheet | Class A tow |
| New York City | $125, incl. 3 days storage | NYC DCWP | Private parking lots |
| California | No fixed number | Vehicle Code 22658 | Tied to local police-tow rates |
Source: TDLR; Colorado PUC (effective Mar 15, 2026); Illinois Commerce Commission; Va. Code 46.2-1233.1; Miami-Dade County rate sheet dated Oct 1, 2026; NYC DCWP. Checked Oct 27, 2026.
These are ceilings, not prices. Texas lets cities and counties set lower caps, and Virginia lets local ordinances set different limits. So check your city before you assume the state number applies. The Illinois cap covers relocation tows from private property in Cook, Will, Kane, DuPage and Winnebago counties, according to the ICC's consumer guide.
Storage, drop fees and the extras that pile up
The hook fee is only the first line on the bill. Storage runs by the day, and some places add an impound, notice or after-hours charge. The rules on the first 24 hours matter most, because that's when most people get there.
| Where | Daily storage (car) | First 24 hours | Drop fee (car still on the lot) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $22.85 | Only one day's storage if the car is out within 12 hours | $135 |
| Colorado | $48.19 per 24 hours | Storage can be charged from day one | $97.70 (none from residential lots) |
| Chicago area (IL) | ICC rate | No storage if claimed within 24 hours | Must let you move it |
| Virginia | Set locally | No storage for 24 hours or less | Not set by state law |
| Miami-Dade County | $27.60 outdoors | None if stored under 6 hours | $72.50 |
| New York City | $15 from day 4 | Days 1 to 3 included in the $125 | $62.50 |
| California | Local rate | Only one day if released within 24 hours | Half the regular tow fee |
The extras are where bills drift. Texas allows a one-time impound fee of up to $22.85, but only if the bill lists the actual work done, such as an inventory or the registration lookup. It also allows a $50 notification fee, which can't be charged if you collect before notice goes out or within 24 hours. TDLR's page bans "environmental fees," notary fees and fees to get your belongings out of the car.
Colorado allows a $106.06 after-hours release fee, a $75 notification fee on private-property tows and a mileage and fuel surcharge that changes monthly. Colorado towers may also add a credit-card surcharge. The Illinois guide says towers there must take major cards without extra fees. Miami-Dade allows a $38.20 administrative fee, but only after the first 24 hours.
Virginia adds up to $30 for a tow between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m. or on a weekend or holiday. No more than two of those fees are allowed per tow. California's version of the drop fee is the most generous: if you get back after the car is hooked up but before it leaves the property, the most they can charge is half the regular towing charge.
The most a car's bill can legally reach in the first 24 hours
Most people want one number: what will I pay if I get there today? We added up each place's own line items for a light-duty car collected within 24 hours of the tow. Where a fee is optional or varies, the chart takes the maximum. Texas counts storage by calendar day, so a car towed at 6 p.m. and collected at 9 a.m. the next day can be billed two days.
Source: Same agency pages as above; editor's arithmetic. Excludes Colorado mileage/fuel surcharge and after-hours fee, and any lower local caps.
Even at the top of that range, a light car towed from a store lot and collected the same day shouldn't cost more than about $341 in any of these places, before Colorado's mileage. If the yard quotes much more, ask for the itemized bill and compare each line to the table above.
Waiting costs real money. In Colorado each extra 24 hours adds $48.19. In Texas a car left for a week can pick up five more days of storage plus the $50 notification fee, about $164 more. Collecting fast is the cheapest thing you can do.
Driving a work truck? Different math
Most of these caps change with weight, and a lot of work trucks sit just over the line. The 10,000-pound GVWR mark is the same boundary the federal rear-visibility rule uses, which we covered in our piece on rear cameras on upfitted trucks. Class 3 and heavier trucks, including many one-ton duallies and chassis cabs with service bodies, are rated above it.
| Where | Over 10,000 lb | Heavier |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | $380 (10,001 to 24,999 lb) | $489 per unit, $978 max (25,000 lb and up) |
| Colorado | $288.57 (10,001 to 19,000 lb) | $388.96 (19,001 to 33,000 lb); $439.15 (over 33,000 lb) |
| Chicago area (IL) | ICC's consumer page lists only the under-8,000 lb rate | Ask for the posted rate |
Texas charges "per unit," so a truck and trailer towed separately can run up to $978. Colorado's weight bands line up roughly with the truck classes in our EPA 2027 explainer: about Class 3 to 5, Class 6 and 7, and Class 8. Colorado storage for anything rated 10,000 pounds or more is $59.45 a day.
Illinois draws its light-duty line lower, at 8,000 pounds GVWR. Many three-quarter-ton pickups are rated above 8,000 pounds, so in the Chicago area they may not qualify for the $238.20 light-duty rate. Check the sign and the invoice for the class they billed.
California: no number, but the steepest penalty
California doesn't publish one statewide cap. Under Vehicle Code 22658, a private-property tow is "excessive" if it costs more than the greater of two things: what the towing company would charge the local police for the same tow under its agreement with them, or its rate approved by the California Highway Patrol. The tower has to show the CHP-approved rate to police or prosecutors within 24 hours of a request.
The enforcement is the strongest on this list:
"A person who charges a vehicle owner a towing, service, or storage charge at an excessive rate... is civilly liable to the vehicle owner for four times the amount charged."
Knowingly overcharging is also a misdemeanor in California, with a fine of up to $2,500 or up to three months in county jail.
Think you were overcharged? Where the complaint goes
Pay to get the car back, keep every receipt, and then dispute it. Each place has its own channel.
- Texas: you can ask for a hearing in the justice court of the county where the tow happened. The only questions are whether the tow had probable cause and whether the fee was over the limit, per TDLR. The court can order the fees refunded. You can also file a complaint with TDLR.
- New York City: file with DCWP online or through 311. Licensed tow companies must take a credit card, so "cash only" is itself a red flag.
- Chicago area: the complaint form is on the back of the relocation towing invoice, and it goes to the ICC Police.
- Colorado: the PUC's consumer line is 303-894-2070.
- Miami-Dade: Florida law makes counties that set caps also run a process for complaints about charges above them. Miami-Dade's rate sheet comes from its Consumer and Neighborhood Protection Division, which regulates towing in the county.
- California: the 4x civil liability above is your leverage.
None of this means a high bill is a crooked one. Heavy recoveries, after-hours releases and long storage are billed legally all the time. The same rule we used on fire truck prices applies here: get the document first, then argue. The rate sheet is public, and the itemized bill has to match it.
Rates checked against the agency pages linked above on October 27, 2026. Caps change: Colorado adjusts its rates for inflation, and local caps in Texas, Virginia and Florida can be lower than the figures here.
