Car towed in Lincoln

1Find who towed your car

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

2What they can charge

We have not verified local maximum rates for Lincoln yet. Ask the tow company for its rate sheet. It must give you one on request.

Estimate your bill

3What to bring

• The tow company may keep your car until the towing and storage charges are paid. Once paid, it must hand the car to the owner, the lienholder, or anyone else lawfully entitled to it who pays.
• Payment. Call ahead to ask which types the lot takes.

Paperwork locked inside the car? The tow company's lien covers the vehicle, not the things inside it. Anyone storing your car is liable for reasonably foreseeable damage to the car and the personal contents during storage.

Neb. Rev. Stat. 60-2410(1); Neb. Rev. Stat. 60-2410(1), 60-2406

4Getting it back

• Inspect the car before you drive away, and photograph any damage.

Before you sign anything: The tow operator is liable for reasonably foreseeable damage to your car during hookup, towing, or release. Photograph the car before you leave the lot.

Neb. Rev. Stat. 60-2406

5Was the tow legal?

Common problems with private tows in Nebraska include missing tow-away signs, and refusing to release the car when you came back before it left.

Check my towSale deadlinesEvidence checklistDispute letter

Tow-away sign rules in Nebraska

These apply to restricted parking lots.

• Where: Easy to see; State law does not say how many signs or how far apart.
• Must show: the hours parking is enforced.

Neb. Rev. Stat. 60-2401, 60-2401.01 (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. State law sets no dollar cap on private-property towing. You may only be charged the reasonable cost of towing and storage, and a city may set its own rules.
3. File a complaint.
   • Nebraska Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division
     Website (opens in a new tab)
   • Local police non-emergency line
4. Go to court if needed. Nebraska's towing law has no special hearing or bond procedure. To contest a tow, pay to get your car back if you need it, keep the receipts, and then sue for the money in small claims court.
5. Consider small claims or a chargeback. Nebraska small claims court handles claims up to $7,500 (as of July 1, 2025), not counting interest and costs. You can file in the county where the tow company does business or where the tow happened. 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

Nebraska deadlines, counted from the law

• Tow company must send certified letter to owner and lienholder within: 15 business days after the tow. Neb. Rev. Stat. 60-2410(2)-(3) (opens in a new tab)
• Car can be sold if not claimed within: 90 days (see the law for when the count starts). Neb. Rev. Stat. 60-2404, 60-2403, 60-2410 (opens in a new tab)
• Earliest lien sale after certified notice mailed: 30 days after the tow company's notice. Neb. Rev. Stat. 52-601.01, 52-605 (opens in a new tab)

See the dates for your tow

Common questions

Not verified yet for Lincoln

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
• Local maximum rates for private-property tows
• City-specific documents needed to pick up a car
• Local rules for someone else picking up your car
• Local auction schedules for unclaimed cars