Yes. Texas regulates towing fees at two levels: the state, through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, and the city, through local ordinances like Dallas’s non-consent towing code. Neither one leaves the number to the tow company. Call (469) 902-4411 if you think you were overcharged, and we’ll connect you with a licensed operator who can walk you through what you actually owe.

The state layer: TDLR vehicle storage facility caps

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the agency that licenses tow operators and storage facilities under Occupations Code Chapter 2308, sets maximum fees a licensed vehicle storage facility (VSF) can charge:

  • Tow fee, vehicles up to 10,000 lbs: $272 maximum
  • Tow fee, 10,001 to 24,999 lbs: $380 maximum
  • Tow fee, 25,000 lbs and up: $489 per unit, capped at $978
  • Daily storage, 25 feet and under: $22.85 per day
  • Daily storage, over 25 feet: $39.99 per day
  • Impoundment fee: $20 maximum, and only if impoundment services were actually performed
  • Notification fee: $50 maximum

A facility owes you no daily storage fee at all if your vehicle was there less than 12 hours, and any partial day still counts as a full day past that point. TDLR also prohibits specific junk fees outright: no environmental fee, no notary fee, and no fee just to let you retrieve personal property from the vehicle. Facilities are required to accept cash, debit, and credit, not cash only.

Separate from TDLR’s storage fees, Dallas City Code Chapter 48A-43 caps what can be charged for a non-consent tow, meaning a vehicle towed off private property without the owner’s permission, such as an apartment lot or a business parking area. The caps are set by the vehicle’s gross weight:

  • Up to 10,000 lbs: $121 maximum
  • 10,001 to 26,000 lbs: $191 maximum
  • Over 26,000 lbs: $445 maximum

No additional charge is allowed for dollies, tow bars, or “linkage” on top of these numbers. Charging above the cap is a criminal offense under the city code, not just a billing dispute.

What isn’t capped, and what that means

Roadside assistance you call yourself, like a flat tire or a dead battery on the shoulder of I-635 or the Dallas North Tollway, isn’t a non-consent tow and isn’t covered by the 48A-43 caps. That’s a private transaction between you and whichever operator responds, and the price is whatever that operator quotes for the job, based on distance, vehicle weight, and time of day. That’s not a loophole. It’s simply a different kind of service than a non-consent tow off someone else’s property or a police-directed impound.

The Dallas Auto Pound is a separate system again

If Dallas police towed your car, it likely went to the city-run Dallas Auto Pound at 1955 Vilbig Road, not a private licensed storage facility. The Auto Pound doesn’t publish a set fee schedule or fixed hours, so call the pound directly at (214) 670-5116, or call 3-1-1, before you assume the TDLR caps above apply there. TDLR’s numbers govern licensed private storage facilities. The city pound runs under its own process, and the honest answer is to call and confirm rather than guess.

Why this matters when you’re getting a quote

Knowing which cap applies, TDLR’s storage caps, Dallas’s non-consent tow caps, or neither because it’s roadside assistance you called yourself, tells you what questions to ask before you pay anything. Ask for an itemized receipt. If a charge falls under one of these capped categories and exceeds the number, or includes a fee the state explicitly prohibits, that’s worth disputing with the facility and, if it doesn’t get resolved, reporting to TDLR.

Frequently asked questions

Does Quick Tow Dallas set the price for tows? No. We connect drivers with independent, licensed local tow operators. Each operator quotes and sets their own rate for roadside jobs, which aren’t subject to the non-consent or VSF caps.

What’s the maximum I can be charged for a non-consent tow in Dallas? $121 for vehicles up to 10,000 lbs, $191 for 10,001 to 26,000 lbs, and $445 above that, under City Code 48A-43.

Can a storage facility charge me a fee to get my belongings out of the car? No. TDLR rules specifically prohibit fees for accessing personal property left in a towed vehicle.

Are Dallas Auto Pound fees the same as TDLR’s caps? No. The Auto Pound is a city-run lot with no published fee schedule. TDLR’s caps apply to licensed private vehicle storage facilities, a separate system. Call the pound at (214) 670-5116 to confirm what you owe there.

If you need a tow and want a straight answer on what your specific job will cost, call (469) 902-4411. We’ll connect you with a licensed Dallas-area operator who can quote it before any truck moves.