Texas law spells out real limits on what a tow company can charge you, what a property has to post before towing you, and how quickly you can get your car back. Most of it lives in Occupations Code Chapter 2308, enforced by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. If your car was just towed, call (469) 902-4411. We’ll connect you with a licensed operator, and knowing these rights helps you push back on anything that isn’t right.

If your car was towed off private property, an apartment lot, retail center, or office complex, without your consent, the property was required to post a sign meeting Occupations Code 2308.301: at least 18 by 24 inches, mounted 5 to 8 feet up, at every entrance, up for at least 24 hours before enforcement, with a towing warning, enforcement hours, and a 24-hour contact number. If no compliant sign was posted, you have grounds to dispute the tow with the property owner, who can be held civilly liable for towing without proper signage.

You have a right to capped fees, not whatever a company decides to charge

Texas doesn’t leave towing and storage fees to guesswork. Two sets of caps apply depending on the situation:

Dallas non-consent tow caps (City Code 48A-43): $121 for vehicles up to 10,000 lbs, $191 for 10,001 to 26,000 lbs, $445 for anything heavier. No extra charge is allowed for dollies, tow bars, or linkage on top of these numbers, and charging above the cap is a criminal offense under the city code.

TDLR statewide vehicle storage facility caps: up to $272 for the tow itself (vehicles under 10,000 lbs), $22.85 per day for storage of vehicles 25 feet and under, and a $50 notification fee. A facility cannot charge you a daily storage fee if your vehicle was there under 12 hours, and it’s prohibited from tacking on environmental fees, notary fees, or a fee just to retrieve personal belongings from the car.

You have a right to pay by more than cash

A licensed Texas vehicle storage facility is required to accept cash, debit, and credit. If a lot tells you it’s cash only, that’s not compliant with state rules.

You have a right to find your vehicle

If police towed your car in Dallas, it most likely went to the Dallas Auto Pound at 1955 Vilbig Road. Call 3-1-1 or the pound directly at (214) 670-5116 to confirm. The Auto Pound doesn’t publish a fixed fee schedule or set hours, so a call before you drive over saves a wasted trip. If a private property arranged the tow, your car likely went to a licensed vehicle storage facility, and the facility is required to be reachable so you can locate your vehicle and find out what’s owed.

You have a right to retrieve personal property

Texas law prohibits a storage facility from charging you a fee just to access personal belongings left in your vehicle. You shouldn’t have to pay extra to get your phone charger, your kid’s car seat, or paperwork out of the car before you decide whether to pay the release fees.

What Texas’s abandoned-vehicle rule means for you

If a vehicle sits unmoved, Transportation Code Chapter 683 sets timelines before it’s legally considered abandoned: more than 48 hours on private property without consent, more than 48 hours on public property, or more than 24 hours on a controlled-access highway. This matters if your car broke down somewhere and you’re worried about how much time you have before it’s towed as abandoned, especially on a freeway shoulder.

What to do if a fee looks wrong

Ask for an itemized receipt before you pay. If a charge exceeds the published caps, or includes something the law prohibits, like a notary or environmental fee, you have grounds to dispute it with the facility and, if needed, file a complaint with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the agency that licenses and regulates tow operators and storage facilities statewide.

Frequently asked questions

Can a Texas tow company charge whatever it wants for storage? No. TDLR caps daily storage at $22.85 for vehicles 25 feet and under, and prohibits several add-on fees outright.

What if there was no sign posted where I was towed from? You have grounds to dispute the tow with the property owner, who can be held civilly liable under Texas law for towing without a compliant sign.

Can a storage facility refuse my credit card and demand cash? No. Licensed Texas vehicle storage facilities are required to accept cash, debit, and credit.

How long can my car sit before it’s legally abandoned in Texas? More than 48 hours on private property without consent or on public property, or more than 24 hours on a controlled-access highway, under Transportation Code 683.

If your car has been towed and you need it moved once it’s released, or you’re stuck and need a licensed operator now, call (469) 902-4411.