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Towing rules for property managers in Maryland

Before you have a car towed from your property in Maryland, check these rules. They are a summary of state law; your city or county may add more.

Printable checklist

Placement: Clearly visible to drivers entering or parking; at least 1 sign per 7,500 square feet of parking area; regional mall at every entrance
Sign size: at least 24 inches by 30 inches
Where towed cars are stored
The towing company's name
Tow company reports the tow to police within 1 hour
Release the car if the owner returns before it leaves the property
Store the car within 15 miles

Check your sign

What the sign law says

Applies to: Private lots with 3 or more spaces open to the public and meant mainly for customers, residents or guests

A private lot cannot have a car towed unless it has posted signs that are clearly visible to drivers entering or parking. There must be at least 1 sign for every 7,500 square feet of parking area, and a regional mall must post a sign at every entrance. Each sign must be at least 24 by 30 inches and must name the tow company and where the car will be taken. It must also say the car can be reclaimed from 6 a.m. to midnight, 7 days a week, state the most you can be charged for the tow, and list a phone number for getting the car back.

Md. Code, Transp. 21-10A-02(b)-(c) (opens in a new tab)

The sign states the maximum charge for the tow only (not storage), so tow-and-storage-rates is not marked; the phone is "for getting the car back", so towing-company-phone is not marked. at-each-entrance applies only to regional malls. Dimensions are given as 'X by Y inches' without naming which is width and which is height; they are listed in the stated order. Additional quoted text comes from: Md. Code, Transp. 21-10A-02(b) <https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gtr&section=21-10A-02&enactments=false>.

Tow-away signs

A private lot cannot have a car towed unless it has posted signs that are clearly visible to drivers entering or parking. There must be at least 1 sign for every 7,500 square feet of parking area, and a regional mall must post a sign at every entrance. Md. Code, Transp. 21-10A-02(b)-(c) (opens in a new tab)
Each sign must be at least 24 by 30 inches and must name the tow company and where the car will be taken. It must also say the car can be reclaimed from 6 a.m. to midnight, 7 days a week, state the most you can be charged for the tow, and list a phone number for getting the car back. Md. Code, Transp. 21-10A-02(b) (opens in a new tab)
These rules cover private lots with 3 or more spaces open to the public and meant mainly for customers, residents, or guests. Counties and cities may add stricter local rules. Md. Code, Transp. 21-10A-01 (opens in a new tab)

If you get back before the tow leaves

If you ask the tow driver to release your car before it leaves the lot, and it can be driven, the driver must release it even if it is already hooked up or lifted. The driver may charge a drop fee of no more than 50% of the cost of a full tow. Md. Code, Transp. 21-10A-05(b) (opens in a new tab)

Where your car can be taken

Your car may not be taken more than 15 miles from the lot where it was parked, or out of Maryland. A county or city can set a different distance for its area. Md. Code, Transp. 21-10A-03 (opens in a new tab)
The tow company must report the tow to the police department for the area where the lot is located within 1 hour. The report must include your plate and VIN, the time, the reason, and where the car was taken, so a call to the local police non-emergency line can find it. Md. Code, Transp. 21-10A-04(a)(2) (opens in a new tab)
The company holding your car cannot move it to a different storage lot for at least 72 hours. It must take the car straight to the storage place named on the signs. Md. Code, Transp. 21-10A-05(a)(1)-(2) (opens in a new tab)