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Arizona towing laws

Arizona does not set statewide private tow prices, but police impounds under A.R.S.

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28-3511 carry a 25 dollar daily storage rate and a 150 dollar administrative charge. Cities and counties may cap private-property tow rates, and lot signs must show the maximum cost to the driver. If police impound your car you can ask for a poststorage hearing within 10 days of the notice.

Checked Nov 15, 2026

At a glance

Tow fee limitSet locallyCities and towns may set a maximum rate.Storage per daySet locallySet by city or county rules or by the tow company's contract with the police agency.Release if you get there first?NoState law has no drop-fee rule for private-property tows.Get your belongings?PartlyFor tows after a crash, you can remove personal items from the car free during business hours.Deadline to contest10 daysCalendar days from the notice.Must take card?YesThey must accept: cash, credit, debit, insurance.
  1. Find the carLookups for Phoenix
  2. Check the billFee calculator
  3. Contest itWithin 10 days

Fee limits

Towed from a private lotApartments, stores, businesses

FeeAmount
Private-property tow, light vehicle12
DetailsCities and towns may set a maximum rate. Counties may set one outside cities that do. The posted sign must show the maximum cost.
Set by city or county

Police-ordered towsParking tickets, no insurance, arrests

FeeAmount
Daily storage, police impound under A.R.S. 28-35117
DetailsApplies to impounds under A.R.S. 28-3511, such as driving on a suspended license or without insurance, including days after the impound period ends.
$25 / day
Police administrative charge, impound under A.R.S. 28-35118Paid to the police agency at release, on top of tow and storage. The agency may waive it.$150

Any kind of tow

FeeAmount
Daily storage125
DetailsSet by city or county rules or by the tow company's contract with the police agency. For accident tows a storage day runs midnight to midnight.
Set by city or county

Local rates. Cities and towns can cap private-property tow rates under A.R.S. 9-499.05, and counties can do so for unincorporated areas under A.R.S. 11-251.04. Tucson ties its private-tow maximum to the state trooper metro rate schedule. Police tow rates come from each agency tow contract.

State trooper (DPS) tows, metro areas
FeeAmount
Light-duty tow, flat rate10Includes up to 20 loaded miles. Rate sheet dated June 30, 2022, still posted by DPS.Up to $184.80
Loaded mileage after 20 miles, light duty10Up to $4.76 / mile
Daily storage, light duty910
DetailsNo storage for the first calendar day. Impounds under A.R.S. 28-3511 are limited to 25 dollars a day.
Up to $32.50 / day
After-hours open lot10After 6 p.m. on weekdays, after noon Saturday, and all day Sunday.Up to $50
Phoenix (police impounds)
FeeAmount
Phoenix Police administrative fee812
DetailsPaid to the City of Phoenix by cash, cashier check, or money order before the tow company can release the car.
$150
Daily storage for 28-3511 impounds712$25 / day

What will I owe in Arizona?

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Who had it towed?

Got your receipt? Check it for overcharges

Type what the lot charged for each line. We flag anything above a confirmed legal cap.

Your rights: drop fee, belongings, hearing

No

Release for a drop feeIf you reach the car before it is towed away

State law has no drop-fee rule for private-property tows. Cities and counties that set tow rates can add one, so check the local ordinance.12

Partly

Get your belongings outWithout paying the tow first

For tows after a crash, you can remove personal items from the car free during business hours. There is no general state rule for other tows, but in Tucson a private-lot tower must let you get your ID, and other property once you prove ownership, at no charge.511

Yes

Right to a hearingTo contest the tow

After a police impound you can request a poststorage hearing within 10 days of the date on the notice. The hearing is held within five business days, and if the impound was not justified the agency pays the tow and storage costs.46

Partly

Payment they must take

For tows after a crash, the tower must accept cash, credit card, debit card, insurance company check, or money order. Lots holding state trooper tows must take cash, credit or debit cards, money orders, and cashier checks, and Tucson requires cash, credit, and debit for private-lot tows. The 150 dollar police administrative charge in Phoenix is cash, cashier check, or money order only.591112

