California Vehicle Code Section 22651(k) lets a peace officer or authorized public employee tow a vehicle that has been parked or left standing on a public road for 72 or more consecutive hours, but only where a local city or county ordinance also authorizes that removal.1California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 22651 That second requirement is the one most drivers do not know about, and it is often the strongest ground for contesting the tow.
The Two Things That Must Both Be True
A 22651(k) tow is only lawful when two conditions line up. The vehicle has to have been parked on a highway for 72 or more consecutive hours, and the local jurisdiction has to have adopted an ordinance permitting removal on that basis.1California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 22651 Miss either element and the tow does not stand under subsection (k).
“Highway” in California vehicle law is broader than most people expect. It covers any publicly maintained road open to vehicle travel, which includes ordinary residential streets. Leaving a car on a quiet side street for three days can trigger the clock if the city has the matching ordinance on the books.
Most large California cities have adopted 72-hour parking ordinances, but not every jurisdiction has one, and the specifics differ. If your tow paperwork cites 22651(k), confirming that your city actually has a matching local ordinance is the first thing to check.
What a 22651(k) Tow Costs
Towing and storage rates are set locally, not by the state, so the bill depends on where the tow happened. The total is built from three separate charges: the tow itself, daily storage at the yard, and an administrative release fee paid to the police department.
Long Beach charges $255 to tow a standard passenger vehicle and $83 per day for storage of vehicles 20 feet or shorter, rising to $102 per day for larger vehicles. Medium-duty tows run $348 and heavy-duty tows $463.2City of Long Beach. Towing Fees and Charges Fullerton’s administrative release fee is $220 for non-DUI impounds and $285 for DUI-related impounds.3City of Fullerton. Vehicle Impound Fees
The bill grows fast. A $255 tow, a $220 administrative fee, and $83 per day in storage lands around $890 after five days. Two weeks in, the total can pass $1,500. Every extra day of delay adds another day of storage.
How to Get Your Vehicle Back
The retrieval process runs through the police department first and the tow yard second. Going in the wrong order sends you home to get more paperwork.
Locate the Vehicle
Call the agency that ordered the tow. San Jose’s Vehicle Records Assistance Line is (408) 277-4263.4San Jose Police Department. Recover Towed Vehicle San Diego owners can search the AutoReturn system online or call 619-527-4392.5City of San Diego Official Website. Vehicle Impounds and Towing Have your plate number or VIN ready.
Get a Release From the Police
In most California cities, you cannot pay the tow yard directly and drive off. The law enforcement agency has to issue a release first, after confirming there are no holds on the vehicle. In Fullerton, once you pay the administrative fee at the police department, they hand over a release form to take to the tow yard.3City of Fullerton. Vehicle Impound Fees
Bring the Right Documents
You will need to prove you are the registered owner. San Jose requires a valid driver’s license, current DMV registration, and personal identification.4San Jose Police Department. Recover Towed Vehicle If someone else is picking up the vehicle for you, a written authorization is generally required. Expired registration or a suspended license will stall the whole process.
Pay the Tow Yard
Take the release to the tow yard and pay the towing and storage charges there. Payment methods vary. San Jose’s police release fee can be paid by cash, cashier’s check, money order, or Visa, Mastercard, or Discover.4San Jose Police Department. Recover Towed Vehicle Call ahead to confirm what the yard accepts.
Personal Property Inside the Vehicle
California law does not let the tow company hold your personal belongings against the impound bill. No lien attaches to items inside the vehicle, and they must be returned to you as the registered owner. If retrieving the vehicle itself is going to take time, contact the yard about accessing prescription medications, medical equipment, or identification separately.
Your Right to a Free Post-Storage Hearing
You can challenge whether the tow was valid, at no cost, through a post-storage hearing. Within 48 hours of ordering the vehicle stored, weekends and holidays excluded, the impounding agency has to send you a written notice that lists the agency’s contact information, a description of the vehicle, the storage location, and the legal authority for the tow.6California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 22852
From the date on that notice, you have 10 days to request a hearing. You can make the request in person, in writing, or by phone.6California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 22852 The hearing itself has to happen within 48 hours of the request, again excluding weekends and holidays, and the hearing officer cannot be the person who ordered the tow.
Miss the 10 days and you waive the hearing. Put the deadline on a calendar as soon as the notice arrives, because it quietly expires while people are still scrambling for the money to retrieve the car. Winning the hearing can entitle you to a refund of the towing and storage charges even if you have already paid to get the vehicle back.
Grounds to Challenge a 22651(k) Tow
The strongest challenges go straight at the two required elements of the statute.
If the vehicle was not actually parked for 72 consecutive hours, the tow fails. Dashcam footage, dated photos, or witness statements showing that you moved the vehicle within the window can carry the argument.1California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 22651 If your city or county has not adopted an ordinance authorizing removal on this ground, the tow has no legal basis under subsection (k) no matter how long the car was there.
Procedural defects also matter. If the storage notice arrived late, went to the wrong address, or left out required information such as the storage location or the authority for the tow, that failure strengthens the case at the post-storage hearing.6California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 22852
If You Cannot Afford the Fees
Some California cities reduce or waive tow fees for low-income residents. Programs vary, so ask the impounding agency what is available.
San Francisco’s SFMTA program is among the more generous. Vehicle owners experiencing homelessness who have visited a Coordinated Entry Point within the past six months can receive a one-time waiver of the administrative fee, the tow fee, and up to 30 days of storage. Low-income owners who show eligibility through Medi-Cal, EBT, WIC, or a Lifeline card receive an administrative fee waiver, a reduced tow fee of $107, and up to 15 days of storage waived. Owners who paid the full amount before learning about the program can request reimbursement within 30 days of the tow date or the payment date. Business entities, including nonprofits, are not eligible.7SFMTA. Waivers for People Experiencing Homelessness or Low-Income and Reduction for First Time Tow
If You Leave the Vehicle at the Yard Too Long
Storage yards can eventually sell the vehicle at a lien sale and keep the proceeds. The timing depends on value.
For vehicles worth $4,000 or less, the tow company has to begin lien sale proceedings within 15 days of the lien arising, and the storage lien generally cannot exceed 60 days.8California Legislative Information. California Code CIV 3068.1 The sale date has to be set between 31 and 41 days after the notice is mailed, and the facility has to post notice in its office for at least 10 consecutive days beforehand.
For vehicles worth more than $4,000, the lienholder has to apply to the DMV to authorize the sale. A newspaper ad has to run at least five days before the sale, and the owner has to receive certified-mail notice at least 20 days ahead. With the application on file, the storage lien can extend up to 120 days.
Before any sale, the vehicle has to be available for public inspection for at least one hour. If the facility fails to let you or your agent inspect the vehicle within 24 to 72 hours of a written demand, the lien is extinguished and the sale cannot proceed.
What 22651(k) Does Not Cover
Two situations get confused with 22651(k) tows and are governed by different statutes. A 30-day mandatory impound of a vehicle driven by an unlicensed, suspended, or revoked driver is authorized by Vehicle Code 14602.6, not by 22651, and the 30-day hold generally cannot be shortened.9California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 14602.6 Tows from private property, such as apartment lots and shopping centers, are governed by Vehicle Code 22658 and its signage rules; a property owner who tows without meeting those requirements can be liable for double the towing and storage charges the driver paid.10California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 22658 If either of those code sections appears on your paperwork instead of 22651(k), the rules and defenses shift.