How much does a tow cost?

Published national ranges for a local tow, a long-distance tow, motorcycles and RVs, what changes the price, and the limits some states set on police and private-property tows.

Updated October 6, 20267 official sources

On this page4 sections

1What a tow costs
2What changes the price
3When the police or a property owner orders the tow
4Before the truck is sent

These are published national ranges for what a tow company charges when you call it. They aren't quotes. Ask the company for its price on the phone before the truck is sent.

What a tow costs

Tow	Published range
The hook-up fee	$50 to $125 per tow^1-3
A local tow of about 5 to 10 miles	$75 to $175^1-3
A long-distance tow of about 100 miles	$300 to $550^1-3
A long-distance tow, per mile	$2 to $4 a mile^{1, 4}
A local motorcycle tow	$75 to about $130^{1, 3}
An RV or big rig, per mile	$4 to $7 a mile^{1, 3}

HomeGuide's figures are dated April 2023, and they're the only ones in the table from a site that says how it works its prices out. The others are newer, and their figures overlap HomeGuide's.

What changes the price

Distance. Most companies charge a hook-up fee and then a rate for each mile, so a longer tow costs more.
Nights, weekends and holidays. A tow then can cost up to about $150 more, or 20% to 50% more.^1-3
The truck. A flatbed tow usually costs somewhat more than a wheel-lift tow.^2-3

There aren't enough published figures to give a range for a jump start, a tire change, fuel delivery or a car lockout. Ask the company when you call.

When the police or a property owner orders the tow

If your car is towed on a police order or from a private lot, you didn't choose the company, and some states and cities set the most it may charge. These are legal limits for those tows, not prices for a tow you call yourself. Three examples:

In Massachusetts, the most a company may charge for a police-ordered or trespass tow of a car is $132 for up to five miles, including one hour of service or waiting time, and $4.40 a mile after that, since December 13, 2023.⁵
In Texas, the most a company may charge for a private-property tow of a vehicle up to 10,000 pounds is $272.⁶
In Utah, the 2026 limit for a light-duty private-property impound is $211.⁷

Your state's towing rules page on this site says what your state sets, where the research found it.

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

Before the truck is sent

Ask for the hook-up fee, the rate per mile, any charge for nights or weekends, and whether the company takes cards. Every tow company on this site is listed with its own phone number, so you can call two and compare. For a tow you can schedule, like a long-distance tow, you can also ask for quotes.

Ranges compiled from HomeGuide, TowingSites.com, TowingCosts.com and Forbes Home, with state and city fee schedules, checked September 2026.