Towing rules for property managers
A tow that breaks the sign or notice rules can cost the property refunds, penalties and angry residents. Here are the sign rules we have confirmed, with the law for each state.
| State | Tow-away sign rules |
|---|---|
| Alabama | State law lets a property owner have an unclaimed car removed after it sits more than 48 hours without consent, but sets no sign rules for private lots. Some cities have their own sign rules. |
| Alaska | State law has no private-lot sign rule. Anchorage requires signs at least 30 by 30 inches with 2-inch letters, posted for at least 24 hours, visible day and night, and showing the tow company phone and address. |
| Arizona | Signs must be readable from anywhere in the lot and at each entrance. They must list the parking rules, what happens to cars that break them, the maximum cost including storage, and a phone number and address to find the car. |
| Arkansas | Local ordinances may require lot signs that list the tow company, the charges, and which payment methods it accepts. The Board can fine companies that break the state sign rules. |
| California | To tow from private property on sign authority, the property needs a sign at every entrance, in plain view. The sign has to be at least 17 by 22 inches with letters at least 1 inch tall. It has to say public parking is prohibited and that cars will be removed at the owner's expense, and list the phone number of the local traffic law enforcement agency plus the name and phone number of every tow company with a written towing agreement for the property. It may add that a citation can also be issued. Without signs, a tow is allowed only 96 hours after a parking ticket, 24 hours after police are told about a car missing major parts, or from a single-family home lot. Free customer lots open to the public can't tow within one hour of parking, except for fire hydrants, fire lanes, blocked entrances or exits and disabled spaces, and this one-hour rule doesn't apply to residential lots. Towing from a disabled space takes its own sign of the same size, either at the space or at each entrance, saying unauthorized cars will be towed at the owner's expense and giving the reclaim address and police phone number. On top of the signs, the owner or agent has to give the tow company a written, signed authorization for each tow and be on site to confirm the violation, except at rentals of 15 or fewer units with no onsite staff where a tenant's signed request is used. Tow companies can't hold blanket authority except for fire lanes, hydrants and blocked entrances, which require a written agreement. The owner has to call police within one hour of authorizing a tow. Skipping the sign or authorization rules can make the property owner liable for double the towing and storage charges. A tow company can't pay the owner for the right to tow. |
| Colorado | Signs must be at each entrance and inside the lot, at least two square feet, in English and Spanish, and list the restriction, the hours, and the tow company name and phone. |
| Delaware | A sign with letters at least 1 inch high must be at every vehicle entrance. It must list when parking is allowed, the tow company's name, address, and phone, the tow and storage charges, and where and when cars can be picked up. The tower must also photograph the car before towing. |
| District of Columbia | Tow trucks must show the company name, phone, address, DOT number, storage fee, and hours. Lot sign rules were not confirmed. |
| Florida | Signs must be at each driveway entrance within 10 feet of the road, say tow-away zone in letters at least 4 inches high, give the tow company name and phone, and be up at least 24 hours before towing. Single-family homes are exempt. |
| Georgia | The state tow fees can be charged only if the property is posted, and no car can be towed unless compliant signs were up at the time of the tow and for at least 24 hours before it. Put a sign within 50 feet of each entrance to the parking area, or as close as terrain allows. If there is no set entrance, signs have to be clearly visible from every parking space. Signs have to be at least 12 by 18 inches, with lettering at least 3/4 inch tall and the words Private Parking in bold letters at least 1 1/2 inches tall. Mount them at least 4 feet above grade at entrances, or 6 feet above grade where there is no entrance, with nothing blocking the view. Each sign has to include a warning that unauthorized vehicles will be towed, the towing company's name, address and phone number, where towed cars can be picked up, the towing fees and daily storage fees, hours of operation and accepted payment methods. Tow signs have to be separate from all other signs and contain nothing else. A sign listing minimum fees means those are the actual rates for the smallest vehicles, even if the tariff goes up later. If more than one tow company is used, the signs have to list all of them. Take the signs down within 15 days after the towing contract ends, authorization is withdrawn or the tow company's permit lapses. Owners of residential property with four or fewer units don't have to post