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New Jersey towing laws

New Jersey has no statewide dollar cap on private-property tows.

More about New Jersey

The state lists which services may be charged and treats a fee as presumed unreasonable if it is far above the company's own consent-tow price, other local towers' prices, or a town's ordinance maximum. For police-ordered tows, the company must notify the owner and lienholder within 30 days or storage is capped at $750.

Checked Nov 15, 2026

At a glance

Tow fee limitSet locallyNo statewide number.Storage per daySet locallyNo statewide number.Release if you get there first?YesIf you return while your car is hooked or lifted but not yet moved off the property, the tow company must…Get your belongings?PartlyThere is no written right to retrieve belongings, but the state lists every fee a tow company may charge.Right to a hearingPartlyThere is no tow hearing.Must take card?YesThey must accept: cash, insurance, debit, credit.
  1. Find the carPolice non-emergency line
  2. Check the billFee calculator
  3. Contest itYour rights

Fee limits

Towed from a private lotApartments, stores, businesses

FeeAmount
Private-property tow (basic tow, flat fee)134
DetailsNo statewide number. The fee may not exceed a town's ordinance maximum, and it is presumed unreasonable if it is more than 25 percent above the company's consent-tow price or more than 50 percent above other local towers' nonconsent price.
Set by city or county
Daily storage134
DetailsNo statewide number. Storage is billed by 24-hour periods counted from the time the car arrives, and the same reasonableness test and town maximums apply.
Set by city or county
Decoupling (drop) fee27
DetailsNo dollar cap. The fee must be reasonable and is presumed excessive if it is more than 25 percent above the company's consent-tow decoupling fee or more than 50 percent above other local towers' fee.
No state cap
After-hours or weekend release36
DetailsAllowed as a flat fee. It may not be charged if the company failed to release the car during normal business hours when asked.
No state cap

Police-ordered towsParking tickets, no insurance, arrests

FeeAmount
Total storage if the owner was not notified within 30 days (police-ordered tow)8
DetailsIf the tow company does not notify the driver, owner, leasing company and lienholder within 30 days, it may charge no more than $750 in storage.
Up to $750

Local rates. The state rule (N.J.A.C. 13:45A-31.4) is a list of services that may be charged, not dollar amounts. Municipalities may adopt maximum towing and storage fees by ordinance (N.J.S.A. 40:48-2.49), and a private-property tow fee above the town maximum is presumed unreasonable. We have not yet read a specific town's ordinance.

What will I owe in New Jersey?

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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

Yes

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

If you return while your car is hooked or lifted but not yet moved off the property, the tow company must release it. It may charge only a decoupling fee, and no other fees, unless police ordered the tow for public safety.27

Partly

Get your belongings outWithout paying the tow first

There is no written right to retrieve belongings, but the state lists every fee a tow company may charge. A fee for trips to the car in storage is allowed only after the third trip, and fees not on the list are banned.3

Partly

Right to a hearingTo contest the tow

There is no tow hearing. If a fee is disputed and the Division of Consumer Affairs finds it unreasonable, the Director may order the company to refund the excess with interest.13

Yes

Payment they must take

To release a car from storage the operator must accept cash, an insurance company check, a valid debit card, or a major credit or charge card, with limited exceptions for suspected fraud.1

Partly

Owner noticeWhat the tower must tell you or police

For tows ordered by police, the tow company must notify the driver, owner, leasing company and lienholder within 30 days of the car reaching its lot, or total storage is capped at $750. We found no similar notice deadline for private-lot tows.18

Yes

Storage rules

Storage is charged by full 24-hour periods, so pickup within 24 hours counts as one day. The lot must keep an office open to the public 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at least five days a week and must arrange after-hours release.136

Partly

What to bringTo get the car released

For police-ordered tows, the company may require only reasonable fees under the town's approved fee schedule before it releases the car. If you pay by card, the company may ask for identification.18

Yes

Tow-away signsRequired on private lots

Each vehicle entrance needs a sign at least 36 by 36 inches listing parking rules, the tow company's name, address and phone, tow and storage charges, the storage lot address and hours, and the Division of Consumer Affairs number 1-800-242-5846. Single-family homes, small owner-occupied buildings, and blocked driveways are exempt.15

By situation

Think the tow or the bill was wrong?

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

New Jersey 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 New Jersey if I get there first?

If you return while your car is hooked or lifted but not yet moved off the property, the tow company must release it. It may charge only a decoupling fee, and no other fees, unless police ordered the tow for public safety.

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

There is no written right to retrieve belongings, but the state lists every fee a tow company may charge. A fee for trips to the car in storage is allowed only after the third trip, and fees not on the list are banned.

How do I contest a tow in New Jersey?

There is no tow hearing. If a fee is disputed and the Division of Consumer Affairs finds it unreasonable, the Director may order the company to refund the excess with interest.

What payment do tow lots have to accept in New Jersey?

To release a car from storage the operator must accept cash, an insurance company check, a valid debit card, or a major credit or charge card, with limited exceptions for suspected fraud.

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. Predatory Towing Prevention Act and related statutes (Division of Consumer Affairs compilation, revised 2016) (N.J.S.A. 56:13-4, 56:13-7 to 56:13-23), New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  2. P.L.2018, c.165 (amends the Predatory Towing Prevention Act, decoupling rule) (N.J.S.A. 56:13-16(e)), New Jersey Legislature. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  3. N.J.A.C. 13:45A-31.4 Schedule of non-consensual towing and storage services (N.J.A.C. 13:45A-31.4), LII (New Jersey Administrative Code). Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  4. N.J.A.C. 13:45A-31.5 Unreasonable fees (N.J.A.C. 13:45A-31.5), LII (New Jersey Administrative Code). Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  5. N.J.A.C. 13:45A-31.6 Towing motor vehicles from private property (N.J.A.C. 13:45A-31.6), LII (New Jersey Administrative Code). Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  6. N.J.A.C. 13:45A-31.7 Storage facilities (N.J.A.C. 13:45A-31.7), LII (New Jersey Administrative Code). Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  7. N.J.A.C. 13:45A-31.8 Private property towing practices (N.J.A.C. 13:45A-31.8), LII (New Jersey Administrative Code). Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  8. P.L.2023, c.132 (police-authorized nonconsent tows, notice and storage limit) (N.J.S.A. 56:13-16(i), 2A:44-21), New Jersey Legislature. Checked Nov 15, 2026.