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Your rights after a tow in Mississippi

Mississippi 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

Tow-away signs

The state tow statutes we could read do not set any sign rule for private lots, so signs are mostly a matter of the property's lease terms and any city ordinance. Ask the city whether it requires posted signs. Miss. Code 85-7-251 (opens in a new tab)

If you get back before the tow leaves

We found no Mississippi statute that gives you a right to get your car back at the lot before it is hauled away, or that caps a drop fee. Ask the driver anyway, and ask for a receipt. Miss. Code 85-7-251 (opens in a new tab)

Finding your car

A tow company must tell local law enforcement about the tow within 24 hours, unless you asked for the tow yourself. Calling the police non-emergency line is the fastest way to find out where your car went. Miss. Code 85-7-251(2) (opens in a new tab)
We found no Mississippi limit on how far from the lot your car can be stored. Miss. Code 85-7-251 (opens in a new tab)
If you do not contact the company within 5 business days, it must get your name and any lienholder's from the authorities so it can notify you. Miss. Code 85-7-251(2) (opens in a new tab)

Getting your car back

If your car is towed by a property owner because it was there without permission, you owe the reasonable price of towing and storage. The tow company can keep the car until that is paid. Miss. Code 85-7-251(1) (opens in a new tab)
We found no Mississippi rule on how fast a company must release your car, on lot hours, on accepted payment types, or on getting personal items out. Ask for its terms in writing. Miss. Code 85-7-251 (opens in a new tab)
State law we read does not say whether a company may require you to sign a waiver. Inspect the car, photograph any damage, and write it on the receipt before you sign. Miss. Code 85-7-251 (opens in a new tab)

What they can charge

We found no state price cap for towing a regular car from private property. Charges only need to be reasonable. Check whether your city has a towing ordinance with its own caps. Miss. Code 85-7-251(1) (opens in a new tab)
Mississippi's newer towing rules (fee definitions, a state advisory committee) cover only commercial vehicles of 15,000 pounds or more, not passenger cars. They are scheduled to end July 1, 2029. Miss. Code 63-37-1; 63-37-3 (opens in a new tab)
State law we read does not require a posted rate sheet or itemized invoice. Ask for an itemized bill before paying. Miss. Code 85-7-251 (opens in a new tab)
A company that does not make a good-faith effort to follow the notice steps cannot charge towing or storage fees at all. Miss. Code 85-7-251(3) (opens in a new tab)

Notice and sale deadlines

Notice to the owner and any lienholder must be postmarked no later than the 10th day after the tow. Miss. Code 85-7-251(2) (opens in a new tab)
If the bill is unpaid 30 days after the tow, the company sends certified notice, and you then have 10 days to redeem the car. After that it can sell the car at public auction, with notice published for 2 consecutive weeks in a local newspaper. Miss. Code 85-7-251(2) (opens in a new tab)
Money from a sale above the towing, storage and sale costs is held 6 months. Unclaimed money then goes to the county, subject to lienholder rights. Miss. Code 85-7-251(2) (opens in a new tab)
Tow companies must keep records of towed vehicles and their notice steps for 3 years, which helps if you dispute the tow. Miss. Code 85-7-251(4) (opens in a new tab)
A separate abandoned-vehicle law covers cars towed onto another's property at a police officer's written request and unclaimed for 40 days. Lienholders must be notified, and the owner must get notice of the sale by registered or certified mail (or newspaper publication if the owner cannot be found). Miss. Code 63-23-3; 63-23-5; 63-23-9 (opens in a new tab)

Disputes and complaints

Mississippi has no statutory bond-and-hearing process for private-property tows that we could find. Your usual route is a civil case in justice court for money claims up to $3,500, or in a higher court. Miss. Code 9-11-9 (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)
If police order your car moved from a highway, bridge or tunnel, that is a different, public tow governed by traffic law, not the private-lot rules above. Miss. Code 63-3-905 (opens in a new tab)

Where to complain

Mississippi Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division. Takes consumer complaints about businesses. Phone 601-359-3680; P.O. Box 220, Jackson, MS 39205. It may not act on every tow dispute. File a complaint (opens in a new tab)
Your city police department. Call the non-emergency line to locate a towed car; the tow company must report the tow to local law enforcement within 24 hours.

Mississippi justice courts hear money claims up to $3,500. Larger claims go to county or circuit court.

Check your tow

Sources

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