Getting your car out of impound

What a city impound charges in three examples, how storage fees add up, and the most a storage lot may charge each day in the states that set a limit.

Updated October 6, 202626 official sources

On this page2 sections

1What city impounds charge: three examples
2What a storage lot may charge, by state

Storage is charged by the day, so the sooner you collect the car, the less you pay. Call the lot first and ask what it needs from you, which payments it takes and its hours.

What city impounds charge: three examples

In New York City, the police tow pound charges $185 for a regular tow and $20 for each night of storage.¹
In Minneapolis, the impound lot charges $222 for a standard tow and $18 a day for storage.²
In San Francisco, a first tow costs a $335 administrative fee and a $317 tow fee. Storage is free for the first 4 hours, then $69 for the first day and $82 for each day after.³

These are single cities' own fees, not a range for any state.

What a storage lot may charge, by state

Some states set the most a lot may charge each day for a car towed on a police order or from a private lot. The table lists those the research found on an official page. A state that isn't listed may leave it to cities and counties, or the research didn't find it.

State	Storage limits
Arizona	In Arizona, the most a storage lot may charge for a police impound is $25 a day.⁴
California	California applies the same test to storage charges as to towing charges. If the vehicle is released within 24 hours, only one day's storage may be charged.⁵
Colorado	In Colorado, a storage lot may charge at most $48.19 for each 24 hours for a vehicle under 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating. The figures are as of March 15, 2026.⁶
Connecticut	In Connecticut, the most a storage lot may charge for a vehicle under 20 feet is $23 to $30 a day for the first five days, depending on the type of lot, and $25 to $37 a day after that. The figures are as of July 1, 2018.^7-9
Delaware	Delaware applies the same reasonableness test to storage charges. No storage may be charged for a day when the owner couldn't get access between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.¹⁰
Florida	In Florida, storage limits are set locally rather than by the state.¹¹
Georgia	In Georgia, the first 24 hours of storage are free. After that, under the state's maximum rate tariff, a storage lot may charge at most $33 a day for a vehicle of 10,000 pounds or less and $39 up to 20,000 pounds. The figures are as of June 17, 2024.¹²
Maryland	For a parking lot tow in Maryland, the most a storage lot may charge is the local daily impound storage fee. If the county or city sets none, the most is $30 a day.¹³
Missouri	In Missouri, storage limits are set locally. Counties and cities may set maximum reasonable storage charges by ordinance.¹⁴
North Carolina	In North Carolina, storage limits are set locally rather than by the state.¹⁵
North Dakota	In North Dakota, for an abandoned vehicle taken by a commercial towing service, the most a storage lot may charge is $50 a day for a vehicle up to 20,000 pounds registered gross weight.¹⁶
Ohio	In Ohio, the most a storage lot may charge is $22 a day for a vehicle under 10,001 pounds, $38 a day up to 26,000 pounds and $82 a day over 26,000 pounds. The figures are as of January 1, 2026.¹⁷
Oklahoma	In Oklahoma, the most a storage lot may charge is $23.94 per 24 hours outdoors for a car or light truck up to 20 feet, and $39.90 indoors. The figures are as of June 1, 2024.^18-19
Oregon	In Oregon, storage limits are set by each city or county.²⁰
Texas	In Texas, a vehicle storage facility may charge at most $22.85 a day for a vehicle 25 feet long or less and $39.99 a day for a longer one.²¹
Utah	In Utah, the most a storage lot may charge is $42 a day for light duty vehicles stored outside and $63 for medium and heavy duty. Stored inside, the most is $47 for light duty and $90 for medium and heavy duty. The figures are as of 2026.²²
Virginia	In Virginia, a storage lot may not charge for the first 24 hours. The research found no statewide daily figure after that, and localities may set limits.^23-24
Washington	In Washington, storage charges follow the operator's filed fee schedule. Storage is billed per 24 hours, to the nearest half day.²⁵
Wisconsin	In Wisconsin, the most a storage lot may charge is $25 for each 24 hours outdoors and $35 indoors.²⁶

This is a summary of the published rules, not legal advice. Each state's towing rules page on this site has the rest of what was found.

Pick your state's rules page

Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming

City impound pages and state fee schedules and statutes, checked October 2026.

Getting your car out of impound

What city impounds charge: three examples

What a storage lot may charge, by state

Sources (26)

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