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Tennessee towing laws

Tennessee's MOTION Act of 2025 says a tower may not charge more for a nonconsent tow or storage than the maximum the local Tennessee Highway Patrol district has approved, and caps the release fee at $100.

More about Tennessee

The state does not publish one dollar figure, so limits vary by district, and Nashville sets its own capped private-tow rates. On Highway Patrol tows you can get your belongings out free during business hours, and a tower that breaks the towing rules has no lien on the car.

Checked Nov 15, 2026

At a glance

Tow fee limitSet locallyCapped at the maximum fee approved by the Tennessee Highway Patrol district for the same service.Storage per daySet locallyCapped at the Tennessee Highway Patrol district maximum.Release if you get there first?YesDrop fee up to $100.Get your belongings?PartlyFor tows ordered by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the tow company must hand over personal property and…Deadline to contest20 daysCalendar days from getting the notice.Payment rulesPartlyState law does not list payment types a tow company must take.
  1. Find the carLookups for Nashville, Memphis
  2. Check the billFee calculator
  3. Contest itWithin 20 days

Fee limits

Police-ordered towsParking tickets, no insurance, arrests

FeeAmount
Owner and lienholder notice letters, THP rotation tow4
DetailsPer letter. THP rotation towers may not charge any other administrative or paperwork fee. Storage on these tows starts 24 hours after the tow.
Up to $10

Any kind of tow

FeeAmount
Nonconsent tow (private-property or police), light vehicle1
DetailsCapped at the maximum fee approved by the Tennessee Highway Patrol district for the same service. The district figures were not found in a published source.
Set by city or county
Daily storage after a nonconsent tow1
DetailsCapped at the Tennessee Highway Patrol district maximum. No storage fee may be charged for a day the car is not available for release, unless police placed a hold on it.
Set by city or county
Release fee, nonconsent tow1
DetailsThe tower must release a car it has started to tow if the car has not left its parking spot and the owner pays a release fee. Any release fee on a nonconsent tow is capped at $100.
Up to $100
Gate, access or release fee during business hours on a day storage is charged1Not allowed
Boot removal fee1
DetailsOn top of any parking fees actually owed. Booting is allowed only on commercial or contracted lots with the required signs.
Up to $75

Local rates. Cities can license wreckers and set rates. Nashville sets maximum private-property tow rates, and Memphis posts its police impound fees.

Nashville (Metro Davidson County)
FeeAmount
Private-property tow, under 7,000 lb GVWR3TLC rules dated September 16, 2026. A $55 wrap fee is allowed if the interior is exposed.Up to $210
Private-property tow storage, 7,000 lb GVWR or under3Up to $40 / day
Drop fee before the truck leaves3Up to $100
Memphis (police impound lot)
FeeAmount
Police impound fee at the city Vehicle Storage lot5Winching and other extra services cost more. The lot takes cash and credit cards.$135
Storage at the city Vehicle Storage lot5$30 / day

What will I owe in Tennessee?

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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 the car has not left its parking spot, the tower must release it immediately when the owner pays a release fee. That fee is capped at $100 statewide.1

Partly

Get your belongings outWithout paying the tow first

For tows ordered by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the tow company must hand over personal property and cargo to the owner on request, and may not charge for it during normal business hours. You must show photo ID. State law sets no such rule for private-property tows.14

Partly

Right to a hearingTo contest the tow

No general tow hearing was found in state law. The owner or lienholder can appeal a police finding that a car is abandoned or immobile, and a garagekeeper that refuses to release a car after payment can be sued for costs and attorney's fees.1

Partly

Payment they must take

State law does not list payment types a tow company must take. On tows ordered by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, a card surcharge may not be more than what the company itself pays to accept the card. Paid boots must allow payment by credit or debit card.14

Yes

Owner noticeWhat the tower must tell you or police

If the owner is not present, the tower must report the car's VIN, plate, description, tow location and storage location to the local police within one hour, or to the state's online motor vehicle portal once it is running. Garagekeepers holding an abandoned car must verify the owner and send notice to the owner and lienholders within three business days after getting ownership details.12

Yes

Storage rules

Storage may not be charged for more than 21 days unless the owner and lienholders get notice at least 10 days before the extra charges start, or the owner refuses to pick up a car that is ready. No storage may be charged for days the car is not available for release. A garagekeeper that misses the notice deadlines for an abandoned car can collect no more than six days of storage.1

Partly

What to bringTo get the car released

An insurer or lienholder that shows documents proving its right to the car can get it released by paying the reasonable charges, without the owner's consent.1

Yes

Tow-away signsRequired on private lots

Towing from a lot open to the public requires clearly visible signs at each entrance and exit saying unauthorized cars will be towed, with the tow company's name and phone number. Without signs, a car can still be towed if it has been left more than 12 hours or is blocking access, creating a hazard or parked illegally.1

Other deadlines

By situation

Tennessee cities

Think the tow or the bill was wrong?

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

Cities can license wreckers and set rates. Nashville sets maximum private-property tow rates, and Memphis posts its police impound fees.

Does a tow truck have to release my car in Tennessee if I get there first?

If the car has not left its parking spot, the tower must release it immediately when the owner pays a release fee. That fee is capped at $100 statewide.

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

For tows ordered by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the tow company must hand over personal property and cargo to the owner on request, and may not charge for it during normal business hours. You must show photo ID. State law sets no such rule for private-property tows.

How do I contest a tow in Tennessee?

No general tow hearing was found in state law. The owner or lienholder can appeal a police finding that a car is abandoned or immobile, and a garagekeeper that refuses to release a car after payment can be sued for costs and attorney's fees.

What payment do tow lots have to accept in Tennessee?

State law does not list payment types a tow company must take. On tows ordered by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, a card surcharge may not be more than what the company itself pays to accept the card. Paid boots must allow payment by credit or debit card.

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. Public Chapter 457 of 2025 (SB 1068), MOTION Act creating T.C.A. title 55, chapter 31 (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 55-31-201 to 55-31-305), Tennessee Secretary of State. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  2. Tenn. Code 66-19-103 Garagekeeper liens (2025 code via Justia) (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-19-103), Justia (mirror of the Tennessee Code). Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  3. Metropolitan Transportation Licensing Commission Rules and Procedures (September 16, 2026), Metro Nashville Transportation Licensing Commission. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
  4. Tennessee Highway Patrol Towing Service Standards Manual (revised January 2017, as posted in 2026) (THP Towing Service Standards Manual, sections XIII and XIV), Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Checked Nov 15, 2026.
  5. Vehicle Storage and Release, Memphis Police Department. Checked Nov 15, 2026.