Towing rules for property managers in California

Printable checklist

• ☐ Placement: In plain view at every entrance to the property
• ☐ Sign size: at least 17 inches by 22 inches
• ☐ Letters at least 1 inch tall
• ☐ A sign at each entrance
• ☐ A warning that unauthorized vehicles will be towed
• ☐ The towing company's name
• ☐ The towing company's phone number
• ☐ Tow company reports the tow to police within 30 minutes
• ☐ Release the car if the owner returns before it leaves the property
• ☐ Store the car within 10 miles

What the sign law says

Applies to: Private property tows relying on a sign (single-family lots need no sign)

A sign must be in plain view at every entrance to the property. It must be at least 17 by 22 inches, with lettering at least 1 inch tall. The sign must ban public parking, say cars will be removed at the owner's expense, and list the local traffic police phone number plus the name and phone number of each tow company with a written agreement with the property owner.

Cal. Veh. Code 22658(a)(1) (opens in a new tab)

A sign is one of several legal bases for a tow. Dimensions are given as 'X by Y inches' without naming which is width and which is height; they are listed in the stated order. The sign must also list the local traffic police phone number.

Tow-away signs and reasons for a tow

• A sign must be in plain view at every entrance to the property. It must be at least 17 by 22 inches, with lettering at least 1 inch tall. Cal. Veh. Code 22658(a)(1) (opens in a new tab)
• The sign must ban public parking, say cars will be removed at the owner's expense, and list the local traffic police phone number plus the name and phone number of each tow company with a written agreement with the property owner. Cal. Veh. Code 22658(a)(1) (opens in a new tab)
• A sign is not the only legal basis. A car can also be towed 96 hours after a parking violation notice, or after 24 hours if it is missing major parts and police were told. A lot with a single-family home needs no sign. Cal. Veh. Code 22658(a)(2)-(4) (opens in a new tab)
• On a lot open to the public for free parking, the owner or agent may not have you towed within one hour of parking. Exceptions include fire lanes, fire hydrant zones, blocked entrances and disabled spaces, and the rule does not cover residential or room-assigned hotel parking. Cal. Veh. Code 22953(a)-(c) (opens in a new tab)

If you get back before the tow leaves

• If you return after your car is hooked up or lifted but before it is removed from the lot, the company may charge no more than half its regular towing charge. The regular charge applies only after the car has left the property and is in transit. Cal. Veh. Code 22658(h) (opens in a new tab)
• If your car has not yet been removed and is not in transit, the driver must release it immediately and unconditionally when you or your agent asks. Refusing is a misdemeanor, and you must then move the car to a lawful spot right away. Cal. Veh. Code 22658(g) (opens in a new tab)

Where your car can be taken and who must be told

• The storage lot must be within 10 miles of the property. That limit does not apply if the tow company has prior general written approval from the local police or sheriff. Cal. Veh. Code 22658(n)(1) (opens in a new tab)
• The property owner must report the tow to local traffic police within 1 hour of authorizing it. The tow company must also notify police once the car is in transit, with a misdemeanor after 60 minutes (or 15 minutes after reaching the lot) and triple the charges owed to you after 30 minutes. Cal. Veh. Code 22658(f), (m) (opens in a new tab)

Sources

• https://california.public.law/codes/ca_veh_code_section_22658 (opens in a new tab)
• https://california.public.law/codes/ca_veh_code_section_22953 (opens in a new tab)