West Virginia towing laws

The West Virginia Public Service Commission regulates the rates for tows done without the owner's consent, including private-property tows.

More about West Virginia

Its statewide maximum schedule from 2021 bills light-duty non-accident tows by the hour at up to $102 an hour and caps outside storage for cars at $27 a day. A tow company with its own PSC-approved tariff charges under that tariff instead.

Checked Nov 14, 2026 · Regulator: Public Service Commission of West Virginia, Transportation Division

Tow fee limit$102Most they can charge. For a private-lot tow, car or SUV.Storage per day$27 / dayMost they can charge. Car or SUV.Release if you get there first?YesIf the car is hooked or loaded but has not left the property, and you show the key and drive it away right…Get your belongings?YesDuring normal business hours you can get personal items that are not attached to the car without paying…Right to a hearingYesYou can file a complaint with the Public Service Commission.Payment rulesNot verifiedNot confirmed yet.

Fee limits

Towed from a private lotApartments, stores, businesses

Fee	Amount
Non-accident tow (private property, disabled, traffic violation), 7,000 lb or less1 Details PSC maximum statewide rate from Case No. 20-0796-MC-GI (2021). Billed from start of the tow to the end, rounded to the nearest quarter hour. Applies to operators without their own approved tariff.	Up to $102 / hour

After a crash

Fee	Amount
Accident and recovery tow, 7,000 lb or less1	Up to $160 / hour

Any kind of tow

Fee	Amount
Outside storage, cars and trucks 7,000 lb or less1 Details No storage for the day the car arrives if picked up before close of business. Inside storage ($37) only applies if the owner or police asked for it.	Up to $27 / day
Gate or reopen fee after hours1Only when the lot is closed and staff must come in. You must be told about it in advance.	Up to $50
Drop fee (car hooked but not yet moved off the property)1 Details Capped at half of the minimum charge in the tow company tariff. The dollar amount depends on that tariff and was not confirmed.	Not verified

Trucks and heavy vehicles (1 fees)

Fee	Amount	Applies to
Non-accident tow, 7,001 to 10,000 lb1	Up to $138 / hour	Private lot (apartment, store) · Medium trucks

What will I owe in West Virginia?

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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 is hooked or loaded but has not left the property, and you show the key and drive it away right then, the tow charge cannot be more than half the minimum charge in the tariff.1

Yes

Get your belongings outWithout paying the tow first

During normal business hours you can get personal items that are not attached to the car without paying any part of the tow bill, unless police have a hold on the car.1 2

Yes

Right to a hearingTo contest the tow

You can file a complaint with the Public Service Commission. In a formal complaint about a third-party tow, the tow company has to prove its charges are fair and reasonable.2 3

Yes

Owner noticeWhat the tower must tell you or police

The tow company must mail an itemized invoice to the registered owner within 15 days of the tow for a West Virginia car, or 30 days for an out-of-state car.2

Yes

Storage rules

Storage starts the day after the car arrives and is charged per 24-hour period. If the lot refuses to release the car in the evening, on a weekend or holiday, it cannot charge storage for those days.1

Partly

What to bringTo get the car released

The invoice must list every charge, the tariff rates used, and the storage lot's address and hours, and must say rates are regulated by the PSC.2

Not verified Payment they must take, Tow-away signs. We have not confirmed these in West Virginia law yet. Why

Think the tow or the bill was wrong?

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

Yes. Non-accident tow (private property, disabled, traffic violation), 7,000 lb or less: up to $102. Storage: $27 per day.

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

If the car is hooked or loaded but has not left the property, and you show the key and drive it away right then, the tow charge cannot be more than half the minimum charge in the tariff.

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

During normal business hours you can get personal items that are not attached to the car without paying any part of the tow bill, unless police have a hold on the car.

How do I contest a tow in West Virginia?

You can file a complaint with the Public Service Commission. In a formal complaint about a third-party tow, the tow company has to prove its charges are fair and reasonable.

What payment do tow lots have to accept in West Virginia?

Not confirmed yet. The PSC schedule lets the company pass through the actual card or electronic payment processing cost if told in advance.

Sources

Last checked Nov 14, 2026. Fees and rules change: confirm with the lot or agency before you go. Spot an error? Tell us.

Maximum Statewide Wrecker Rates (Case No. 20-0796-MC-GI, order of Sept. 20, 2021), Public Service Commission of West Virginia. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
W. Va. Code R. 150-9-6 Rules applicable to wrecker companies (W. Va. Code R. § 150-9-6), LII copy of PSC rule. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
W. Va. Code 24A-2-2b Rates for towing and storing wrecked or disabled vehicles, complaint process (W. Va. Code § 24A-2-2b), West Virginia Legislature. Checked Nov 14, 2026.