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Car towed in Tucson

Tucson is in Pima 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 Tucson, call the Tucson Police Department non-emergency line (8am-6pm) to find out whether your car was towed and which company has it.

Tucson Police Department non-emergency line (8am-6pm)
520-791-4444
Website (opens in a new tab)

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

Dollar caps are the Arizona DPS contract schedule (metro area) in force on the tow date; not printed in city text. Storage cannot be charged for the first calendar day; free incomplete-service-call release (Sec. 7-526).

See the official rates (opens in a new tab).

Estimate your bill

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 tow Sale deadlines Evidence checklist Dispute 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.

A.R.S. 9-499.05(B) (opens in a new tab)

Rules specific to Tucson

Tucson Code Sec. 7-525 (Ord. 12055, 11-14-23; amended Ord. 12099, 6-4-24) caps non-consent private-parking-area tows at the maximum allowable Arizona DPS contract rate schedule for a metro area, as of the date of the tow. The code itself states no dollar figures, so the numbers are not available from the city text. No storage on the first calendar day (midnight to midnight). City FAQ says the ordinance caps tow, after-hours and storage fees at DPS rates and applies to private parking areas inside city limits (not city/police/fire-directed tows). Business hours per FAQ: 8am-6pm Mon-Fri, 8am-noon Sat. Source (opens in a new tab)
Cap on tow, after-hours and storage fees equals the DPS metro-area contract rate schedule; no storage on first calendar day; carrier must be available to release during business hours and within two hours of a request made 2+ hours before close. Tucson Code 7-525 (opens in a new tab)
No charge if the owner/driver returns before the vehicle is fully secured, removed from the area and the tow truck enters a public street (incomplete service call, release without charge). Tucson Code 7-526 (opens in a new tab)
Tow from a private parking area requires conforming signs (Sec. 7-517), photographic evidence, and no charge above the amount posted on the sign; signs must be clearly visible from any point in the lot, red/white or blue/white, and list phone and address where vehicle can be found. Tucson Code 7-517, 7-527(a),(j); city FAQ (opens in a new tab)

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
  Website (opens in a new tab)
- City of Tucson Private Property Towing Ordinance page
  Website (opens in a new tab)
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)

See the dates for your tow

Common questions

Where is my car if it was towed in Tucson?

In Tucson, call the Tucson Police Department non-emergency line (8am-6pm) 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 Tucson?

Local maximum rates for private-property tows in Tucson 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 Tucson

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
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 Pima County

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-17. These are the laws and official pages this page is based on.