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Indiana towing laws

Indiana does not set one dollar price for a tow.

More about Indiana

Since July 2025, police tows follow the rates of the police agency or the state police district, and private-lot tows follow the property owner's towing contract or those same police rates. Total storage on an abandoned vehicle is capped at 2,000 dollars, and you can get the car back during a fee dispute by paying 75 percent and bonding the rest.

Checked Nov 14, 2026

At a glance

Tow fee limitSet locallyNo state dollar amount.Storage per dayNot verifiedWe could not confirm a statewide figure.Release if you get there first?Not verifiedNot in the law we checked yet.Get your belongings?PartlyThe lot may not charge a fee to inspect the car or take items out of it.Deadline to contest30 daysCalendar days from release.Must take card?Cash onlyThey must accept: cash, check, insurance.
  1. Find the carLookups for Indianapolis
  2. Check the billFee calculator
  3. Contest itWithin 30 days

Fee limits

Towed from a private lotApartments, stores, businesses

FeeAmount
Private-property tow, light vehicle6
DetailsNo state dollar amount. The tow company must charge the rate in its contract with the property owner, or if there is no contract, the local police or state police district rate.
Set by city or county

Police-ordered towsParking tickets, no insurance, arrests

FeeAmount
Police-ordered tow, light vehicle6
DetailsSet by the local police agency, or by the state police district rate if the local agency has none.
Set by city or county

Any kind of tow

FeeAmount
Total storage charge, abandoned vehicle1
DetailsTotal cap on storage costs for a vehicle handled as abandoned. The cap is 2,500 dollars for vehicles 30 feet or longer.
Up to $2,000
Daily storageNo daily dollar cap confirmed. Fees must be reasonable.Not verified

Local rates. Police agencies and state police districts set the tow and storage rates that apply to police tows, and those rates also apply to private-lot tows where the property owner has no towing contract.

What will I owe in Indiana?

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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

Partly

Get your belongings outWithout paying the tow first

The lot may not charge a fee to inspect the car or take items out of it. We have not confirmed whether personal items must be released before you pay.56

Yes

Right to a hearingTo contest the tow

If you think the bill is unreasonable, you can file a complaint with the Indiana Attorney General, pay 75 percent of the invoice, and post a bond for the rest to get the car within 24 hours. You must then file a civil case within 30 days and a judge decides the fair amount.6

Yes

Payment they must take

The lot must accept cash, certified check, insurance check or money order. Credit and debit cards are optional.2

Partly

Owner noticeWhat the tower must tell you or police

If the local police require it, the tow company must notify them within 2 hours after towing a car from a commercial lot. Within 3 business days the tow company must search a national title database to find the owner and follow the state notice rules.34

Yes

Storage rules

No storage fee may be charged for any day the lot does not let you inspect or pick up the car during regular office hours. Total storage on an abandoned vehicle is capped.15

Yes

What to bringTo get the car released

A properly identified owner or lienholder who pays the tow, storage and allowed fees must get the car back during regular office hours, with an itemized receipt. The lot must return calls within 24 hours.25

Not verified Release for a drop fee, Tow-away signs. We have not confirmed these in Indiana law yet. Why

Indiana cities

Think the tow or the bill was wrong?

Ask the lot for an itemized receipt, compare it to the legal limits in Indiana, 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 Indiana?

Police agencies and state police districts set the tow and storage rates that apply to police tows, and those rates also apply to private-lot tows where the property owner has no towing contract.

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

The lot may not charge a fee to inspect the car or take items out of it. We have not confirmed whether personal items must be released before you pay.

How do I contest a tow in Indiana?

If you think the bill is unreasonable, you can file a complaint with the Indiana Attorney General, pay 75 percent of the invoice, and post a bond for the rest to get the car within 24 hours. You must then file a civil case within 30 days and a judge decides the fair amount.

What payment do tow lots have to accept in Indiana?

The lot must accept cash, certified check, insurance check or money order. Credit and debit cards are optional.

Sources

Last checked Nov 14, 2026. Fees and rules change: confirm with the lot or agency before you go. Spot an error? Tell us.

  1. Indiana Code 9-22-1-4, abandoned vehicle costs and storage cap (Ind. Code § 9-22-1-4), Justia (copy of Indiana Code). Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  2. Indiana Code 9-22-1-8, release of stored vehicle and payment (Ind. Code § 9-22-1-8), Justia (copy of Indiana Code). Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  3. Indiana Code 24-14-4-5, notice to law enforcement (Ind. Code § 24-14-4-5), Justia (copy of Indiana Code). Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  4. Indiana Code 24-14-6-1, owner search after tow (Ind. Code § 24-14-6-1), Justia (copy of Indiana Code). Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  5. Indiana Code 24-14-9-2, prohibited acts by towing companies (Ind. Code § 24-14-9-2), Justia (copy of Indiana Code). Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  6. HEA 1390 (2025) conference committee report, towing rate and release provisions (Ind. Code §§ 9-22-1-8, 24-14-5-2, 24-14-8-1 as amended eff. July 1, 2025), Indiana General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.