Towed Car Help

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Car towed in Burlington

Burlington is in Alamance County, North Carolina. 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 Burlington, call the Burlington Police Department non-emergency line 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.

N.C.G.S. 20-219.20(a)-(b)

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 Burlington yet. Ask the tow company for its rate sheet. It must give you one on request.

Estimate your bill

What to bring

  • A government photo ID and proof you own the car, such as the registration or title.
  • Payment. Call ahead to ask which types the lot takes.

Getting it back

  • In covered areas, a tow or storage company may not make you sign a waiver of your rights to get your car back. The only form allowed is one acknowledging that you received the vehicle.
  • Inspect the car before you drive away, and photograph any damage.

Before you sign anything: A company that removes a car under this section is not liable for the removal itself, but it can be held liable if it intentionally or negligently damages your car or injures someone. Photograph any damage before you leave.

N.C.G.S. 20-219.2(a3); N.C.G.S. 20-219.2(a)

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. North Carolina law sets no maximum towing or storage rate for private-property tows, so the amount depends on the company and any local rules. Ask for an itemized bill and compare it to the company's posted rates.
  3. File a complaint.
  4. Go to court if needed. You can sue to contest the lien at any time. If you ask for immediate possession and pay the claimed amount to the court clerk, the clerk orders the company to release your car, and the judge later decides who gets the money.
  5. Consider small claims or a chargeback. North Carolina small claims court (heard by a magistrate) handles money claims up to $10,000. You can also use it to ask for immediate release of property subject to a towing lien. 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. If towing and storage charges stay unpaid for 10 days after they come due, the company may start the process to sell the car. A company that does not sue within 180 days of storage starting gives up storage charges that accrue after that.

Before a sale, a notice by certified mail goes to the owner and lienholders, either from the DMV or the company. It must state the amount claimed and your right to a court hearing, which you must request within 10 days of receiving it, or you lose the right to a hearing before the sale.

North Carolina deadlines, counted from the law

See the dates for your tow

Common questions

Where is my car if it was towed in Burlington?

In Burlington, call the Burlington Police Department non-emergency line 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 Burlington?

Local maximum rates for private-property tows in Burlington 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 North Carolina?

If towing and storage charges stay unpaid for 10 days after they come due, the company may start the process to sell the car. A company that does not sue within 180 days of storage starting gives up storage charges that accrue after that.

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

Ask the tow company when storage charges begin.

Not verified yet for Burlington

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

Sources

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