Montana towing laws
Montana has no statewide maximum towing or storage rates.
More about Montana
A tower may hold the car only for the reasonable cost of towing and storage, and it cannot keep items like wallets, IDs, prescriptions, cash, cards or child safety seats. To sell a car for unpaid charges the tower needs a court order, and for police-held abandoned cars you cannot be charged more than 90 days of storage.
At a glance
Fee limits
Towed from a private lotApartments, stores, businesses
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
Private-property tow, light vehicle6DetailsNo state rate. The lien law lets the tower hold the car only for the reasonable cost of the tow. | No state cap |
Any kind of tow
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
Daily storage, light vehicle56DetailsNo daily dollar cap. The lien covers only the reasonable cost of storage. For abandoned vehicles held by police, storage charges are limited to 90 days in total. | No state cap |
What will I owe in Montana?
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Type what the lot charged for each line. We flag anything above a confirmed legal cap.
Your rights: drop fee, belongings, hearing
Release for a drop feeIf you reach the car before it is towed away
Montana has no statewide drop fee rule. The state tow truck law covers Highway Patrol rotation tows and does not require release before the car is towed away.8
Get your belongings outWithout paying the tow first
If the owner was uninsured or no insurance claim was filed, the tow lien can cover belongings in the car. It never covers food, prescriptions, original IDs and documents, cash, cards and checkbooks, personal or business records, child safety items, wallets or purses.6
Right to a hearingTo contest the tow
Complaints about the Highway Patrol rotation system go in writing to the state tow truck complaint resolution committee. There is no tow hearing for private tows, but a tow company that wants to sell your car for unpaid charges must get a court order, and you can object at that court hearing.27
Payment they must take
For a police-requested tow from a road, the car is not released until the owner, lienholder or insurer pays the towing and storage costs. The law does not say which payment types must be accepted.3
Owner noticeWhat the tower must tell you or police
For a wrecked or disabled car towed from a road at police request, the rotation tow company must send a certified letter to the owner or lienholder within 15 days. For abandoned vehicles, police must make reasonable efforts to find and notify the owner.34
Storage rules
Rotation tow companies must have a secure lot that is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays except holidays. For an abandoned vehicle held by police, the person reclaiming it cannot be charged storage for more than 90 days.15
What to bringTo get the car released
To reclaim an abandoned vehicle held by police, you must show the sheriff or city police proof of ownership or right to possession and pay the removal and storage costs.5
Other deadlines
- Tow company can take the title: For a police-requested tow from a road, if towing and storage are not paid within 30 days after the certified letter is postmarked, the tow company can ask the state to put the car's title in its name.3
- Tow company can ask a court to sell the car: If towing or storage charges are unpaid 30 days after the work, the tow company can ask a court to order the car sold. You must be mailed the court order at least 21 days before the hearing, and you can contest the sale there.7
Think the tow or the bill was wrong?
Ask the lot for an itemized receipt, compare it to the legal limits in Montana, 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 Montana?
Montana has no statewide cap on the main towing fees. Cities and counties may set their own.
Does a tow truck have to release my car in Montana if I get there first?
Montana has no statewide drop fee rule. The state tow truck law covers Highway Patrol rotation tows and does not require release before the car is towed away.
Can I get my belongings out of a towed car in Montana?
If the owner was uninsured or no insurance claim was filed, the tow lien can cover belongings in the car. It never covers food, prescriptions, original IDs and documents, cash, cards and checkbooks, personal or business records, child safety items, wallets or purses.
How do I contest a tow in Montana?
Complaints about the Highway Patrol rotation system go in writing to the state tow truck complaint resolution committee. There is no tow hearing for private tows, but a tow company that wants to sell your car for unpaid charges must get a court order, and you can object at that court hearing.
What payment do tow lots have to accept in Montana?
For a police-requested tow from a road, the car is not released until the owner, lienholder or insurer pays the towing and storage costs. The law does not say which payment types must be accepted.
Sources
Last checked Nov 15, 2026. Fees and rules change: confirm with the lot or agency before you go. Spot an error? Tell us.
- MCA 61-8-906 Liability insurance and storage requirements for tow trucks (Mont. Code Ann. § 61-8-906), Montana Legislature. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- MCA 61-8-908 State law enforcement rotation system (Mont. Code Ann. § 61-8-908), Montana Legislature. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- MCA 61-8-913 Notice to owner, payment of removal and storage costs (Mont. Code Ann. § 61-8-913), Montana Legislature. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- MCA 61-12-402 Abandoned vehicles, notice to owner (Mont. Code Ann. § 61-12-402), Montana Legislature. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- MCA 61-12-403 Abandoned vehicles, reclaiming vehicle (Mont. Code Ann. § 61-12-403), Montana Legislature. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- MCA 71-3-1201 Towing and storage lien, personal property in the vehicle (Mont. Code Ann. § 71-3-1201), Montana Legislature. Checked Nov 15, 2026.
- MCA 71-3-1203 Enforcement of lien, sale (Mont. Code Ann. § 71-3-1203), Montana Legislature. Checked Nov 15, 2026.
- MCA Title 61, ch. 8, part 9 Montana Professional Tow Truck Act (section list) (Mont. Code Ann. §§ 61-8-901 to 61-8-920), Montana Legislature. Checked Nov 15, 2026.
- MCA 61-12-401 Abandoned vehicles, taking vehicle into custody (Mont. Code Ann. § 61-12-401), Montana Legislature. Checked Nov 15, 2026.