Towed Car Help

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Car towed in Arlington Heights

Arlington Heights is in Cook County, Illinois. 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 Arlington Heights, call the Arlington Heights Police Department to find out whether your car was towed and which company has it.

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.

625 ILCS 5/18a-300(11)

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

What they can charge

$238.20
Ceiling to tow a standard car from private property under Illinois Commerce Commission area (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Will and Winnebago counties) rates; your city may set its own
Not published
Illinois Commerce Commission area (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Will and Winnebago counties) ceiling per day of storage, starting after 24 hours

These rates may have changed since this schedule was published. Schedules are often updated once a year, so check the official source before relying on them.

Other Illinois Commerce Commission area (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Will and Winnebago counties) maximums
ChargeMaximum
Relocation invoice fee$2.50

The ICC lists $238.20 as the current maximum light-duty relocation tow rate, plus a $2.50 invoice fee. The daily storage maximum was not found; no storage may be charged for the first 24 hours. These caps apply only in the five ICC counties. See the official Illinois Commerce Commission area (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Will and Winnebago counties) rates (opens in a new tab).

Estimate your bill

What to bring

  • You (or your agent) must show a valid driver's license plus a key that starts the car, or proof of ownership or authorized use such as a title, current registration, bill of sale, or lease or rental contract.
  • The company must accept cash, traveler's checks, money orders, cashier's checks, certified checks, and commonly accepted credit and debit cards. Any card fee counts toward the legal maximum, so it cannot be added on top. Call ahead to ask which types the lot takes.

92 Ill. Adm. Code 1710.121; 92 Ill. Adm. Code 1710.122(a); 625 ILCS 5/18a-200(6)

Getting it back

  • The company must keep the lot open for pickups during all hours it tows and for 2 hours after it stops towing, with an authorized person on site. It cannot charge storage for hours or days it is closed.
  • If the car is at the company's main lot, it must be released immediately once you show ID and pay. At a secondary lot, release can take up to 2 hours if you are ready before 5 p.m. on a weekday, or until 10 a.m. the next day otherwise.
  • Inspect the car before you drive away, and photograph any damage.

92 Ill. Adm. Code 1710.123, 1710.132, 1710.122(c); 92 Ill. Adm. Code 1710.120(a)

How 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. A company may charge only the lesser of the ICC rate or the amount on its own sign. It must keep its rates posted and open to the public, and give you a written invoice that includes complaint instructions.
  3. File a complaint.
  4. Go to court if needed. You can file a complaint and the ICC can order a refund after a hearing if the tow lacked proper signs for 24 hours, took a car from a space where it was allowed, happened while you were present, or had no valid written authorization on file. A person unhappy with an ICC order can seek review in circuit court.
  5. Consider small claims or a chargeback. Illinois small claims covers money claims based on tort or contract of up to $10,000, not counting interest and 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.

Deadlines to watch

Your car can be sold. Unclaimed cars are handled under the abandoned-vehicle sale rules. A car 7 years old or newer can be sold at auction if unclaimed 30 days after notice, with sale notice posted on site and certified mail sent at least 10 days before the sale.

A towing company that wants storage fees must send certified-mail notice to the car's lienholder within 2 business days of the tow, or it cannot collect storage or enforce a lien. If you have a car loan, your lender may be the one notified.

Illinois deadlines, counted from the law

See the dates for your tow

Common questions

Where is my car if it was towed in Arlington Heights?

In Arlington Heights, call the Arlington Heights Police Department 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 Arlington Heights?

For a standard passenger car towed from private property, the Illinois Commerce Commission area (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Will and Winnebago counties) ceiling is $238.20 for the tow. Arlington Heights may set its own lower limits, so ask the tow company for its rate sheet.

How long before a towed car is sold in Illinois?

Unclaimed cars are handled under the abandoned-vehicle sale rules. A car 7 years old or newer can be sold at auction if unclaimed 30 days after notice, with sale notice posted on site and certified mail sent at least 10 days before the sale.

Do I pay storage if I get my car back quickly?

No storage fee may be charged if your car was stored less than 24 hours.

Not verified yet for Arlington Heights

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 Cook County

Sources

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