If your car was towed in Dallas, start at search.autoreturn.com and search by license plate or 17-digit VIN. Every tow inside city limits gets logged there, so the record should appear within a short time of the tow. Once you find the storage lot, bring a government-issued photo ID and proof of ownership, and expect to pay around $165 for the tow itself plus roughly $23 per day of storage for a standard passenger vehicle.
Finding the Vehicle
Dallas contracts with AutoReturn (now branded Autura) to track towed vehicles citywide. Law enforcement and licensed tow operators update the database when they remove a car, so a search by plate or VIN at search.autoreturn.com will normally show which facility has it.1Autura Help Center. Dallas, TX The Dallas Police Department’s auto theft page points owners to the same tool.2Dallas Police Department. Auto Theft
If nothing comes up, the car may have been towed by a private company off private property. Call the Dallas Police non-emergency line at 214-744-4444 to check whether a tow was reported; private operators are required to notify law enforcement when they remove a vehicle. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation also maintains records of vehicles held at licensed storage facilities statewide.
Write down the exact name and address of the lot before you leave the house. Dallas has dozens of licensed storage facilities scattered across the metro, and every hour you spend at the wrong one adds to the storage bill.
What to Bring to the Storage Lot
Storage facilities cannot release a vehicle without proper documentation. You need two things:
- A government-issued photo ID. A Texas driver’s license is standard, but the facility must also accept valid state or federal IDs from other states, and even from other countries.3Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Release of Vehicles by VSFs
- Proof of ownership. That means a certificate of title, a tax collector’s (registration) receipt, a notarized power of attorney, or a court order. A title works even if the person presenting it isn’t the name on the title.3Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Release of Vehicles by VSFs
If your registration or insurance card is locked inside the impounded car, the facility must let you into the vehicle to retrieve it before demanding payment.4Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. VSFs Providing Access to a Vehicle – Section: Access by Owner or Authorized User
Sending Someone Else
Can’t go yourself? Complete the TDLR’s “Personal Vehicle Owner Removal and/or Inspection of a Motor Vehicle” form, which asks for the vehicle’s year, make, model, and identification number along with your representative’s information.5Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Personal Vehicle Owner Removal and/or Inspection of a Motor Vehicle at a Vehicle Storage Facility A notarized power of attorney works too. Your representative needs the authorization paperwork plus their own photo ID.
Picking Up the Car
Bring ID and ownership documents ready to hand over. Before you pay, staff must let you review the tow ticket so you can confirm the charges match the legal maximums.6Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Vehicle Storage Facilities Penalties and Sanctions Under Dallas city code, the facility must accept cash or a major credit card.7American Legal Publishing. Dallas Code of Ordinances – SEC. 48A-43 Maximum Fee Schedule
You have the right to remove personal property from the vehicle at no cost, even if you haven’t yet paid the towing and storage fees. Clothing, electronics, and anything else not permanently attached to the car is yours to take. The one exception is if law enforcement has placed a hold on the contents.4Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. VSFs Providing Access to a Vehicle – Section: Access by Owner or Authorized User
Inspect the car before you drive off. Walk around the exterior and check for fresh scratches, dents, cracked bumpers, and undercarriage damage. Take timestamped photos. Facilities are required to give you access for insurance and repair estimates, which means you can document everything on site.6Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Vehicle Storage Facilities Penalties and Sanctions If you find damage that wasn’t there before, file a complaint with the TDLR within two years and consider a claim against the tow company’s insurance.
What It Costs
Dallas caps the tow charge itself under city ordinance, and Texas sets separate maximums for storage and administrative fees through the TDLR. Both apply.
