Towed Car Guide: Fees and Rights in Los Angeles

Daily storage at official garages is $50 by credit card or $49 cash-equivalent.

• Private lots must post signs at least 17 by 22 inches to legally tow unauthorized vehicles (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov).
• You must request a hearing for an LAPD impound within 10 days of the written notice (lapdonline.org).
• Storage facilities are required to accept cash or valid bank credit cards.

Locating Your Vehicle

If your car was towed by the LAPD or LADOT in Los Angeles, you can find information through the 17 designated Official Police Garages (lapdonline.org). For specific questions regarding these vehicles, you may visit www.opgla.com.

If you need to visit the LAPD Official Police Garage section in person, they are located at 100 West First Street, Room 147, Los Angeles, CA 90012. You can also contact this office by phone at 213-996-1270 to verify the location of your vehicle and the requirements for release.

Official Police Garage Fees

The Police Commission has established approved 2024 rates for standard vehicles at Official Police Garages. For the first hour of towing, the cost is $162 if paying by credit card, or a cash-equivalent rate of $158 (lapdpolicecom.lacity.org).

Additionally, storage fees are charged daily. The rate for storage is $50 per day when using a credit card, or $49 for those paying with cash-equivalents. These standardized rates ensure consistency across the designated facilities used by city agencies.

Contesting an LAPD Impound

If you believe your vehicle was impounded without cause, you have the right to a hearing. To initiate this process in Los Angeles, you must contact the police station that impounded the car within 10 days of the date listed on your written notice (lapdonline.org).

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You can request this hearing by calling, writing, or visiting the station in person. If the hearing determines there was no probable cause for the impound, the vehicle will be released without charge, or any payments you already made will be refunded.

Private Lot Towing Requirements

Private property owners in California must follow specific rules to tow vehicles legally. A private lot may only tow if it displays a sign that is at least 17 by 22 inches (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov).

This sign must explicitly state that unauthorized vehicles will be removed at the owner’s expense. Furthermore, the sign must list the local police phone number as well as the name and phone number of every towing company used by the property (Vehicle Code 22658(a)(1)). If the property owner fails to meet these signage or notice requirements, they may be held liable for double the towing or storage charges (Vehicle Code 22658(e)(1)).

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Immediate Release and Payment Rights

Your rights depend on when you arrive at the scene. If you reach the tow truck before your car has actually left the property, the driver or towing company must release the vehicle immediately and unconditionally upon your request (Vehicle Code 22658(g)(1)(B)) (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov).

When paying for recovery, the storage facility is legally required to accept cash or a valid bank credit card for all towing and storage charges (Vehicle Code 22658(k)(1)). If an operator refuses a valid credit card, they are civilly liable to the vehicle owner for four times the total towing and storage charges (Vehicle Code 22658(k)(4)).

Understanding Excessive Fees

To prevent overcharging, California law defines what constitutes an excessive fee. A towing or storage charge is considered excessive if it exceeds the higher of two values: the rate set by the local law-enforcement agency or the rate approved for that specific operator by the California Highway Patrol (Vehicle Code 22658(i)(1)(A)) (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov).

Additionally, there are limits on after-hours releases. For releases occurring outside normal business hours (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), the hourly charge may be no more than one-half of the standard hourly tow rate (Vehicle Code 22658(n)(2)).

Sources

• http://www.lapdpolicecom.lacity.org/102423/BPC_23-212.pdf
• https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=22658
• https://www.lapdonline.org/office-of-the-chief-of-police/office-of-special-operations/transit-services-bureau/traffic-coordination-division/abandoned-vehicle-and-impounded-vehicle-questions/
• https://www.lapdonline.org/police-commission/cid/official-police-garage-valet-section/

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