Virginia towing laws
Virginia caps the hookup and first tow of a passenger car towed without the owner's consent at $210, plus up to two $30 night, weekend, or holiday add-ons, and bans storage charges for the first 24 hours.
More about Virginia
Cities and counties can set lower caps and their own rules, and most of Northern Virginia does. There is no state towing regulator and no statewide tow hearing.
At a glance
Fee limits
Towed from a private lotApartments, stores, businesses
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
Hookup and initial tow, passenger car towed without consent12DetailsStatewide maximum unless a local ordinance sets different limits. In Northern Virginia (Planning District 8) and the Fredericksburg area (Planning District 16), the local cap must be at least $135. | Up to $210 |
Night, weekend, or holiday tow add-on12DetailsFor tows between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m. or on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday. No more than two add-ons per tow, so $60 at most. | Up to $30 |
Fee if you move the car before it is towed away3DetailsState default. A city, county, or town may set a different limit by ordinance, and some Northern Virginia localities allow more. | Up to $25 |
Boot (immobilizer) removal3DetailsState default. A locality may set a different limit by ordinance. The boot must not damage the car. | Up to $25 |
Police-ordered towsParking tickets, no insurance, arrests
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
Police-requested tow7DetailsLocalities may regulate police tows by ordinance or contract, and the contract may set the fees owners pay. | Set by city or county |
Any kind of tow
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
Daily storage after the first 24 hours13DetailsNo storage may be charged for the first 24 hours. After that, state law sets no dollar cap and only requires a reasonable fee, but localities may set one. | Set by city or county |
Administrative or notification fee1DetailsNo other fees may be charged during the first 24 hours. After that, the state sets no cap, but several localities do. | Set by city or county |
| Tow of a vehicle that is not a passenger car (trucks, heavy vehicles)12The $210 state cap covers passenger cars only. Localities may cap larger vehicles. | Set by city or county |
Local rates. Any Virginia county, city, or town may set limits on trespass tow fees and storage, and must get advice from a towing advisory board of police, tow operators, and members of the public first. Localities in Planning Districts 8 and 16 must set a hookup fee between $135 and $210. If a car is towed from one locality to another, the rules of the place it was towed from apply. Some Northern Virginia localities, such as the City of Fairfax, Manassas, Manassas Park, and Loudoun County, do not set their own fees, so the state caps apply there.
Fairfax County
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Trespass tow, passenger car or GVWR 7,500 lb or less13 | Up to $210 |
| Trespass tow, GVWR 7,501 to 10,000 lb13 | Up to $305 |
| Trespass tow, GVWR over 10,000 lb13 | Up to $610 |
| Night (7 p.m. to 8 a.m.) or weekend and holiday add-on13$60 total at most per tow. | Up to $30 |
| Storage, each 24 hours after the first 2413Vehicles over 22 feet long can be charged $5 per foot per day. | Up to $61 / day |
Administrative fee13DetailsOnly after the tower has held the car three full business days and notified the owner or lienholder. | Up to $92 |
| Drop fee before the car leaves the property13 | Up to $80 |
City of Alexandria
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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 are there and move your car before it is actually towed, it may not be towed. You can be charged a reasonable fee of no more than $25, unless your locality sets a different limit.3
Get your belongings outWithout paying the tow first
A tower's lien does not cover personal property that is not part of the car. The tower must let you get your belongings out, but you must claim them at least two business days before any auction date. State law does not say the access must be free, and it does not set hours.11
Right to a hearingTo contest the tow
Virginia has no statewide tow hearing process. For tows from Northern Virginia (Planning District 8), a tower that breaks the state towing rules or a local towing ordinance faces a civil penalty of 10 times what it charged, collected by the Attorney General and paid to the person towed. Many Northern Virginia localities also take towing complaints.6
Payment they must take
For police-requested tows, the tower must release the car when you pay in full by cash, insurance company check, certified check, money order, or at least one of two major credit cards. If it refuses, further storage charges stop. State law sets no payment rule for private-property tows, but some localities do.713
Owner noticeWhat the tower must tell you or police
The tow operator must report a trespass tow right away to the State Police or local police where the car was towed from. If it does not, it can charge no more than one day of storage. There is no statewide deadline for mailing the owner a letter, but before a lot can sell the car the DMV sends the owner and lienholder notice. At apartment complexes, a resident's car cannot be towed for expired registration or inspection until 48 hours after a dated warning is posted on it.341112
Storage rules
No storage may be charged for the first 24 hours, and no other fees may be added in that time beyond those allowed by state or local law. Towers must post or hand you a full list of their fees, and they cannot collect more than the posted amounts. A locality may also bar storage charges for days the lot was closed and you could not get your car.135
Tow-away signsRequired on private lots
