Car towed in Meriden

1Find who towed your car

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

2What they can charge

The base tow charge covers prep and the first two loaded miles; no fuel surcharge is allowed. Storage for a car under 20 ft is capped at $30 a day for days 1 to 5 inside a building ($26 outside in a fenced, lit lot; $23 in an open lot), then $37, $31 and $25 a day. The base tow rate rises to $136.51 on 2027-01-01 and $142.65 on 2028-01-01. See the official Connecticut (statewide, DMV) rates (opens in a new tab).

Estimate your bill

3What to bring

• You must show proof of ownership, such as a registration, title, bill of sale or lease. The company must release the car even if the address on the paper differs from your current address. An owner, lender or person authorized by either may redeem.
• The company must accept cash or a credit or debit card and keep enough cash on hand to make change. If you pay by card, the cardholder must come in and sign the receipt. Call ahead to ask which types the lot takes.

Paperwork locked inside the car? The company has no lien on belongings inside the car and must let you remove them during business hours, or within 4 hours of asking if it is closed. The company cannot hold your personal property for any reason.

Conn. Gen. Stat. 14-66a(d), as amended by P.A. 25-55 sec. 12; Conn. Gen. Stat. 14-66a(e), as amended by P.A. 25-55 sec. 12; Conn. Gen. Stat. 14-66a(b); DMV Consumer Bill of Rights

4Getting it back

• The car must be kept in a secured lot at the company's own business site, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. The company must also answer a phone number 24 hours a day for pickup requests.
• If you ask to pick up the car outside business hours, the company must make it available within 4 hours of your request. It may charge a capped after-hours redemption fee, which is $50 for a regular car.
• You may inspect the car before you redeem it. The company cannot make you sign a general release of damage claims or claims that the tow was unjustified.
• Inspect the car before you drive away, and photograph any damage.

Before you sign anything: Photos taken before the tow are your best evidence. If the car was damaged and the company failed to provide the photos you requested, the law presumes it caused the damage. Write down any damage before you pay.

Conn. Gen. Stat. 14-66a(a), as amended by P.A. 25-55 sec. 12; Conn. Gen. Stat. 14-66a(a), (c); DMV schedule effective 2026-01-01; Conn. Gen. Stat. 14-66a(f), as amended by P.A. 25-55 sec. 12; Conn. Gen. Stat. 14-145(d)(2), as amended by P.A. 25-55 sec. 1

5Was the tow legal?

Common problems with private tows in Connecticut 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 Connecticut

These apply to parking lots and apartment lots (residential means a building of 5 or more units, a condominium or a common interest community).

• Where: At every entrance, installed at least 48 hours before a tow.
• Size: at least 12 by 18 inches.
• Lettering at least 1 inch tall.
• Must show: the tow and storage charges.
• Must show: a warning that unauthorized vehicles will be towed.
• Must show: the towing company's name.

Conn. Gen. Stat. 14-145; P.A. 25-55 sec. 3(b)-(c) (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 DMV publishes maximum charges for private-property tows, and a towing company may not charge more or add fees not on the schedule. The company must also post the DMV's Consumer Bill of Rights at its office.
3. File a complaint.
   • CT DMV Consumer Complaint Center
     Website (opens in a new tab)
4. Go to court if needed. Connecticut law gives private-property tow victims no bond or hearing to get the car out early that we could confirm. The DMV hearing form A-25 is described for tows ordered by a town or police. Your routes are paying under protest, a DMV complaint, or small claims.
5. Consider small claims or a chargeback. Connecticut small claims handles money claims up to $5,000, which can include a refund of improper towing and storage charges. A property owner who towed you improperly is liable for those costs plus attorney's fees and court costs. If you paid by credit card, you can dispute the charge with your card issuer. For billing errors, your written dispute generally must reach the issuer within 60 days of the first bill showing the charge. Whether a tow charge qualifies is up to the issuer.

7Deadlines to watch

Connecticut deadlines, counted from the law

• Earliest sale after storage begins: 30 days after the tow, if car worth $1,500 or less. P.A. 25-55 sec. 14(b), (c)(3), (h) (opens in a new tab)
• Earliest sale after storage begins: 60 days after the tow, if car worth more than $1,500. P.A. 25-55 sec. 14(b), (c)(3), (h) (opens in a new tab)
• Wait after certified notice of intent to sell and DMV approval: 5 business days (see the law for when the count starts). P.A. 25-55 sec. 14(b), (c)(3), (h) (opens in a new tab)

See the dates for your tow

Common questions

Not verified yet for Meriden

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 South Central Connecticut Planning Region

• Milford
• New Haven
• West Haven