signs. Booting needs its own signs at each entrance, visible at night. They have to say Immobilization Enforced and show the boot company's full legal name, the property owner's full legal name, a 24-hour number for boot removal, the maximum fee and accepted payment methods. The property owner also needs a signed contract with a DPS-permitted tow company, and has to request and sign off on each tow individually on the day it happens. The tow company can't patrol the lot or tow on its own initiative, and it can't pay the owner for towing rights, which carries a $1,000 fine. Cars left in a paid private parking lot can't be towed or booted between midnight and 9 a.m., though the lot can charge up to $25 above normal parking. In cities of 100,000 or more, a commercial lot that wants to tow after closing has to chain off its entrances at least 18 inches high and post a notice where the city police approve. |
| Hawaii | Signs must say in light-reflective letters at least 2 inches high that unauthorized cars will be towed at the owner's expense, and give the name, address, and phone of the storage facility. They must be visible from each space, or posted at each entrance if the whole lot is restricted. |
| Idaho | A private lot must have a clearly visible sign in large print saying unauthorized vehicles will be towed or booted at the owner's expense and naming the tow company. |
| Illinois | A sign of at least 24 by 36 inches, mounted 4 to 8 feet high and lit or reflective, must warn that cars will be towed and give the tow company name, phone number and charges. Signs must be up at least 24 hours before a tow. |
| Iowa | State law sets no sign rules for private lots. It treats a car left on private property without the owner's consent for more than 24 hours as abandoned, and the property owner can then have a garagekeeper take it. |
| Kansas | State law sets no sign rules for private-lot towing. It leaves private-property towing to city ordinances and county resolutions. |
| Kentucky | A property owner who sets up a tow-away zone must post a clearly visible sign saying it is a tow-away zone, with contact information and who may or may not park there. |
| Louisiana | Property owners must post State Police approved signs at entrances and exits warning that unauthorized cars may be towed, plus signs or markings at any reserved spaces. The tow company must make sure the signs are in place before towing. |
| Maryland | Signs must be at least 24 by 30 inches, easy to see, and show where cars are towed, the tow company name, the maximum tow charge, a phone number, and that the car can be picked up at least 6 a.m. to midnight every day. Lots need at least one sign per 7,500 square feet, or one at every entrance of a regional mall. |
| Massachusetts | A car can be towed from private property only if the driver was told not to park there, either directly or by a posted notice. The state law does not spell out sign size or wording. |
| Michigan | The property owner must post signs at each vehicle entrance, or one per 100 feet of road frontage if there are no curbs. Signs must say in letters at least 2 inches high that unauthorized vehicles will be towed at the owner's expense, give the tow company's name and phone, be mounted at least 4 feet up, and be in place 24 hours before a tow. Single and two-family homes are exempt. |
| Minnesota | A car on private nonresidential property that is properly posted can be towed right away, but if the lot is not posted the car must be left for 24 hours first. Cars on single-family or duplex property, or on posted residential property, can be towed right away. The statute we read does not spell out sign size or wording. |
| Mississippi | A car may be towed only at the request of its owner, a police officer, or the property owner or someone acting for them. For commercial vehicles of 15,000 pounds or more, the property must post a sign at each entrance with the towing symbol at least 4 by 4 inches, mounted 5 to 8 feet high. We have not found a sign rule for regular passenger cars. |
| Missouri | Without a police officer's approval, a private lot can only have cars towed if the owner or manager is present and a sign is posted at every entrance. The sign must be at least 17 by 22 inches with letters at least 1 inch tall, warn that cars will be towed at the owner's expense, show the maximum towing and storage fee, and give a phone number to find the car. Other rules apply to small residential properties and unposted lots after notice to police. |
| Montana | We found no statewide sign rule for towing from private lots in the tow truck or abandoned vehicle laws. Some cities set their own rules. |
| Nebraska | Signs must be readily visible and state who may park, the restricted hours and who to contact about a towed vehicle. |
| Nevada | The property needs a sign in plain view saying parking is prohibited or restricted, with the phone number of the police or sheriff. A single-family home owner may tow without a sign. |
| New Hampshire | If a car is towed from a parking lot or garage, removal and storage charges cannot be charged to the owner unless the lot posts a conspicuous notice that illegally parked cars may be towed at the owner's expense. |
