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California drop fee: do they have to release your car?

If you get back to your car before it has left the property, the tow company has to release it on the spot, and refusing is a misdemeanor. If the car was already hooked up or lifted, they can charge up to half their regular towing charge. Then you need to move the car right away.

Checked Nov 15, 2026 against the California statute and regulator pages.

What to do now

  1. Stay calm and tell the operator you want the car released.
  2. Ask what the drop fee is and pay it if it is within your state limit. Some states require them to take a card.
  3. Get a receipt with the company name, truck number and amount.
  4. If they refuse when your state requires release, call police non-emergency and note the time.

California rules that matter here

Drop fee release

If you get back to your car before it has left the property, the tow company has to release it on the spot, and refusing is a misdemeanor. If the car was already hooked up or lifted, they can charge up to half their regular towing charge. Then you need to move the car right away.17

Payment

Every storage lot has to accept cash, a valid bank credit card in the name of the person paying, or a check from your insurer. Store-issued credit cards don't count. Lots holding private-property tows have to post a sign saying credit cards and cash are accepted. A lot that refuses a valid card can owe four times the charges. Debit cards and personal checks are not on the required list.123

Tow-away signs

To tow from private property on sign authority, the property needs a sign at every entrance, in plain view. The sign has to be at least 17 by 22 inches with letters at least 1 inch tall. It has to say public parking is prohibited and that cars will be removed at the owner's expense, and list the phone number of the local traffic law enforcement agency plus the name and phone number of every tow company with a written towing agreement for the property. It may add that a citation can also be issued. Without signs, a tow is allowed only 96 hours after a parking ticket, 24 hours after police are told about a car missing major parts, or from a single-family home lot. Free customer lots open to the public can't tow within one hour of parking, except for fire hydrants, fire lanes, blocked entrances or exits and disabled spaces, and this one-hour rule doesn't apply to residential lots. Towing from a disabled space takes its own sign of the same size, either at the space or at each entrance, saying unauthorized cars will be towed at the owner's expense and giving the reclaim address and police phone number. On top of the signs, the owner or agent has to give the tow company a written, signed authorization for each tow and be on site to confirm the violation, except at rentals of 15 or fewer units with no onsite staff where a tenant's signed request is used. Tow companies can't hold blanket authority except for fire lanes, hydrants and blocked entrances, which require a written agreement. The owner has to call police within one hour of authorizing a tow. Skipping the sign or authorization rules can make the property owner liable for double the towing and storage charges. A tow company can't pay the owner for the right to tow.1111214

Related

California cities: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno

Think the tow or the bill was wrong?

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

Questions

Do tow trucks have to release your car if you show up?

In many states the operator must release the car for a drop fee if you arrive before it leaves the property. In others it is up to the company or city ordinance. Check your state below.