A lot owner may have a car towed or booted only if signs are posted at all entrances that clearly and conspicuously say cars parked without permission will be removed, towed, or immobilized. At a minimum the signs must give the local police non-emergency number or the tow company's number for finding towed cars. In a locality with its own towing ordinance, the local sign rules apply instead, and many Northern Virginia counties have them. At apartment lots, the tower must post a dated 48-hour warning on a resident's car before towing for expired registration or inspection and send a copy to the landlord.3413
Not verified What to bring. We have not confirmed these in Virginia law yet. Why
Other deadlines
- Reclaim the car after the DMV lien notice: Within 7 business days of taking the car, the tower must check DMV records for the owner and any lienholder. The owner or lienholder then has 10 business days from the DMV's notice to reclaim the car by paying what is owed.1112
- Reclaim before a lien sale: To sell the car, the tower tells the DMV it intends to sell. The DMV sends a certified letter giving the owner and lienholder 15 days to reclaim the car and pay the debt. The sale date must be at least 21 days after the tower's notice to the DMV. Cars worth up to $12,500 can be sold at public auction, and pricier cars need a court order.12
- Claim money left over from a sale: If the car sells for more than the debt and sale costs, the owner can claim the surplus within 30 days after the sale. After that, the tower may keep it.12
- Get personal items before an auction: Personal belongings must be claimed and picked up at least two business days before the auction date.11
- Reclaim an abandoned car: For a car handled as abandoned, the DMV mails the owner and lienholder a certified notice giving 15 days to reclaim and remove it. After that, their rights to the car are waived.10
- Stolen car released free: If your car was stolen and then towed, you do not pay towing and storage if you remove it within five business days after getting a certified-mail notice. Bring the police report number and agency name plus registration or other proof of ownership.8
By situation
Think the tow or the bill was wrong?
Ask the lot for an itemized receipt, compare it to the legal limits in Virginia, 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 Virginia?
Yes. Hookup and initial tow, passenger car towed without consent: up to $210. Drop fee: up to $25.
Does a tow truck have to release my car in Virginia if I get there first?
If you are there and move your car before it is actually towed, it may not be towed. You can be charged a reasonable fee of no more than $25, unless your locality sets a different limit.
Can I get my belongings out of a towed car in Virginia?
A tower's lien does not cover personal property that is not part of the car. The tower must let you get your belongings out, but you must claim them at least two business days before any auction date. State law does not say the access must be free, and it does not set hours.
How do I contest a tow in Virginia?
Virginia has no statewide tow hearing process. For tows from Northern Virginia (Planning District 8), a tower that breaks the state towing rules or a local towing ordinance faces a civil penalty of 10 times what it charged, collected by the Attorney General and paid to the person towed. Many Northern Virginia localities also take towing complaints.
What payment do tow lots have to accept in Virginia?
For police-requested tows, the tower must release the car when you pay in full by cash, insurance company check, certified check, money order, or at least one of two major credit cards. If it refuses, further storage charges stop. State law sets no payment rule for private-property tows, but some localities do.
Sources
Last checked Nov 14, 2026. Fees and rules change: confirm with the lot or agency before you go. Spot an error? Tell us.
- Limitation on charges for towing and storage of certain vehicles (Va. Code § 46.2-1233.1), Virginia General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Localities may regulate towing fees (Va. Code § 46.2-1233), Virginia General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Ticketing, removal, or immobilization of trespassing vehicles (Va. Code § 46.2-1231), Virginia General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Localities may regulate removal or immobilization of trespassing vehicles (Va. Code § 46.2-1232), Virginia General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Towing advisory board (Va. Code § 46.2-1233.2), Virginia General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Improper towing, penalty (Va. Code § 46.2-1233.3), Virginia General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Local governing body may regulate certain towing (Va. Code § 46.2-1217), Virginia General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Unattended or immobile vehicles, generally (Va. Code § 46.2-1209), Virginia General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Removal and disposition of unattended or immobile vehicles, local ordinances (Va. Code § 46.2-1213), Virginia General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Search for owner and secured party, notice (abandoned vehicles) (Va. Code § 46.2-1202), Virginia General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Lien of keeper of vehicles (Va. Code § 46.2-644.01), Virginia General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Enforcement of liens acquired under §§ 46.2-644.01 and 46.2-644.02 (Va. Code § 46.2-644.03), Virginia General Assembly. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Trespass Towing (fees under Fairfax County Code § 82-5-32) (Fairfax County Code § 82-5-32), Fairfax County Department of Cable and Consumer Services. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Towing Advisory Board: City's Towing Fee Analysis (March 19, 2026), City of Alexandria. Checked Nov 14, 2026.