Car towed in Erie

1Find who towed your car

No record of a tow anywhere? Report the car to police as possibly stolen.

2What they can charge

Storage is per 24 hours or part of one, and mileage ($3.80 per mile in earlier schedules, changing monthly with fuel surcharge) is listed separately by the PUC. Rates adjust each March 15. See the official Colorado (statewide, PUC) rates (opens in a new tab).

Statewide, the administrative fee to release a car from the tow company's lien cannot exceed $75.00.

Estimate your bill

3What to bring

• Colorado's towing law lets an "authorized or interested person" retrieve the car. It does not spell out the ID the company can demand, so bring photo ID, registration or title, and proof of payment method.
• The company must accept cash and major credit cards, plus any other payment forms the PUC requires, and must tell you its accepted forms on request. It may add a card surcharge. Call ahead to ask which types the lot takes.

Paperwork locked inside the car? The company has no lien on what is inside your car. If you ask within 30 days after the owner notice is mailed, it must let you retrieve your belongings. For residential tows this is free; for commercial tows the PUC lists up to $102.28 per hour.

C.R.S. 40-10.1-405(5); C.R.S. 40-10.1-405(1)(b), (4)(d); C.R.S. 40-10.1-405(5)(a)-(b)

4Getting it back

• After-hours release can add a fee, up to $106.06. Normal business hours are typically 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays except holidays.
• The storage lot must have lighting good enough to inspect your car for damage before release during business hours or at release. Ask for the tow company's insurance proof, which it must give on request.
• Inspect the car before you drive away, and photograph any damage.

Before you sign anything: The company must take four photos of the car's condition plus a photo showing the reason for the tow, and give you copies on request. If it cannot produce them and your car is damaged, damage by the company is presumed.

4 CCR 723-6, rule 6511(e); C.R.S. 40-10.1-405(2)(d), (4)(a); C.R.S. 40-10.1-405(2)

5Was the tow legal?

Common problems with private tows in Colorado include missing tow-away signs, refusing to release the car when you came back before it left, charges above the legal maximum, and refusing a payment type the law requires.

Check my towSale deadlinesEvidence checklistDispute letter

Tow-away sign rules in Colorado

These apply to tows by a company with an agreement with the property owner.

• Where: At the entrance facing the street and inside the parking area facing the spaces; 3 to 8 feet off the ground; lots with more than ten lampposts (non-residential) need signs at each lamppost.
• Size: at least 144 square inches.
• Lettering at least 1 inch tall.
• Must show: the towing company's name.
• Must show: the towing company's phone number.

C.R.S. 40-10.1-405(4)(f)(III) (opens in a new tab)

6How to dispute a tow

1. Collect evidence. Photograph the lot entrances and any signs, keep every receipt, and write down times and names.
2. Ask for an itemized invoice. The company must display the current PUC maximum rates at its office and on its website, with the PUC hotline number, and give an itemized bill on request. It cannot charge or keep fees the PUC rules do not list.
3. File a complaint.
   • Colorado PUC Consumer Affairs (towing complaints)
     Website (opens in a new tab)
4. Go to court if needed. For a residential tow, you can get the car out by paying 15 percent of the fees, up to $60, and signing the PUC "Retrieval with Payment Owed" form. You still owe the rest, but you can still file a complaint. This option is not open to lienholders or insurers.
5. Consider small claims or a chargeback. Colorado small claims court handles claims up to $7,500, not counting interest or costs. You may file for more but can collect only $7,500, and cannot split one claim into several. If you paid by credit card and believe the charge was improper, you can dispute it with your card issuer under federal billing-error rules. Act quickly and keep your receipt and photos.

7Deadlines to watch

Colorado deadlines, counted from the law

• Company must find owner and mail certified notice within: 10 days after the tow. C.R.S. 42-4-2103(3)(c) (opens in a new tab)
• Car subject to sale if unclaimed after notice mailed: 30 days after the tow company's notice. C.R.S. 42-4-2103(4)(d) (opens in a new tab)

See the dates for your tow

Common questions

Not verified yet for Erie

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 Weld County

• Greeley
• Windsor