6 US States With The Worst Towing Protections (And 6 With The Best)

You'll find strange driving laws in many states, but what about protections for consumers? When it comes to driving, vehicle owners have a lot to worry about. There's car insurance, maintenance on your vehicle, and the fact that it could be towed away without notice one day. While it sounds illegal, it turns out that towing a car away without notifying the owner or displaying tow-away warning signs is something that happens in some states, specifically because the laws are not favorable to consumers.

One study by consumer watchdog PIRD revealed how good — or bad — towing protections can be depending on the state you live in. While some states have robust protections for consumers, preventing you from overpaying or falling victim to predatory towing practices, other states have few, if any, laws on the books. Even in places that have made positive strides toward legislation that protects people who are just trying to park, towing fees and weird rules can make it tough to navigate. Your best bet is to get informed about the best and worst states for towing protections.

California has many laws, some of which make driving a car a bit frustrating. For example, some car mods are illegal in California, with limitations on window tint, underglow kits, and even tuner chips. The good news, however, is that in addition to all those potentially frustrating limitations, California also has great consumer protections for drivers. For example, California's Section 22658 specifies that there must be clear signage indicating that an area is a tow zone. The law also stipulates that if a vehicle is towed, the tow company must notify both the owner of the vehicle and law enforcement.

California doesn't have a maximum amount that tow companies can charge, but the law says that fees cannot be excessive. Towing companies have to display rates at storage facilities, and may owe you money if they damage your vehicle while towing it (or tow it illegally). You can also stop an in-progress tow.

For homeowners and renters, it's important to know about the protections given to drivers, especially if you want to tow a car parked in front of your driveway. It's also essential to understand where you can legally park and local rules, such as what colored curbs mean in California, to avoid getting your vehicle impounded. One last piece of good news, though: In California, there's no barrier to getting your stuff out of your car, even if it was legally towed.

Illinois might be a state that doesn't care if you ride in the back of a pickup, but it does have consumer protection laws when it comes to towing. Illinois Statutes Chapter 625 maintains that tow-away zones must have clear signs that meet specific height and wording requirements, among other rules that protect drivers from unexpected tows. Companies also have to keep their rates on file with local law enforcement.

In Illinois, tow companies must notify law enforcement when they complete a tow (though they don't have to contact the registered owner), and they can't charge storage fees for the first 24 hours. Illinois law also states that the fees can't be excessive, noting that companies may not charge more than the rates they bill law enforcement. Drivers in Illinois can also receive reimbursement for illegal tows and damage to their vehicles during towing and storage, if any occurs.

Illinois isn't the perfect state for escaping towing scenarios, but it does offer consumers several protections and easy access to their cars after towing. Plus, you can avoid having your car rack up storage charges if you get to the tow facility within 30 minutes of your car's arrival. The state also declares that tow companies cannot offer perks to property owners for netting them a tow job.

Maryland does have at least one bizarre driving law relating to how you interact with other drivers while on the road; You're not allowed to use profanity in public. However, other laws that Maryland has established make a lot of sense, especially when it comes to avoiding predatory towing practices.

A Transportation Article on Maryland's books prohibits towing companies from overcharging drivers, though fees can vary in different areas. However, there are fee ceilings if no limit applies in a certain jurisdiction, with maximum rates of $250 for towing and $30 per day for storage in lieu of applicable local law. Tow companies in Maryland also have to notify law enforcement, your insurer, and you, the vehicle owner, upon completing a tow — and they are even required to take a photo of the parking violation. However, they're only required to notify owners via mail, with electronic notification being an option, not a requirement.

Maryland has other perks for drivers who find themselves subject to illegal tows, however. If your car is towed illegally, you're entitled to a cash value three times that of the vehicle's recovery cost. If they damage your car, that's more cash owed, even if the tow itself is valid.

Missouri has some weird vehicle-related habits, like banning car sales on Sundays, but the state has it together when it comes to helping consumers avoid predatory towing practices. Chapter 304 of Missouri's legislation covers tow companies' obligations, including allowing customers to access their impounded vehicles to retrieve personal belongings and notifying them of the vehicle's location within 24 hours of contact.

The same rules also apply in Missouri regarding towing signs and rates, and tow companies have to notify law enforcement, the vehicle owner, and any lienholders if a vehicle is towed. Plus, if a towing company is found to have illegally impounded your car, they may face criminal penalties and owe you a fee of four times the towing and storage charges. Towing companies also owe you if they damage your car.

