Towing rules in Pennsylvania

What the state says about towing, with the page each rule comes from. It's a summary of the published rules, not legal advice, and your city or county can have rules of its own.

Updated October 6, 2026

Tow company licensing

In Pennsylvania, municipalities license tow companies. The City of Philadelphia's Department of Licenses and Inspections issues a tow company license and a tow truck license.1-3

Limits on police and private-property tow fees

Ask for the full price before your car is hooked up, and ask for an itemized receipt.

Storage fees

Ask the tow yard for its daily storage fee and the hours you can collect your car.

Towed from a private lot

If your car was towed from a private lot, ask the property owner or manager which company towed it.

Where to complain

Keep your receipt and photos of your car, and ask the tow company in writing to correct a charge you think is wrong.

Get quotes from tow companies in your county

One request instead of calling tow companies one at a time. It's free, and you don't have to hire anyone. Your request may go to contractors nearby.

Sources

  1. City of Philadelphia ↑
  2. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ↑
  3. Pennsylvania Act 110 of 2012 ↑

Tow companies in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has 2,172 tow companies listed, and 1,887 of them hold an active USDOT registration. Browse them by county and call one directly, or schedule a tow and we'll pass it to tow companies near you.

Cite this page

“Towing rules in Pennsylvania.” FindTowingTruck.com, updated October 6, 2026. https://findtowingtruck.com/pa/rules/

Request a quoteSearch by ZIP