Massachusetts towing laws
Massachusetts caps what you can be charged for police-ordered tows and tows from private property.
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The Department of Public Utilities sets the tow cap (132 dollars for a car, up to five miles) and state law caps storage of a passenger car at 35 dollars per 24 hours. A private-property tow is only allowed after the property owner notifies the local police, and a tower who skips the rules must give the car back free.
Checked Nov 14, 2026 · Regulator: Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, Transportation Oversight Division
At a glance
Fee limits
Towed from a private lotApartments, stores, businesses
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Drop fee (car released before it leaves the lot)1No more than half the usual towing fee. | Up to 50% of the tow fee |
Any kind of tow
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
Police-ordered or private-property tow, passenger car (up to five miles)14DetailsMaximum for any day or time. Includes the first hour of service or waiting time. Applies to police-ordered tows and trespass tows from private property. | Up to $132 |
Mileage beyond five miles, passenger car4DetailsOnly for each mile over the first five. Mileage is counted round trip from the tow company garage. | Up to $4.40 / mile |
Daily storage, passenger car (police-ordered or private-property tow)12DetailsCap is for a lit, fenced lot with a barrier at least six feet high. Other outdoor lots may charge only half, so 17.50 dollars. | Up to $35 / day |
Trucks and heavy vehicles (1 fees)
| Fee | Amount | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
Police-ordered or trespass tow, commercial vehicle (up to five miles)5DetailsBasic tow cap only. Recovery work on a commercial vehicle is priced by the tow company. Mileage over five miles is capped at 6.60 dollars per mile. | Up to $132 | All tows · Heavy trucks |
Local rates. Cities and towns may set their own maximum tow rate for police-ordered tows, but it cannot be higher than the state cap. A fuel surcharge set monthly by the Department of Public Utilities may be added in some months.
What will I owe in Massachusetts?
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Your rights: drop fee, belongings, hearing
Release for a drop feeIf you reach the car before it is towed away
If you get back to your car before the tow from private property is finished, the tower may charge you no more than half its usual towing fee.1
Owner noticeWhat the tower must tell you or police
Before a car is towed from private property, the person in control of the property must notify the local police chief (in Boston, the police commissioner), usually in writing, with the car's plate, where it is going and who is towing it. Police-ordered accident tows require the garage to notify the registered owner by registered mail.13
Storage rules
Storage of a passenger car after a police-ordered or private-property tow is capped at 35 dollars per 24 hours at a lit, fenced lot, and half that at other outdoor lots. The lot has a lien and may sell an unclaimed car after notice, generally starting 60 days after it arrives.23
What to bringTo get the car released
The tower may hold the car until the registered owner pays the removal and storage charges. If the tower did not follow the private-property towing rules, it must release the car with no towing or storage charges.1
Tow-away signsRequired on private lots
A car can be towed from private property only if the driver was told not to park there, either directly or by a posted notice. The state law does not spell out sign size or wording.1
Not verified Get your belongings out, Right to a hearing, Payment they must take. We have not confirmed these in Massachusetts law yet. Why
Other deadlines
- Claim the car before a lien sale: If an accident-tow car is not claimed within 60 days, the garage can send a registered letter saying it will be sold if not claimed within 21 days.3
By situation
Massachusetts cities
Think the tow or the bill was wrong?
Ask the lot for an itemized receipt, compare it to the legal limits in Massachusetts, 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 Massachusetts?
Yes. Police-ordered or private-property tow, passenger car (up to five miles): up to $132. Drop fee: up to Unknown. Storage: $35 per day.
Does a tow truck have to release my car in Massachusetts if I get there first?
If you get back to your car before the tow from private property is finished, the tower may charge you no more than half its usual towing fee.
Sources
Last checked Nov 14, 2026. Fees and rules change: confirm with the lot or agency before you go. Spot an error? Tell us.
- Removal of vehicles from private ways or property (M.G.L. c. 266, § 120D), Massachusetts Legislature. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Maximum charges for towing and storage ordered by police (M.G.L. c. 159B, § 6B), Massachusetts Legislature. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Storage of vehicles removed from accident scenes, notice and sale (M.G.L. c. 255, § 39A), Massachusetts Legislature. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Maximum charges for passenger automobiles (as amended eff. 12/13/2023) (220 CMR 272.03), Department of Public Utilities (text via Cornell LII). Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Maximum charges for commercial motor vehicles (as amended eff. 12/13/2023) (220 CMR 272.04), Department of Public Utilities (text via Cornell LII). Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- 220 CMR 272.00 (2017 version, superseded rates) in Vermont AG compendium (220 CMR 272.00), Vermont Attorney General. Checked Nov 14, 2026. Secondary source.