Specific rules also apply in Missouri if a towed vehicle is thought to have been abandoned, and the onus is on the towing company to try to find the owner before filing for the title of the vehicle. Towing companies are also banned from scavenging for illegally parked cars on private property, meaning either law enforcement or a property owner has to initiate the tow.

Driving can be risky anywhere, but especially in Nevada, which has dangerous roads. Off-road, however, in parking lots and on private property, driving might not be so risky. In Nevada, a host of protections apply to drivers whose vehicles may be subject to tow, and while the regulations aren't as consumer-friendly as places like California and Illinois, Nevada is still one of the best states for protecting drivers.

Chapter 487 of Nevada's legislative code doesn't allow tow companies to remove vehicles from private property where they've paid for parking until 24 hours after the parking period expires (i.e. your parking permit expiry). Tow companies must also notify law enforcement when removing a vehicle from private property or immobilizing it. While not every state has a law specific to booting a car, Nevada's laws state that in the event of immobilizing a vehicle with a boot or clamp, tow companies can't charge more than $100 for the removal of the device.

Nevada's laws also cover maximum towing rates ($55) and require tow companies to notify the vehicle owner and allow them to stop a tow if they pay a fee upon returning to their car. If your vehicle is illegally towed, though, you'll have no financial recourse unless it's damaged, but you will get your vehicle back immediately. Nevada tow companies are also prohibited from patrolling for illegally parked vehicles, according to state law.

New Mexico also has some excellent protections for consumers, ranging from a maximum towing and storage rate (maximum $100 for the first mile of towing, and up to $20 per day for storage) to required photos of the offending vehicle before towing. Title 18 mandates that tow companies can only remove vehicles via trespass tows with written permission from the property owner or lessee. Towing services also have to take a photo of the vehicle to show the violation and the signage declaring the area a tow zone.

New Mexico also has laws that prohibit property owners from benefiting financially from tows performed on their property, which hopefully deters that illegal activity. As far as notice goes, if your vehicle is towed and the plates are registered in New Mexico, the towing service has three days to figure out who the owner is and notify them. If you're from out of state, they're required to contact the appropriate agency in your state to get your contact information.

If a towing company illegally removes your vehicle and fails to notify you, you might be eligible for reimbursement, and you'll definitely be able to ask for money if your vehicle is damaged. Finally, towing companies in New Mexico are prohibited from patrolling for illegally parked cars, giving consumers a bit more protection when it comes to parking.

Alabama is one state that goes easy on car inspections and emissions testing, and it turns out they don't worry too much about laws regarding predatory towing, either. The Administrative Code covering towing in Alabama includes some vague language that doesn't offer much protection for consumers. For example, it's stated that tow companies can charge rates that are "reasonable based on what is customary" in the industry, which leaves a lot of room for interpretation (and possible price gouging).

In addition, Alabama towing laws mostly focus on commercial vehicles, leaving private vehicles out of the discussion. No protections exist for signage, tow rates, owner notification, or even vehicle owners getting personal items out of their impounded car. Alabama also lacks a law preventing towing services from patrolling for illegally parked vehicles.

Perhaps even worse for consumers, Alabama doesn't explicitly require towing companies to give clients itemized billing lists, and there doesn't seem to be an established course of action if the tow service damages your car or illegally tows it. Suffice it to say, you should be careful when parking on private property in Alabama, and check for local laws that might apply.

When it comes to consumer protections, Iowa has some of the worst — or, more accurately, a lack of them entirely. While Iowa's Transportation Code does not appear to include a specific section on towing requirements, PIRG states that it provides only two protections for drivers: the right to be notified when a vehicle is towed and the right to reimbursement if it's towed illegally.

According to PIRG, there are no protections in place for capping towing and storage rates in Iowa, nor are there laws governing the publicization of storage rates or tow-away signs. In theory, if you park somewhere you shouldn't in Iowa, you could be towed even if there is no sign stating it's a tow-away zone. You may receive a notification from the tow service, but you would not have designated hours to retrieve your vehicle and wouldn't be guaranteed access to your car to get personal items.

Towing companies also aren't required to provide an itemized bill, so your guess is as good as ours when it comes to how much towing and impound could cost in the state of Iowa. You may also be out of luck if you stumble upon your vehicle being towed, as there's no statute requiring that a tow service release your vehicle, for a fee or otherwise.

