Towed Car HelpCar towed in Scottsdale
Scottsdale is in Maricopa County, Arizona. Here is how to find your car, what you can be charged, and what to do if the tow looks wrong. Last checked 2026-10-17.
Storage fees grow every day. Get your car back as soon as you can, even if you plan to dispute the tow. Pay, keep every receipt, and fight the charges afterward.
Find who towed your car
Street parking or a police tow
In Scottsdale, call the Scottsdale Police Department non-emergency and administration to find out whether your car was towed and which company has it.
- Scottsdale Police Department non-emergency and administration480-312-5000
Apartment, store, or private lot
Read the tow-away sign at the lot entrance. It must show the tow company's name and phone number.
No sign, or you can't find it? The company must report the tow to police within 1 hour, so call the police non-emergency line and ask where your car went.
A.R.S. 28-4836(A)-(B)
No record of a tow anywhere? Report the car to police as possibly stolen.
What they can charge
We have not verified local maximum rates for Scottsdale yet. Ask the tow company for its rate sheet. It must give you one on request.
What to bring
- To claim a held car you need a government photo ID plus one ownership document, such as the title, current registration, an insurance release, or proof of a lien.
- Tucson requires towers to accept cash and cards and bars them from demanding exact change. Other Arizona cities and the state have no card rule that we found. Call ahead to ask which types the lot takes.
A.R.S. 28-4842(E); Tucson Code 7-514, 7-528
Getting it back
- Inspect the car before you drive away, and photograph any damage.
Was the tow legal?
Common problems with private tows in Arizona include missing tow-away signs.
Check my towSale deadlinesEvidence checklistDispute letter
Tow-away sign rules in Arizona
These apply to lots where towing is done inside a city or town.
- Where: Easy to read from anywhere in the parking area and at every entrance.
- Must show: where towed cars are stored.
- Must show: the tow and storage charges.
How to dispute a tow
- Collect evidence. Photograph the lot entrances and any signs, keep every receipt, and write down times and names.
- Ask for an itemized invoice. Ask the company for a written, itemized bill listing every charge.
- File a complaint.
- Local police or sheriff (non-emergency line)
- Arizona Department of Public Safety Tow Program
- City of Tucson Private Property Towing Ordinance page
- Go to court if needed. We found no Arizona statute giving a quick hearing to contest a private-property tow. The usual route is to pay to get the car out, keep every receipt and sign photo, then sue in small claims court.
- Consider small claims or a chargeback. Arizona small claims, heard in the justice court, covers claims up to $5,000 plus costs. Earlier notes said $3,500, but the current statute says $5,000. If you paid by credit card, you can dispute a charge for a tow you believe was illegal with your card issuer. Do it promptly and keep your documents.
Deadlines to watch
Your car can be sold. If nobody claims a car within 10 days, the person holding it must report it to the state Motor Vehicle Division within 5 days. The state then mails notice to owners and lienholders and gives 30 days to claim the car before ownership can transfer.
The state sends the notice of intent to transfer ownership by mail within 5 days for in-state vehicles and within 30 days otherwise. If no address is found, it posts notice on its website for at least 30 days.
Arizona deadlines, counted from the law
- Holder must report unclaimed car to the state Motor Vehicle Division (after 10 unclaimed days, then within 5 days): 10 days (see the law for when the count starts), if abandoned-vehicle law (A.R.S. 28-4838). A.R.S. 28-4838(A); 28-4841(B) (opens in a new tab)
- Earliest ownership can transfer after state mails notice: 30 days after the tow company's notice, if abandoned-vehicle law (A.R.S. 28-4841). A.R.S. 28-4838(A); 28-4841(B) (opens in a new tab)
Common questions
Where is my car if it was towed in Scottsdale?
In Scottsdale, call the Scottsdale Police Department non-emergency and administration to find out whether your car was towed and which company has it. For a private tow, the tow company must report it to police within 1 hour, so the police non-emergency line can usually tell you where the car is.
How much can a tow company charge in Scottsdale?
Local maximum rates for private-property tows in Scottsdale are not verified on this site yet. Ask the tow company for its posted rate sheet, which it must give you on request.
How long before a towed car is sold in Arizona?
If nobody claims a car within 10 days, the person holding it must report it to the state Motor Vehicle Division within 5 days. The state then mails notice to owners and lienholders and gives 30 days to claim the car before ownership can transfer.
Do I pay storage if I get my car back quickly?
Ask the tow company when storage charges begin.
Not verified yet for Scottsdale
We only publish details we could confirm from an official source. These are still missing, so ask the agencies above:
- Addresses and hours of the tow lots that hold police tows
- An official online lookup for towed cars
- Local maximum rates for private-property tows
- City-specific documents needed to pick up a car
- Local rules for someone else picking up your car
- Local auction schedules for unclaimed cars
Other cities in Maricopa County
Sources
Last checked 2026-10-17. These are the laws and official pages this page is based on.
- https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/police (opens in a new tab)
- https://www.azleg.gov/ars/9/00499-05.htm (opens in a new tab)
- https://www.azleg.gov/ars/11/00251-04.htm (opens in a new tab)
- https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04836.htm (opens in a new tab)
- https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04834.htm (opens in a new tab)
- https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04838.htm (opens in a new tab)
- https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04841.htm (opens in a new tab)
- https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04842.htm (opens in a new tab)
- https://www.azleg.gov/ars/22/00503.htm (opens in a new tab)