Towing rules in Texas

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

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation licenses tow companies and tow truck operators.^1-3 Check a tow company's license on the state's license lookup.

Limits on police and private-property tow fees

In Texas, the most a company may charge for a tow from private property is $272 for a vehicle up to 10,000 pounds, $380 for one over 10,000 and under 25,000 pounds, and $489 per unit, with a $978 maximum, over 25,000 pounds. The most for a drop fee is $135 for a vehicle up to 10,000 pounds. Cities and counties may set lower fees within those maximums, and limits on tows ordered by police are set locally.⁴

Storage fees

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. The figures are as of 2023 adjustment.⁵

Towed from a private lot

In Texas, tow-away signs on a private lot must be at least 18 inches wide by 24 inches tall, face drivers at each entrance, show the international towing symbol and give a 24-hour phone number for finding a towed vehicle.⁶

Where to complain

Complaints about a tow go to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.²

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Sources

Tow companies in Texas

Texas has 4,788 tow companies listed, and 1,585 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 Texas.” FindTowingTruck.com, updated October 6, 2026. https://findtowingtruck.com/tx/rules/