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Towed from your apartment complex in North Carolina

In the counties and cities listed in G.S. 20-219.2 (including Mecklenburg, Wake, Guilford, Forsyth, Durham and Fayetteville), private lots need signs at least 24 by 24 inches at every entrance with the towing company's name and phone number. Towing under that law can start 72 hours after the signs go up.

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

What to do now

  1. Call the property office or check the tow-away sign at the lot entrance. It must name the tow company and its phone number in most states.
  2. Call the tow company to confirm they have the car, the address of the storage lot and the total due.
  3. Photograph the signs, your permit or sticker and where you were parked before anything changes.
  4. Get your car out quickly. Storage is charged by the day.
  5. Ask for an itemized receipt and compare it to your state limits.
  6. If the tow broke your lease or the state rules, write to the property manager and request a hearing if your state offers one.

North Carolina rules that matter here

Tow-away signs

In the counties and cities listed in G.S. 20-219.2 (including Mecklenburg, Wake, Guilford, Forsyth, Durham and Fayetteville), private lots need signs at least 24 by 24 inches at every entrance with the towing company's name and phone number. Towing under that law can start 72 hours after the signs go up.1

Notice

When a car is towed at the request of someone other than the owner, the tower must call the local police before moving it and give the car description, where it was towed from and where it is stored. This does not apply to police tows or to tows from posted lots under G.S. 20-219.2. For police-ordered tows the agency must notify the registered owner within 24 hours, or 72 hours for out-of-state cars.24

Drop fee release

North Carolina law has no rule that a tower must release a car for a drop fee before it is towed away. Charlotte once banned fees for an unfinished tow, but police stopped enforcing that after the 2014 King v. Chapel Hill ruling.178

Personal belongings

No state law gives you a right to get belongings out of a towed car without paying. Charlotte once banned fees for getting property out, but police stopped enforcing that after the 2014 King v. Chapel Hill ruling.158

Hearing to contest the tow

For police-ordered tows the owner can file a written request with the magistrate in the county where the car was towed, and the magistrate must set a hearing within 72 hours. If there was no probable cause for the tow, the tower's lien ends. For any tow, the owner can sue to contest the lien and get the car back by paying the claimed amount into court.236

Payment

No statewide rule on accepted payment methods was found. For police-ordered tows the owner can get the car back by paying the towing fee or posting a bond for double the fee. In Charlotte, private-lot towers and their storage lots must take cash, at least two major credit cards, and any debit card.38

Related

North Carolina cities: Charlotte

Think the tow or the bill was wrong?

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

Questions

Can my apartment tow my car without warning?

In many states yes, if proper tow-away signs are posted at each entrance. Some states and leases require a warning sticker first for things like expired tags. Check your state rules and your lease.

Who do I call if my car was towed from my apartment?

Start with the tow company named on the posted sign or the property office. In Houston and Harris County you can also search FindMyTowedCar. Police usually get a report of private tows within a few hours.

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. G.S. 20-219.2 Removal of unauthorized vehicles from private lots (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-219.2), North Carolina General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  2. G.S. 20-219.11 Notice and probable cause hearing (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-219.11), North Carolina General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  3. G.S. 20-219.12 Option to pay or post bond (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-219.12), North Carolina General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  4. G.S. 20-219.20 Requirement to give notice of vehicle towing (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-219.20), North Carolina General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  5. G.S. 44A-2 Persons entitled to lien on personal property (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 44A-2(d)), North Carolina General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  6. G.S. 44A-4 Enforcement of lien by sale (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 44A-4), North Carolina General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  7. King v. Town of Chapel Hill, 367 N.C. 400 (2014) (367 N.C. 400, 758 S.E.2d 364 (2014)), Supreme Court of North Carolina (via Caselaw Access Project). Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  8. CMPD Local Ordinances (towing and booting, with enforcement notice after King v. Chapel Hill) (Charlotte City Code secs. 6-563 to 6-565), Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  9. Towed and Stored Vehicles, Vehicle Search, North Carolina State Highway Patrol. Checked Nov 14, 2026.