⚠ Need your vehicle released today?
Storage fees accrue every day, often $30 to $75 per day in California. If the tow yard is still holding the vehicle, the priority is to retrieve it (pay under protest with credit card, mark the receipt "paid under protest - disputing charges") so the fees stop running. Then send the demand letter. Letting the bill exceed the vehicle's value, or letting the tow yard reach the Civil Code section 3068 lien-sale stage, will close off most recovery options. Read the pay-under-protest steps below.
California Vehicle Code §§22651 and 22658 regulate when vehicles can be towed and what fees tow companies can charge. The California Highway Patrol sets maximum tow and storage rates. Violations of these rules give you grounds to demand fee reductions or refunds.
Private property owners and tow companies must follow strict rules when towing vehicles from private property. Required elements include:
- Sign height: At least 17 inches high by 22 inches wide
- Letter size: Minimum 1-inch lettering for key information
- Content required: "Unauthorized vehicles will be towed at owner's expense," tow company name and phone number, and location where vehicles are stored
- Visibility: Signs must be clearly visible at all entrances to the property
- Language: In English; additional languages recommended in multilingual areas
If signage doesn't meet these requirements, the tow may be invalid and you can demand a full refund.
If you arrive while your car is being towed or immediately after, photograph:
- Where your car was parked (showing it was legal or you had permission)
- All parking signs (or lack thereof)
- The tow truck and company name
- Any damage to your vehicle
- Date and time stamps (most phones add this automatically)
These photos are critical evidence for your demand letter and any hearing.
The California Highway Patrol sets maximum rates tow companies can charge. These vary by county and type of tow. As of 2024, typical maximums include:
- Basic tow (light duty): $150-$250 depending on county
- Mileage beyond base: $3-$7 per mile
- Daily storage: $30-$75 per day depending on county
- Gate fee (after-hours release): $50-$100
- Administrative fee: $50-$75
If the tow company charged more than these maximums, you can demand a refund of the excess. Contact your local CHP office or check the CHP website for current maximum rates in your county.
When police order your vehicle towed (DUI arrest, expired registration, blocking traffic), you have fewer grounds to challenge the tow itself but can still:
- Challenge excessive fees beyond CHP maximums
- Request a DMV hearing if the vehicle was impounded for 30 days (DUI, unlicensed driver)
- Demand compensation for tow truck damage
30-day impounds: Vehicle Code §14602.6 allows 30-day impounds for driving without a license or on a suspended license. You can request a DMV hearing within 10 days to challenge the impound. If you win, the tow and storage fees are refunded.
When a property owner or manager requests the tow, you can challenge based on:
- Inadequate signage
- You had permission to park (resident, visitor with parking pass)
- Tow company didn't wait the required one hour after posting notice (unless blocking driveway/fire lane)
- Property owner or manager didn't have authority to authorize the tow
Storage fees accrue daily, typically $30-$75 per day. Even if you're disputing the tow, retrieve your vehicle within 2-3 days to minimize storage charges. You can pay under protest and seek a refund later. Waiting weeks to retrieve your vehicle can result in storage fees exceeding the vehicle's value.
If your tow company receives a demand letter alleging wrongful towing or excessive fees, responding appropriately protects your CHP operating authority and minimizes liability.
- Pull the tow authorization: Retrieve the property owner's tow authorization, dispatch log, driver notes, and photos taken at the scene.
- Verify signage compliance: Check that the property had compliant signs at the time of tow (photos in your records).
- Review fee calculation: Confirm your charges were within CHP maximum rates for your county.
- Check for damage claims: Inspect your driver's pre-tow and post-tow photos. Interview the driver.
- Assess customer's claim: Is there merit? Did you violate Vehicle Code requirements?
Consider offering a partial or full refund when:
- Your fees genuinely exceeded CHP maximums due to billing error
- Signage at the property was deficient and you can't prove compliance
- Your driver may have damaged the vehicle and repair costs are reasonable
- The cost of small claims defense exceeds the disputed amount
Customers can file complaints with the California Highway Patrol against your operating authority. Repeated violations, especially excessive fees or operating without proper signage authorizations, can result in suspension or revocation of your tow authority. For disputes under $500, settling quickly often makes business sense to avoid regulatory risk.