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. California Vehicle Code § 22658, removal from private property (official text, Amended by Stats. 2022, ch. 206 (AB 2174), effective Jan. 1, 2023). leginfo blocks automated reads, so it was read from an Internet Archive copy dated 2026-05-13 and matched word for word against the California.Public.Law mirror (Cal. Veh. Code § 22658), California Legislative Information (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov). Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  2. California Vehicle Code § 22651.07, towing and storage fees and access notice (official text, Amended by Stats. 2018, ch. 434 (AB 2392), effective Jan. 1, 2019). leginfo blocks automated reads, so it was read from an Internet Archive copy dated 2026-09-30 and matched word for word against the California.Public.Law mirror (Cal. Veh. Code § 22651.07), California Legislative Information (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov). Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  3. California Vehicle Code § 22651.1, credit card or cash payment (official text, Amended by Stats. 2009, ch. 322 (AB 515), effective Jan. 1, 2010). leginfo blocks automated reads, so it was read from an Internet Archive copy dated 2026-01-10 and matched word for word against the California.Public.Law mirror (Cal. Veh. Code § 22651.1), California Legislative Information (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov). Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  4. California Vehicle Code § 22650, removal as a seizure and agency hearings (official text, Amended by Stats. 2018, ch. 592 (AB 2876), effective Jan. 1, 2019). leginfo blocks automated reads, so it was read from an Internet Archive copy dated 2026-09-30 and matched word for word against the California.Public.Law mirror (Cal. Veh. Code § 22650), California Legislative Information (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov). Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  5. California Vehicle Code § 22852, post-storage hearing (official text, Amended by Stats. 2004, ch. 650, effective Jan. 1, 2005). leginfo blocks automated reads, so it was read from an Internet Archive copy dated 2026-09-30 and matched word for word against the California.Public.Law mirror (Cal. Veh. Code § 22852), California Legislative Information (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov). Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  6. California Vehicle Code § 22853, notice when owner is unknown (official text, Repealed and added by Stats. 1983, ch. 913). leginfo blocks automated reads, so it was read from an Internet Archive copy dated 2025-05-20 and matched word for word against the California.Public.Law mirror (Cal. Veh. Code § 22853), California Legislative Information (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov). Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  7. California Vehicle Code § 22851, garage lien and personal property (official text, Amended by Stats. 2001, ch. 127, effective July 30, 2001). leginfo blocks automated reads, so it was read from an Internet Archive copy dated 2026-04-26 and matched word for word against the California.Public.Law mirror (Cal. Veh. Code § 22851), California Legislative Information (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov). Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  8. California Vehicle Code § 22850.3, release on proof of registration (official text, Amended by Stats. 1994, ch. 1220, effective Sept. 30, 1994). leginfo blocks automated reads, so it was read from an Internet Archive copy dated 2025-05-08 and matched word for word against the California.Public.Law mirror (Cal. Veh. Code § 22850.3), California Legislative Information (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov). Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  9. California Vehicle Code § 22850.5, local release procedures and administrative charges (official text, Amended by Stats. 2015, ch. 740 (AB 281), effective Jan. 1, 2016). leginfo blocks automated reads, so it was read from an Internet Archive copy dated 2026-09-18 and matched word for word against the California.Public.Law mirror (Cal. Veh. Code § 22850.5), California Legislative Information (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov). Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  10. California Vehicle Code § 22524.5, reasonable towing and storage fees after accidents and stolen recoveries (official text, Amended by Stats. 2025, ch. 345 (AB 987), effective Jan. 1, 2026). leginfo blocks automated reads, so it was read from an Internet Archive copy dated 2026-09-30 and matched word for word against the California.Public.Law mirror (Cal. Veh. Code § 22524.5), California Legislative Information (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov). Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  11. California Vehicle Code § 22953, one-hour rule for free public lots (official text, Amended by Stats. 2006, ch. 609, effective Jan. 1, 2007). leginfo blocks automated reads, so it was read from an Internet Archive copy dated 2025-06-01 and matched word for word against the California.Public.Law mirror (Cal. Veh. Code § 22953), California Legislative Information (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov). Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  12. California Vehicle Code § 22511.8, disabled parking spaces and tow-away signs (official text, Amended by Stats. 2009, ch. 200 (SB 734), effective Jan. 1, 2010). leginfo blocks automated reads, so it was read from an Internet Archive copy dated 2025-10-14 and matched word for word against the California.Public.Law mirror (Cal. Veh. Code § 22511.8), California Legislative Information (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov). Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  13. California Civil Code § 3068.1, towing and storage lien (official text, Amended by Stats. 2010, ch. 566 (AB 519), effective Jan. 1, 2011). leginfo blocks automated reads, so it was read from an Internet Archive copy dated 2025-07-14 and matched word for word against the California.Public.Law mirror (Cal. Civ. Code § 3068.1), California Legislative Information (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov). Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  14. California Civil Code § 3070, improper towing to create a lien (official text, Amended by Stats. 1994, ch. 799, effective Jan. 1, 1995). leginfo blocks automated reads, so it was read from an Internet Archive copy dated 2025-08-22 and matched word for word against the California.Public.Law mirror (Cal. Civ. Code § 3070), California Legislative Information (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov). Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  15. California Civil Code § 3071, lien sale of vehicles worth over $4,000 (official text, Amended by Stats. 2001, ch. 127, effective July 30, 2001). leginfo blocks automated reads, so it was read from an Internet Archive copy dated 2025-04-02 and matched word for word against the California.Public.Law mirror (Cal. Civ. Code § 3071), California Legislative Information (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov). Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  16. California Civil Code § 3072, lien sale of vehicles worth $4,000 or less (official text, Amended by Stats. 2001, ch. 127, effective July 30, 2001). leginfo blocks automated reads, so it was read from an Internet Archive copy dated 2025-04-05 and matched word for word against the California.Public.Law mirror (Cal. Civ. Code § 3072), California Legislative Information (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov). Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  17. SFMTA Towed Vehicles, summary of fees, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  18. Sacramento Police Department, Towed Vehicles, City of Sacramento. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  19. Daly City Police, Vehicle Releases, City of Daly City. Checked Nov 14, 2026.