Towed Car Help

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Car towed in Dover

Dover is in Strafford County, New Hampshire. 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 Dover, call the Dover Police Department non-emergency line (24-hour dispatch) 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, so call the police non-emergency line and ask where your car went.

RSA 262:40-a, I and V

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

What they can charge

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

Estimate your bill

What to bring

  • The owner or another person lawfully entitled to possession can recover the car by paying all reasonable towing and storage charges, which also releases the lien on the car.
  • Payment. Call ahead to ask which types the lot takes.

Paperwork locked inside the car? The storage company may take loose items out of the car and hold them for unpaid fees, but must not hold wallets, purses, life-essential clothing, mail, legal documents, car seats, eyeglasses, medicine, medical equipment or house keys. This rule is in a 2026 amendment that takes effect January 1, 2027.

RSA 262:33, II; RSA 262:35-a, III (eff. Jan. 1, 2027)

Getting it back

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

Before you sign anything: NH law says a custodian is not liable for damage in storage if due care was used. Photograph the car and write any damage on your paperwork before you drive away.

RSA 262:35

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. NH sets no dollar maximum for private-property tows. Fees that come out of removal and storage must be reasonable and may reflect distance, vehicle size, time, special equipment and personnel costs.
  3. File a complaint.
    • NH Commissioner of Safety fee review
    • Local police hearing
  4. Go to court if needed. If you think the fee is unreasonable, you can pay it to get the car back, then ask the commissioner of safety in writing for a review within 15 days of release (30 days from the invoice for tows after January 1, 2027). Miss the deadline and you are treated as having waived review.
  5. Consider small claims or a chargeback. A small claim is a dispute over money or damages of $10,000 or less. Over $1,500 either side can claim a jury trial, which moves the case to superior court. 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. A storage company may dispose of a car not claimed within 20 days if it is more than 5 model years old, or within 30 days if newer, after giving the required notice. Cars worth under $1,000 or fit only for salvage can be disposed of in 15 days.

Towing and storage charges become a lien against the vehicle, meaning the company can keep the car until they are paid. The company may sell it later only after following the notice rules.

New Hampshire deadlines, counted from the law

  • Storage company may dispose of unclaimed car after: 20 days (see the law for when the count starts), if car more than 5 model years old; required notice given. RSA 262:36-a (opens in a new tab)
  • Storage company may dispose of unclaimed car after: 30 days (see the law for when the count starts), if car 5 model years old or newer; required notice given. RSA 262:36-a (opens in a new tab)
  • Storage company may dispose of car after: 15 days (see the law for when the count starts), if car worth under $1,000 or fit only for salvage. RSA 262:36-a (opens in a new tab)

See the dates for your tow

Common questions

Where is my car if it was towed in Dover?

In Dover, call the Dover Police Department non-emergency line (24-hour dispatch) 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 Dover?

Local maximum rates for private-property tows in Dover 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 New Hampshire?

A storage company may dispose of a car not claimed within 20 days if it is more than 5 model years old, or within 30 days if newer, after giving the required notice. Cars worth under $1,000 or fit only for salvage can be disposed of in 15 days.

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

Ask the tow company when storage charges begin.

Not verified yet for Dover

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

Other cities in Strafford County

Sources

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