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Your rights after a tow in Maine

Maine law sets rules for towing from private property, such as apartment complexes and store lots. Counties and cities set the maximum rates. Here is what the law says, in plain English.

Pick your city

Which law covers your tow

Maine's abandoned-vehicle subchapter covers a car towed after being left on property without the owner's permission. It also covers cars towed at the owner's request or by police direction. 29-A M.R.S. 1851 (opens in a new tab)
The Maine statutes I read contain no rule requiring tow-away signs, and none setting a maximum towing distance or a maximum tow rate for private-property tows. Cities and towns may have their own ordinances, so check your city. 29-A M.R.S. 1851-1863 (no such provision found) (opens in a new tab)
State law does not set a tow-fee cap for private lots. Any cap would have to come from a city or town ordinance, which I could not confirm for Portland, Lewiston or Bangor. 29-A M.R.S. 1851-1863 (no cap found) (opens in a new tab)

Tow-away signs

I found no Maine state law that requires signs before a private lot tows a car. Look for a local ordinance and ask the lot owner what signs were posted. 29-A M.R.S. 1851-1863 (no signage provision found) (opens in a new tab)

Finding your car

Maine's statute does not give a deadline for the tow company to report a private tow to police. Call the local police non-emergency line first, since they often know where cars went. 29-A M.R.S. 1851-1863 (no police-notice deadline found) (opens in a new tab)
State law sets no maximum distance a private-property tow can take your car. 29-A M.R.S. 1851-1863 (no limit found) (opens in a new tab)

Getting your car back

If you pay the reasonable towing, storage and repair charges before the Secretary of State issues a letter of ownership or title to the lot owner, the holder must release the car right away. Refusing is a Class E crime. 29-A M.R.S. 1856(2) (opens in a new tab)
The statute lets the holder keep the car until reasonable towing and storage charges are paid. It does not say which payment methods must be accepted, so ask before you go. 29-A M.R.S. 1861 (opens in a new tab)
The holder may keep the vehicle, its accessories and contents, but not the registered owner's personal effects. Personal effects include medications, medical equipment, clothing, mail and child car seats. 29-A M.R.S. 1861 (opens in a new tab)
The owner or lienholder can get the car back by paying the charges. Maine's statute does not spell out what ID is needed, so bring registration and photo ID. 29-A M.R.S. 1852, 1856 (opens in a new tab)

What you can be charged

Maine law sets no dollar cap on the tow fee for private-property tows. Charges must be 'reasonable', and the holder must be able to justify them. 29-A M.R.S. 1861 (opens in a new tab)
If the lot owner reports late (more than 14 days after getting the car) or never reports to the Secretary of State, it can collect at most 14 days of storage. Daily storage must be reasonable, and total storage cannot exceed $1,500 per 30 days. 29-A M.R.S. 1857 (opens in a new tab)
For commercial trucks only, the tow company must give an itemized invoice before demanding payment. The rule does not cover ordinary passenger cars. 29-A M.R.S. 1863 (opens in a new tab)

Notice, ownership and sale

The property owner must tell the Secretary of State in writing about the vehicle. The Secretary of State then mails notice to the owner and any lienholder, naming the charges and the date title would pass. 29-A M.R.S. 1854(1), (3) (opens in a new tab)
A car counts as abandoned if not retrieved and paid for within 14 days after the notices are mailed or the ad is published. The Secretary of State cannot issue title to the lot owner until at least 21 days after the lot owner's notification. 29-A M.R.S. 1852, 1856(1) (opens in a new tab)
If the state has no record of the car, the lot owner must publish a notice in a county newspaper describing the car, and you then have 14 days to retrieve it and pay. 29-A M.R.S. 1854(4) (opens in a new tab)
A repair or storage business with a lien under Title 10 must file it with the Secretary of State within 90 days. This lien applies where storage was by direction or consent of the owner, so it may not apply to a nonconsensual tow. 10 M.R.S. 3801-3802 (opens in a new tab)

If the tow was wrong

I found no Maine statute giving a right to inspect the car or banning a damage waiver at pickup. Photograph the car and note any damage before you leave. 29-A M.R.S. 1851-1863 (no provision found) (opens in a new tab)
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. Fair Credit Billing Act (FTC guidance) (opens in a new tab)
You can sue in small claims court for up to $10,000 (not counting interest and costs), for example to recover an overcharge or damage to the car. 14 M.R.S. 7482 (opens in a new tab)

Where to complain

Maine Attorney General Consumer Protection Division. File a complaint about a business and request consumer mediation. The AG advises complaining to the business first. File a complaint (opens in a new tab)

Maine small claims cover disputes up to $10,000, not counting interest and costs.

Check your tow

Sources

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