Car towed in San Diego? Lookup and fees
Checked Nov 14, 2026 against official sources. We don't have your car: use the official lookup below.
Find your car
AutoReturn online searchCall 619-527-4392
Vehicles towed by the City of San Diego only, not private-property tows1
Other ways to check:
- SDPD non-emergency line · 619-531-2000: Help finding a car you cannot locate through AutoReturn1
- SDPD Tow Administration · 858-495-7830: Questions about a city impound and post-storage hearing requests1
Towed from a private lot (apartment, store)? Private-property tows are not handled by the city and will not show up in AutoReturn. Check the tow signs posted at the lot for the company name and phone. State law requires the tow company to notify San Diego Police soon after the tow, take the car no more than 10 miles away, accept credit cards, and release the car right away if you return before the truck leaves the lot, though it may charge up to half the regular tow fee if the car was already hoisted. Report illegal towing to the City Attorney's Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit.
Deadline to contest: 10 calendar days from the notice (California rules). How to request a hearing
Cars towed by the City of San Diego are dispatched through AutoReturn and stored at one of several privately run lots under contract with the police department. AutoReturn's search tells you which company and lot has the car and what you owe.
San Diego impound lots: addresses and hours
San Diego does not publish one list of impound lots. Towed cars here go to private storage lots. Use AutoReturn online search to find which one, then call it for hours and payment.
How much it costs to get your car out in San Diego
| Fee | Amount | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Standard tow rate to registered owner, standard-duty vehicle, urban zones3Suburban zones are $243. City rate from the SDPD fee schedule dated June 11, 2025. | $231 | Police-ordered · Cars, SUVs, pickups |
Daily storage, standard-duty vehicle3DetailsThe first day is billed at $6 per hour for 24 hours or less, up to the daily rate. Medium-duty is $98 and heavy-duty is $132 per day. | $65 / day | Police-ordered · Cars, SUVs, pickups |
| After-hours gate fee (includes labor)3 | $50 | Police-ordered |
| Notification of stored vehicle3 | $25 | Police-ordered |
| Mileage after the first 5 miles, standard-duty vehicle3 | $5.50 / mile | Police-ordered · Cars, SUVs, pickups |
Tow/Impound Cost Recovery Fee (TICR)3DetailsCity fee collected by the impound lot at release. The schedule also lists a $22 dispatch fee and a $135 per-vehicle franchise fee the lot pays the city. | $115 | Police-ordered |
| Drop fee, standard-duty vehicle3 | $12 | Police-ordered · Cars, SUVs, pickups |
Trucks and heavy vehicles (2 fees)
Estimate your bill
Got your receipt? Check it for overcharges
Type what the lot charged for each line. We flag anything above a confirmed legal cap.
What to bring
San Diego lots do not publish one list. Most ask for a photo ID, proof of ownership (registration or title) and proof of insurance. California rules mention: Valid government-issued photo ID, Proof you are the owner, insured or insurer, or are authorized by the owner, such as the title, registration or a notarized letter from the owner, Payment of the tow and storage charges, A police or agency release, if one is required (for example after a crime, a fatality or a police-ordered impound), Proof of current registration, for cars stored by police or other officers.
More detail, including when the car is not in your name: what to bring to the impound lot.
Local rules and how to contest
- Every city tow gets a post-storage hearing under Vehicle Code 22852. Call SDPD Tow Administration at 858-495-7830 or mail back the notice within 10 days of the mailed notice.
- The hearing is by phone and evidence-based. Tow Administration gives a decision within 48 hours, not counting weekends and holidays.
- If the tow is found invalid, the city pays the impound fees. If you already paid, call Public Liability at 619-236-6670 for a refund.
- If the tow is upheld you can file a Public Liability claim with the city or go to San Diego Small Claims Court.
- The impound process can take at least three hours, so a new tow may not show up right away.
- Bring registered owner ID and a driver's license. An agent needs a notarized letter from the owner plus ID.
California rules that apply
California has no single statewide dollar cap. A private-property tow and its storage can't cost more than the local police agency's contract rate or the tower's CHP-approved rate, whichever is higher, and charging more can make the tower liable for four times the amount. Every storage lot has to take cash and credit cards, hand back your belongings for free during business hours, and post a state-written Towing and Storage Fees and Access Notice. For police-ordered tows you can ask for a post-storage hearing within 10 days of the notice date.
- Drop fee release: If you get back to your car before it has left the property, the tow company has to release it on the spot, and refusing is a misdemeanor. If the car was already hooked up or lifted, they can charge up to half their regular towing charge. Then you need to move the car right away.
- Your belongings: Before paying anything, you can get your personal belongings out free during normal business hours, which are Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. except state holidays. The lot has no lien on items inside the car. For police-towed cars, the lot can charge a gate fee to return items after hours, capped at half its hourly tow rate.
- Hearing: If police or another public agency had your car stored, you can ask for a post-storage hearing in person, in writing or by phone within 10 days of the date printed on the storage notice. The agency has to hold it within 48 hours of your request, not counting weekends and holidays, and it pays the tow and storage if it can't show good grounds. The law doesn't say business days, so count calendar days to be safe. Private-property tows get no agency hearing. Your remedy there is a lawsuit, usually in small claims court.
Think the tow was wrong?
Questions
How do I find my towed car in San Diego?
Use AutoReturn online search (https://search.autoreturn.com/) or call 619-527-4392. Vehicles towed by the City of San Diego only, not private-property tows.
How much does it cost to get a car out of impound in San Diego?
For police-ordered tows the city lists a $231 tow and $65 per day of storage. Other fees may apply.
My car was towed from a private lot in San Diego. Where is it?
Private-property tows are not handled by the city and will not show up in AutoReturn. Check the tow signs posted at the lot for the company name and phone. State law requires the tow company to notify San Diego Police soon after the tow, take the car no more than 10 miles away, accept credit cards, and release the car right away if you return before the truck leaves the lot, though it may charge up to half the regular tow fee if the car was already hoisted. Report illegal towing to the City Attorney's Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit.
Sources
Last checked Nov 14, 2026. Fees and rules change: confirm with the lot or agency before you go. Spot an error? Tell us.
- Vehicle Impounds and Towing, City of San Diego Police Department. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Know Your Towing Rights, City of San Diego Police Department. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- SDPD Managed Towing Operations Manual, Appendix 3 Rates and Fees (version dated 06/11/2025) (SDPD document, copy hosted by KPBS, not found on sandiego.gov), San Diego Police Department (copy published by KPBS). Checked Nov 14, 2026. Secondary source.
- Tow Administration Unit Operations Manual and SDPD Managed Towing Operations Manual (April 2024), City of San Diego Police Department. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Performance Audit of the City's Towing Program (23-005), City of San Diego Office of the City Auditor. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Census Bureau Vintage 2024 city and town population estimates (SUB-EST2024), U.S. Census Bureau. Checked Nov 14, 2026.