Wrongful tow (no authority): 80-100% refund of all tow and storage fees
Excessive fees: Refund of amount exceeding CHP maximums plus 25-50% goodwill reduction
Damage during tow: Repair costs up to $2,000-$5,000 depending on severity and proof
Signage deficiency: 50-75% refund, as courts often find partial fault
Replace the bracketed information with your specific details, then send by certified mail and email. Keep copies of everything.
Hire me for your California towing or impound dispute
Most California towing-dispute matters resolve at the demand-letter stage. The $575 Attorney Demand Letter is the default. Where the four-times-fees penalty under Vehicle Code section 22658(l), property damage, or a contested lien sale under Civil Code section 3068 brings the matter close to the small-claims jurisdictional limit ($12,500), the $1,200 Litigation-Leverage Package adds a court-ready draft complaint as leverage. The $1,500 Pre-Litigation Negotiation Phase is for matters that go past the included first-response review and any narrow counter-response in the demand-letter packages.
- Attorney demand letter on California Bar letterhead citing Vehicle Code sections 22658 and 22651, CHP maximum rate schedule, and (where applicable) the four-times-fees civil penalty under section 22658(l)
- USPS certified mail with signature requested plus email delivery
- Up to two client revision rounds before sending
- Review of the tow company's first substantive response with a short next-step recommendation and a narrow counter-response if strategically appropriate
- Excludes draft complaint, filing, full substantive counter-letters, multi-round negotiation, second-and-beyond exchanges, settlement / release review, payment-plan negotiation, and settlement implementation (those are the $1,500 Pre-Litigation Negotiation Phase)
Use when the four-times-fees penalty under VC 22658(l), property damage, or a wrongful lien sale pushes value close to the $12,500 small-claims cap.
- Everything in the $575 package
- Court-ready draft small-claims complaint or limited civil complaint attached as settlement leverage
- Up to two client revision rounds before sending
- Review of the other side's first substantive response with a short next-step recommendation and a narrow counter-response if strategically appropriate included
- Excludes filing, court appearances, full substantive counter-letters, multi-round negotiation, second-and-beyond exchanges, settlement / release review, payment-plan negotiation, and settlement implementation (those are the $1,500 Pre-Litigation Negotiation Phase)
If the tow company or its insurer wants continued negotiation past the included first-response review and any narrow counter-response, a $1,500 Pre-Litigation Negotiation Phase can be scoped separately: additional counter-letters and written settlement negotiations through settlement or impasse, plus draft, review, and revision of one settlement agreement or mutual release for the dispute. It excludes filing, court appearances, discovery, enforcement, and new claims or parties. Email me to scope this phase; custom PayPal invoice once scope is confirmed.
Not sure which fits? Ask the AI Legal Analyst above, or start with a $240 written consultation.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Turnaround is usually 3-5 business days after I receive the necessary documents; rush may be available.
Attorney advertising. This is general information unless and until an engagement is formed. California residents only.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, in most cases. Tow companies can hold your vehicle until you pay. However, pay with a credit card and mark the receipt "paid under protest." This preserves your right to dispute the charges and seek a refund through a demand letter or small claims court. Retrieve your vehicle quickly to avoid accumulating daily storage fees.
The California Highway Patrol sets maximum rates that vary by county. Typical maximums range from $150-$250 for the base tow, $30-$75 per day for storage, and $50-$100 for gate fees. Check the CHP website or contact your local CHP office for current maximum rates in your county. Any charges above these maximums are illegal and refundable.
Yes. If your vehicle was towed without legal authority, you can sue in small claims court for a refund of all tow and storage fees, plus damages for your time, rental car costs, and any vehicle damage caused by the tow. Most wrongful tow cases are straightforward and resolve quickly in small claims court.
Vehicle towed or still impounded?
I am Sergei Tokmakov, a California attorney (CA Bar #279869, licensed since 2011). Send me the documents you have: the tow and storage invoices, photos of the signage and the parking spot, the receipt marked paid under protest, and any lien-sale notice. I review what you submit and follow up in writing with the package that fits. Turnaround is usually 3-5 business days after I receive the necessary documents; rush may be available.