Car Got Towed? What to Do (Complete Guide)

You came back to where you parked and the space is empty. Before you assume the worst, work through this in order. Most of it can be done from your phone standing on the street.

First, it may not have been towed

Cars are also relocated for parades, street fairs, film shoots and emergency work, usually to a nearby block rather than to a pound. And a car that was neither towed nor relocated may have been stolen.

Check the signs where you parked. Look one or two blocks in each direction. Then confirm properly rather than guessing.

Find it: the locator, or 311

Use the city’s Find Towed Vehicle tool with your plate number and state, or call 311. From outside New York City, call (212) 639-9675.

It tells you whether the vehicle was towed, which facility has it, and what is owed. If it does not appear, contact your local precinct, who can help establish whether it was relocated or stolen. Full detail in how to find your towed car in NYC.

Work out who towed it, because it changes where you go

NYPD, if you were parked illegally or had no valid registration or insurance. Vehicles go to a tow pound in the Bronx, Brooklyn or Queens. There is no pound in Manhattan or on Staten Island.

A City Marshal or the Sheriff, if you owe more than $350 in parking or camera violations in judgment. These are handled through the Department of Finance, not at a pound, and they carry an auction deadline.

Going to the wrong place costs you a day and a night of storage.

Cannot get there yourself? Send someone with a notarized letter.

Get the Free Template

What it will cost

A regular NYPD tow is $185, heavy duty $370, and storage is $20 for every night if the vehicle is not redeemed the same day. A boot adds $185.

Judgments must be cleared before release and cannot be paid at the pound. The ticket that caused the tow is billed separately through the Department of Finance. See the full cost breakdown.

What to bring

Current vehicle registration certificate
Valid driver license
Current insurance card
Payment, and if it is a card it must be in the name of the person collecting

Release is only to the registered owner, their spouse, or an authorized representative with written authorization carrying the notarized signature of the registered owner. See the full list.

Go the same day if you possibly can

Redeeming on the day of the tow avoids the storage charge completely. After that it is $20 every night, and roughly nine nights costs more than the tow did.

If you cannot get there, send someone. An authorized representative with a notarized letter can collect it, which is the difference between a same day pickup and a week of accruing charges. The letter can be notarized online in minutes from anywhere.

The ticket is a separate fight

Collect the vehicle first, then deal with the ticket. You can pay or dispute it through the Department of Finance within thirty days of the date on the ticket, online, by mail or in person.

Disputing does not pause storage charges, so do not leave the car sitting while you argue.

If you catch it being hooked

You can stop an NYPD tow in progress by signing a Field Release Agreement and agreeing to pay the penalties and fees within thirty days. For a Marshal or Sheriff tow, paying through the city’s payment portal before the tow completes cancels it.

Afterwards

Photograph the vehicle before you drive away, in case of damage. Keep the receipt. And check the signage where you parked, because if the tow was wrong, the receipt and the photographs are what you will need.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my car was towed or stolen?

Check the Find Towed Vehicle tool or call 311. If it is not listed, contact your local precinct.

Can I get my car back the same day?

Usually yes, with the right documents, no outstanding judgments, and payment.

What if I cannot get to the pound?

Send an authorized representative with a notarized letter, their own identification and their own payment.

Does disputing the ticket stop the charges?

No. Storage runs regardless. Collect the vehicle, then dispute.

How long before they auction it?

Judgment tows can be auctioned as soon as ten days after the tow if not retrieved within 72 hours. See how long a car can stay.

The first hour matters most

Everything about this gets cheaper the faster you move, so treat the first hour as the important one.

Confirm the vehicle was towed rather than stolen or relocated. Establish which agency has it, because that decides where you go. Check what is owed, including any judgments. Then decide whether you are collecting it yourself today or sending somebody who can.

Redeeming on the day of the tow avoids the storage charge entirely, and that is the single largest saving available. After that it is $20 every night, and roughly nine nights costs more than the tow itself.

If it was relocated rather than towed

Relocation happens for parades, street fairs, film production and emergency work, and the vehicle is usually moved a block or two rather than to a pound.

Walk the surrounding streets before assuming the worst, and check for temporary signage that may have gone up after you parked. If the locator shows nothing and the car is not nearby, contact your local precinct, who can establish whether it was relocated or should be reported stolen.

What it costs, in one place

A regular NYPD tow is $185. Heavy duty is $370. Storage is $20 per night if the vehicle is not redeemed the same day. A boot adds $185.

Marshal and Sheriff tows bill differently: a $136 boot fee, an $80 execution fee, tow fees of $140, $180 or $1,500 by vehicle size, dispatch fees where applicable, plus the judgment itself. Those vehicles can also be auctioned as soon as ten days after the tow if not retrieved within 72 hours.

Working out who towed it

This single question determines where you go, and getting it wrong costs a day.

The NYPD tows for illegal parking and for DMV offences such as no valid registration or insurance. Illegal parking tows go to a pound in the Bronx, Brooklyn or Queens. DMV offence tows are resolved at a Department of Finance business center.

A City Marshal or the Sheriff tows when more than $350 in parking or camera violations is in judgment. Those are handled through the Department of Finance, not at a pound, and they carry the ten day auction exposure.

The locator will usually tell you which. If it does not, 311 can.

What to bring, in one list

Current vehicle registration certificate
Valid driver license
Current insurance card
Payment, and if it is a card it must be in the name of the person collecting

Release is only to the registered owner, their spouse, or an authorized representative carrying written authorization with the notarized signature of the registered owner. If you are sending somebody, send a copy of your identification with them too.