Yes

Owner noticeWhat the tower must tell you or police

A company that tows from private property without police direction must phone the local police within one hour, or it loses its right to charge for the tow and storage. After a police impound, the agency must send notice to the owner within three business days.34

Partly

Storage rules

For crash tows, storage cannot be charged for days the lot is not open or available by appointment from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. If the police agency fails to notify an interested party within three business days, no more than 15 days of storage can be charged.45

Partly

What to bringTo get the car released

For crash tows the car must be released the same business day you ask, once you get the free itemized bill and pay. You use a state release form and show proof of ownership.5

Yes

Tow-away signsRequired on private lots

Signs must be readable from anywhere in the lot and at each entrance. They must list the parking rules, what happens to cars that break them, the maximum cost including storage, and a phone number and address to find the car.1

By situation

Arizona cities

Think the tow or the bill was wrong?

Ask the lot for an itemized receipt, compare it to the legal limits in Arizona, and request a hearing before the deadline. Our step-by-step guide and calculator are free.

Guides: how to fight a tow · what to bring · impound costs by city

Questions

Is there a limit on towing fees in Arizona?

Cities and towns can cap private-property tow rates under A.R.S. 9-499.05, and counties can do so for unincorporated areas under A.R.S. 11-251.04. Tucson ties its private-tow maximum to the state trooper metro rate schedule. Police tow rates come from each agency tow contract.

Does a tow truck have to release my car in Arizona if I get there first?

State law has no drop-fee rule for private-property tows. Cities and counties that set tow rates can add one, so check the local ordinance.

Can I get my belongings out of a towed car in Arizona?

For tows after a crash, you can remove personal items from the car free during business hours. There is no general state rule for other tows, but in Tucson a private-lot tower must let you get your ID, and other property once you prove ownership, at no charge.

How do I contest a tow in Arizona?

After a police impound you can request a poststorage hearing within 10 days of the date on the notice. The hearing is held within five business days, and if the impound was not justified the agency pays the tow and storage costs.

What payment do tow lots have to accept in Arizona?

For tows after a crash, the tower must accept cash, credit card, debit card, insurance company check, or money order. Lots holding state trooper tows must take cash, credit or debit cards, money orders, and cashier checks, and Tucson requires cash, credit, and debit for private-lot tows. The 150 dollar police administrative charge in Phoenix is cash, cashier check, or money order only.

Sources

Last checked Nov 15, 2026. Fees and rules change: confirm with the lot or agency before you go. Spot an error? Tell us.

  1. Authority to set rates for private towing carrier, notice of parking violations (A.R.S. 9-499.05), Arizona Legislature. Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  2. County authority to set rates for private towing carrier (A.R.S. 11-251.04), Arizona Legislature. Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  3. Towed vehicles, notification to law enforcement (A.R.S. 28-4836), Arizona Legislature. Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  4. Hearings, notice of immobilization or storage (A.R.S. 28-3514), Arizona Legislature. Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  5. Owners, insurance companies, release, fees (accident tows) (A.R.S. 28-4847), Arizona Legislature. Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  6. Removal and immobilization or impoundment of vehicle (A.R.S. 28-3511), Arizona Legislature. Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  7. Removal or impoundment of vehicle, release, storage charges (A.R.S. 28-3512(H)), Arizona Legislature. Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  8. Administrative charges (A.R.S. 28-3513), Arizona Legislature. Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  9. Tow Service Program, Arizona Department of Public Safety. Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  10. Maximum Allowable DPS Contract Rate Schedule, Metro Area (Exhibit A, June 30, 2022), Arizona Department of Public Safety. Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  11. Private Property Towing Ordinance FAQ (Internet Archive copy of February 12, 2026, live page blocks automated reads), City of Tucson. Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  12. ARS 28-3511 Vehicle Impoundment FAQ, City of Phoenix Police Department. Checked Nov 15, 2026.