Towed Car HelpCar towed in Carmel
Carmel is in Hamilton County, Indiana. 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 Carmel, call the Hamilton County non-emergency central dispatch (serves Carmel PD) to find out whether your car was towed and which company has it.
- Hamilton County non-emergency central dispatch (serves Carmel PD)317-773-1282
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, so call the police non-emergency line and ask where your car went.
IC 24-14-4-5
No record of a tow anywhere? Report the car to police as possibly stolen.
What they can charge
Indiana has no dollar cap for private-property tows. The rate is the one in the company's agreement with the property owner, otherwise the local police rate or Indiana State Police district rate. Fees must be reasonable.
The rates below may have changed since this schedule was published. Check the official source before relying on them.
| Charge | Rate |
|---|---|
| Total storage cap (abandoned-vehicle limit referenced by IC 24-14-8-1) | $2,000.00 |
What to bring
- After you pay all towing, storage and allowed fees, the company must release the car to a properly identified owner or lienholder. It may not refuse during regular office hours, unless police ordered a hold or litigation is pending.
- The company must accept cash, certified check, insurance check and money order. Accepting credit or debit cards is optional, so ask before you go. Call ahead to ask which types the lot takes.
Paperwork locked inside the car? Indiana's towing law says you may not be charged to retrieve items from your car, but it sets no separate schedule for getting belongings out without paying the full bill.
IC 24-14-7-2(a); IC 24-14-9-2(1); IC 24-14-7-2(c); IC 9-22-1-8(b)
Getting it back
- The tow or storage business must be open and reachable by phone during regular office hours, and have a phone number that takes messages 24 hours a day. It must return calls within 24 hours.
- You may inspect your car during business hours before accepting release, and the company may not charge an inspection fee or a fee to retrieve items from the car.
- Inspect the car before you drive away, and photograph any damage.
IC 9-22-1-8(e); IC 24-14-7-2(b); IC 9-22-1-8(b)
Was the tow legal?
Common problems with private tows in Indiana include missing tow-away signs, refusing to release the car when you came back before it left, and a storage lot too far away.
Check my towSale deadlinesEvidence checklistDispute letter
Tow-away sign rules in Indiana
These apply to commercial property (non-commercial tows are not covered).
- Where: At the spot, conspicuous and clearly visible to the public.
- Must show: a warning that unauthorized vehicles will be towed.
- Must show: who may park there.
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. You can get an itemized invoice within 1 business day of the tow. It must show pickup and drop-off locations, the tow charge, daily storage rate, each other fee with a description, and miles towed.
- File a complaint.
- Indiana Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division
- Indianapolis non-consensual tow complaints (DBNS)
- Go to court if needed. To get your car out while disputing the bill, pay 75% of the invoice, show proof of a bond for the other 25%, and give a copy of your Attorney General complaint. The company must then release the car within 24 hours. You must sue within 30 days for a judge to decide what is reasonable.
- Consider small claims or a chargeback. Indiana's small claims docket hears civil claims up to $10,000; you may waive any excess to fit. Marion County uses separate township small claims courts. 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 statement.
Deadlines to watch
Your car can be sold. If you do not appear within 20 days after the notice is mailed, the company may sell the car at public sale or auction. In Indianapolis-Marion County the wait is 15 days. Cars worth more than $3,500 have extra steps before sale.
Within 3 business days of the tow, the company must search the national vehicle title database and then notify the owner and any lienholder that storage is accruing and the car can be sold. If it fails to notify you, it cannot collect storage accruing after that date.
Indiana deadlines, counted from the law
- Company must search title database and notify owner and lienholder within: 3 business days after the tow. IC 24-14-6-1; IC 9-22-1-19 (opens in a new tab)
- Earliest public sale after notice mailed: 20 days after the tow company's notice. IC 9-22-1-23(b)-(c); IC 9-22-1-21.5(c) (opens in a new tab)
- Earliest public sale after notice mailed: 15 days after the tow company's notice, if Indianapolis-Marion County. IC 9-22-1-23(b)-(c); IC 9-22-1-21.5(c) (opens in a new tab)
Common questions
Where is my car if it was towed in Carmel?
In Carmel, call the Hamilton County non-emergency central dispatch (serves Carmel PD) 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, so the police non-emergency line can usually tell you where the car is.
How much can a tow company charge in Carmel?
Local maximum rates for private-property tows in Carmel 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 Indiana?
If you do not appear within 20 days after the notice is mailed, the company may sell the car at public sale or auction. In Indianapolis-Marion County the wait is 15 days. Cars worth more than $3,500 have extra steps before sale.
Do I pay storage if I get my car back quickly?
Ask the tow company when storage charges begin.
Not verified yet for Carmel
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 Hamilton County
Sources
Last checked 2026-10-17. These are the laws and official pages this page is based on.