Car towed in Charlotte? Lookup and fees
Checked Nov 14, 2026 against official sources. We don't have your car: use the official lookup below.
Find your car
Private-lot trespass tows, which tow drivers must report to CMPD before removing the car, and general questions about police tows2
Other ways to check:
- Eastway Wrecker Service (Uptown division wrecker) · 704-393-3027: Uptown on-street parking tows such as rush-hour restriction and scofflaw boot tows3
- City of Charlotte Code Enforcement · 704-336-3380: Abandoned, junked or hazardous vehicles towed by City Code Enforcement4
Towed from a private lot (apartment, store)? Private lots must post tow signs at each entrance with the phone number to retrieve the car and the name and address of the storage lot, which must be inside city limits. The tow company must have someone on call 24 hours, answer within 15 minutes and have the car ready within 45 minutes, and it must accept cash, at least two major credit cards and any debit card. Before towing, the driver must call CMPD and get a complaint number, and between 7am and 7pm the property owner's written authorization is required.
Police and parking tows in Charlotte go to the wrecker company assigned to each CMPD patrol division, and in Uptown that is Eastway Wrecker Service. Cars towed from private lots go to the storage lot named on the posted tow sign, and the tow driver must call CMPD before towing, so CMPD at 311 can help find the car.
Charlotte impound lots: addresses and hours
Charlotte does not publish one list of impound lots. Towed cars here go to private storage lots. Use CMPD non-emergency line (311) to find which one, then call it for hours and payment.
How much it costs to get your car out in Charlotte
| Fee | Amount | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Police or parking tow fee3No official City or CMPD page with current police tow rates was found. | Not verified | Police-ordered |
| Police tow storage3 | Not verified | Police-ordered |
Private-lot trespass tow fee2DetailsCMPD stopped enforcing the City's towing fee limits after a 2014 North Carolina Supreme Court ruling (King v. Town of Chapel Hill). | No state cap | Private lot (apartment, store) |
Estimate your bill
Got your receipt? Check it for overcharges
Type what the lot charged for each line. We flag anything above a confirmed legal cap.
What to bring
Charlotte lots do not publish one list. Most ask for a photo ID, proof of ownership (registration or title) and proof of insurance.
More detail, including when the car is not in your name: what to bring to the impound lot.
Local rules and how to contest
- Each CMPD patrol division has an assigned wrecker company for police tows.
- Uptown streets with rush-hour restrictions (most 7-9 AM or 4-6 PM) are tow zones during those hours.
- A scofflaw car with three or more unpaid parking tickets overdue 90 days or more can be booted, and it is towed if the ticket is not paid by 5 PM that day.
- After a parking tow you must pay the ticket that caused the tow, the tow fee and any outstanding tickets.
- Parking tickets can be appealed online through the Park It administrative appeal process at charlottenc.gov/parkit.
- CMPD no longer enforces the City's limits on private towing fees, so fee disputes with a tow company may need private legal help.
- Cars towed by Code Enforcement are reclaimed by paying towing and storage fees to the City of Charlotte.
North Carolina rules that apply
North Carolina has no statewide cap on towing or storage fees, and no statewide drop-fee or free-belongings rule. State law only gives the tower a lien for reasonable charges, and in 2014 the state Supreme Court struck down Chapel Hill's towing fee schedule because the town lacked power to cap fees. For police-ordered tows you can ask a magistrate for a probable cause hearing, and you can get the car back first by paying or posting a bond.
- Drop fee release: North Carolina law has no rule that a tower must release a car for a drop fee before it is towed away. Charlotte once banned fees for an unfinished tow, but police stopped enforcing that after the 2014 King v. Chapel Hill ruling.
- Your belongings: No state law gives you a right to get belongings out of a towed car without paying. Charlotte once banned fees for getting property out, but police stopped enforcing that after the 2014 King v. Chapel Hill ruling.
- Hearing: For police-ordered tows the owner can file a written request with the magistrate in the county where the car was towed, and the magistrate must set a hearing within 72 hours. If there was no probable cause for the tow, the tower's lien ends. For any tow, the owner can sue to contest the lien and get the car back by paying the claimed amount into court.
Think the tow was wrong?
Questions
How do I find my towed car in Charlotte?
Use CMPD non-emergency line (311) or call 311. Private-lot trespass tows, which tow drivers must report to CMPD before removing the car, and general questions about police tows.
My car was towed from a private lot in Charlotte. Where is it?
Private lots must post tow signs at each entrance with the phone number to retrieve the car and the name and address of the storage lot, which must be inside city limits. The tow company must have someone on call 24 hours, answer within 15 minutes and have the car ready within 45 minutes, and it must accept cash, at least two major credit cards and any debit card. Before towing, the driver must call CMPD and get a complaint number, and between 7am and 7pm the property owner's written authorization is required.
Sources
Last checked Nov 14, 2026. Fees and rules change: confirm with the lot or agency before you go. Spot an error? Tell us.
- Census Bureau Vintage 2024 city and town population estimates (SUB-EST2024), U.S. Census Bureau. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Local Ordinances (Towing and Booting Ordinance) (Charlotte City Code §§ 6-563 to 6-565), Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Park It On-Street Parking Program flyer (2024), Charlotte Department of Transportation. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Code Enforcement General Info, City of Charlotte. Checked Nov 14, 2026.