| New Jersey | 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. |
| New Mexico | Commercial lots and apartments need visible signs saying illegally parked cars may be towed and the exact hours enforced. The tow company needs written authorization from the property and must photograph the car and the sign before towing. |
| New York | Outside New York City, a private parking lot with room for five or more cars must post a conspicuous notice that unauthorized cars will be towed at the owner's expense, with contact details for the lot operator and the authorized tow company. The lot may not tow without that notice. |
| 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. |
| Ohio | The property needs a sign at least 18 by 24 inches, visible from every entrance, saying it is a tow-away zone, who may park, any enforcement hours, and the phone number and address where towed cars can be recovered. |
| Oklahoma | Rotation wrecker services must post the current OCC maximum rate chart where people pay to release a car. Private lot sign rules were not confirmed yet. |
| Oregon | A tower may not tow from a parking lot unless a sign in plain view clearly prohibits or restricts public parking. Driveways of single-family homes and duplexes and places where parking is plainly not allowed need no sign. |
| Pennsylvania | A car may be towed from a private lot only if the lot is posted. PennDOT rules call for a sign at each entrance facing incoming traffic, with the restriction in letters at least 3 inches high and reflective or lit at night. Philadelphia also requires a sign at least 36 by 36 inches listing the tow company, charges, redemption address and hours, and payment by cash, credit or debit card. |
| South Carolina | Owners of commercial property must post a no-parking notice in a conspicuous place near each entrance. |
| South Dakota | We found no sign requirement. A tow company may not remove an abandoned vehicle from private property without the written permission of the landowner or tenant. |
| Tennessee | 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. |
| Texas | A private lot may tow without other notice only if compliant signs were up at the time of the tow and for the 24 hours before. Each sign must face and be clearly visible to drivers entering, stand at the right or left of every driveway or curb cut (including alley entrances), or every 25 feet along an entrance over 35 feet wide with no defined driveways, and be permanently mounted on a pole, post, wall, or barrier on the property with its bottom edge 5 to 8 feet above the ground. Each sign must be weather-resistant and at least 18 inches wide by 24 inches tall. At the top it needs a bright red tow-truck symbol on white at least 4 inches tall. Below that, white letters at least 2 inches tall on red must say "Towing Enforced" (or "Towing and Booting Enforced" or "Booting Enforced"). The middle section, in red letters at least 1 inch tall on white, must say who may park and that all others are prohibited, the words "Unauthorized Vehicles Will Be Towed at Owner's or Operator's Expense" (or the towed or booted version), and the days and hours of enforcement. The bottom section, in white letters at least 1 inch tall on red, must give a phone number with area code answered 24 hours a day to locate a towed car. Reserved single spaces can use a sign or curb marking in front of the space with letters at least 2 inches tall and a top no higher than 7 feet. Fire lanes must be painted red and marked "FIRE LANE--TOW AWAY ZONE" in white letters at least 3 inches tall every 50 feet unless a local rule says otherwise. Apartment lots cannot tow a resident's car only for expired plates or registration unless the lease allows it and 10 days of written notice were given. Instead of signs, an owner can tow after putting a windshield notice on the car and then mailing a certified letter giving 15 days to move it. |
| Utah | Each entrance needs a 24 by 18 inch sign in the state format showing who may park and the tow details. Without a compliant sign, the owner must leave a written notice on the car 24 hours before towing, except in fire lanes, disabled spaces and similar spots. |
| Vermont | We found no statewide sign requirement for towing from private lots. The Attorney General describes Vermont as having little or no rules for the towing industry. |
| Virginia | 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. |
| Washington | Nonresidential lots need a sign at least 15 by 24 inches near each entrance showing when cars may be impounded and the name, phone number and address of the tow company. Residential property does not need signs. |
| Wisconsin | A properly posted lot has a sign at each vehicle entrance and one readable from the parked car, with the bottom at least 4 feet up and letters at least 2 inches tall, saying unauthorized cars may be removed. |
| Wyoming | Wyoming state law has no sign requirement for towing from private lots. |
Not legal advice. Check local ordinances too, many cities add their own sign rules.