Dallas Tow Fees
The tow charge depends on the vehicle’s gross weight rating:7American Legal Publishing. Dallas Code of Ordinances – SEC. 48A-43 Maximum Fee Schedule
- 10,000 lbs or less (most cars and SUVs): $165
- 10,001 to 24,999 lbs: $300
- 25,000 lbs or more: $489 per unit, up to $978 total
No add-ons are allowed for dollies, go-jacks, or hooking up the vehicle. The tow fee covers the whole operation.7American Legal Publishing. Dallas Code of Ordinances – SEC. 48A-43 Maximum Fee Schedule
State Storage and Administrative Fees
The TDLR sets and reviews these figures every two years. Current maximums:8Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. VSF Fees and Other Charges
- Daily storage, vehicles 25 feet or shorter: $22.85 per day or partial day
- Daily storage, vehicles over 25 feet: $39.99 per day or partial day
- Notification fee: $50, one-time, covering all required notices to the owner and lienholders
- Impoundment fee: $22.85, one-time
Storage starts running the moment the car enters the lot, and a partial day counts as a full day. A car towed Monday evening owes a day of storage even if picked up Tuesday morning. For a typical passenger vehicle claimed after three days, the bill runs about $165 (tow) + $68.55 (three days storage) + $50 (notification) + $22.85 (impound), or roughly $306. Every additional day adds another $22.85.
Contesting the Tow
Think the tow was unjustified? Texas law lets you request a hearing at a justice court, and you have 14 days from the date the vehicle was removed to file a written request. The hearing can be held in the county where the tow happened or where the storage facility sits.9State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code Chapter 2308 – Section: 2308.454
The court decides whether there was probable cause for the removal and whether the fees were properly assessed.10State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code Chapter 2308 – Section: 2308.453 Bring photos of the parking area, the signage or lack of it, any parking receipt, and a timeline. If the court finds the tow was unauthorized, you can recover the fees you paid.
One place a tow often falls apart is signage on private property. Texas law requires signs with a red towing symbol at least four inches tall at the top, “Towing Enforced” in letters at least two inches high, and the storage facility’s phone number and address in letters at least one inch high.11State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code OCC 2308.302 Missing or non-compliant signage is worth raising at the hearing.
The 14-day window is firm. Miss it and you lose the right to a hearing entirely, no matter how strong the case. File the request first and gather evidence after.
If You Leave the Car on the Lot
Abandoning a towed vehicle eventually costs you the vehicle. The storage facility must send two written notices. The first goes out no later than five days after the car arrives (14 days for out-of-state registrations). The second is sent 15 to 20 days after the first.12Texas State Law Library. Abandoned Vehicles – Abandoned Property
If the vehicle remains unclaimed 30 days after the second notice, the facility can sell it at public auction. Cars more than 10 years old and in junk condition need only one notice and a 30-day wait.12Texas State Law Library. Abandoned Vehicles – Abandoned Property By the time an auction happens, the storage fees alone often exceed what the vehicle is worth, and any auction proceeds go toward those fees before you see anything.
Active-Duty Military Protection
If you’re on active duty, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act blocks a storage facility from enforcing a lien against your vehicle during your service and for 90 days after it ends without first obtaining a court order. A facility that knowingly sells a servicemember’s vehicle without that court order commits a federal misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison, and the servicemember can sue for damages and attorney’s fees.13Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 50 USC 3958 Enforcement of Storage Liens If you’re deployed or about to deploy, notify the storage facility in writing and include a copy of your military orders.
Filing a Complaint
If a tow operator charged over the legal maximum, refused to release personal items, wouldn’t let you review the tow ticket, or damaged your car, file a complaint with the TDLR within two years using the agency’s online complaint form.14Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Forms – File a Complaint Include photos, receipts, and specifics. Vague complaints without documentation rarely trigger an investigation.
Charging above the Dallas fee cap is also an offense under city code.7American Legal Publishing. Dallas Code of Ordinances – SEC. 48A-43 Maximum Fee Schedule The TDLR keeps a public sanctions list for storage facilities that violate state rules, including access failures and overcharging.6Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Vehicle Storage Facilities Penalties and Sanctions Between city enforcement and state licensing action, there are real consequences on the books, but only for operators who actually get reported.