If you live or drive in New Hampshire, it might not be surprising to find out that it has some of the worst towing protections. New Hampshire's seatbelt law doesn't even apply to adults, which suggests there might be a gap in vehicle-related laws, and towing protections are just one example of what may be lacking. While some cities, like Manchester, have limits on towing and storage fees, the state as a whole has no such guidelines.

New Hampshire's laws on towing require that the vehicle owner be notified of the tow; However, the language is somewhat vague, essentially stating that the authorized person should attempt to determine the owner's identity. If this is not possible, the authorized person has 30 days to verify the owner's information. What's more, tow companies have no liability to vehicle owners, other than trying to avoid incidents. Fees can also vary, and it's the responsibility of the vehicle owner to dispute the case if they believe the fees are unreasonable.

If your car is impounded in New Hampshire, you'll also want to act fast. Apart from not knowing how high the towing and storage fees can go, you might also risk losing your car. New Hampshire law says that a storage company can dispose of a vehicle if you don't claim it within 30 days — 15 days if the car is valued at less than $1,000.

Few protections exist against predatory towing practices in North Carolina, according to the laws on the books. Chapter 20 of the North Carolina General Statutes stipulates that if a tow service removes a vehicle, it must notify the owner. There must also be signs indicating that the area is a tow-away zone. However, if an area has tow-away signage, then the tow service is not required to notify the vehicle owner, according to statute 20-219.20. Sadly, that's the end of protections for consumers, unless a tow company intentionally damages your car or illegally tows it on purpose.

North Carolina doesn't appear to have any limits on how much tow service companies can charge for towing or storage, and the state doesn't dictate that companies must display their rates or provide itemized bills to consumers. Tow services in North Carolina could also patrol private property for illegally parked cars, given that there's no law against it.

Drivers in North Carolina also have no specific protection when it comes to retrieving their vehicle during business hours or getting personal items out of an impounded vehicle. If you live or drive in North Carolina, it pays to understand the local and state laws and watch where you park!

South Dakota is one of the most expensive states in which to buy a used car, but it could also be one of the most expensive (and frustrating) to get towed in, too. South Dakota only has two explicit protections for vehicle owners when it comes to towing practices. First, towing companies must notify the vehicle owner when a car is towed. Second, tow services must allow consumers access to their vehicles only if they need to obtain tools for work, clothing, or food.

According to PIRG, South Dakota's laws don't include protections for towing charges and storage fees, the publication of rates, or even the display of tow-away signs. A tow service does not have to take a photo of a vehicle before towing it, nor is it liable for damages to vehicles that may occur.

Like other states, however, many of South Dakota's cities have specific rules regarding towing, such as Custer, South Dakota. Custer's Code of Ordinances stipulates that drivers can be fined $20 or have their vehicles towed for parking in clearly marked no-parking zones. However, the city does not cover storage fees or other aspects of consumer protection regarding towing. Things might be different in other South Dakota cities, but it's safe to assume tow companies have an edge throughout the state.

Vermont might not seem like a lawless place, but when it comes to towing protections, that might be the best way to describe it. A report to the Vermont Legislature on towing practices described the lack of protections for consumers, highlighting that tow operators set their own rates and storage fees, and that no law governs whether or how consumers can access belongings while vehicles are in storage.

Consumer watchdog PIRG notes that towing companies are required to notify drivers in Vermont when their vehicles are towed, but the only other protection is a maximum towing rate for public property, which is $40. The Vermont Legislature report also told the tale of one driver who, while passing through the state, was held at Customs for a matter of hours. After being released, the man had to pay nearly $1,000 to get his vehicle out of impoundment, despite the fact that the car was only held for a few hours (not overnight) and was not in a secure storage facility.

Fortunately, the report to Vermont's legislation argued in favor of setting limits and consumer protections, so it's possible that changes are in the state's future. Until the laws change, be very careful of parking and driving in Vermont, even where there are no tow-away signs.

To determine the states with the best and worst towing protections, we examined a study by the U.S. PIRG Education Fund, which rated each state with green, yellow, or red for the existence and quality of specific protections. The best states have the most favorable laws for consumers, identified by the most protections marked in green, while the worst states have the fewest protections, lacking protections or possessing poor ones where they do exist.

We selected the states with the highest green ratings for the best towing protections and those with the most red ratings for the worst towing protections. We then cross-referenced this information with local and state legal ordinances to determine the limits and nature of the law. Plenty of other states have some good and some not-so-good laws regarding towing, so it's essential to know what the laws are when you drive — or park — in an unfamiliar place.