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Towing rules for property managers in New Jersey

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

Printable checklist

Placement: In a conspicuous place at every vehicular entrance
Sign size: at least 36 inches by 36 inches
A sign at each entrance
The hours parking is enforced
Where towed cars are stored
The tow and storage charges
A warning that unauthorized vehicles will be towed
The towing company's name
The towing company's phone number
Release the car if the owner returns before it leaves the property

Check your sign

What the sign law says

Applies to: Private lots (a single-family lot, an owner-occupied building of six units or fewer, and a car blocking a driveway or garage entrance are exempt)

A company may tow from a private lot without your consent only if a sign at least 36 inches by 36 inches is posted in a conspicuous place at every vehicular entrance. The sign must state when and for what parking is allowed, that unauthorized cars will be towed at the owner's expense, the tow company's name, address and phone, the towing and storage charges, the address and redemption hours of the storage lot, and the Division of Consumer Affairs number, 1-800-242-5846.

N.J.S.A. 56:13-13(a), (d); N.J.A.C. 13:45A-31.6(a), (b) (opens in a new tab)

"When ... parking is allowed" is mapped to hours-of-enforcement. A reduced sign is allowed in residential communities with marked assigned spaces. Additional quoted text comes from: N.J.A.C. 13:45A-31.6(a)(2) <https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/new-jersey/N-J-A-C-13-45A-31-6>.

Tow-away signs

A company may tow from a private lot without your consent only if a sign at least 36 inches by 36 inches is posted in a conspicuous place at every vehicular entrance. A single-family lot, an owner-occupied building of six units or fewer, and a car blocking a driveway or garage entrance are exempt. N.J.S.A. 56:13-13(a), (d); N.J.A.C. 13:45A-31.6(a), (b) (opens in a new tab)
The sign must state when and for what parking is allowed, that unauthorized cars will be towed at the owner's expense, the tow company's name, address and phone, the towing and storage charges, the address and redemption hours of the storage lot, and the Division of Consumer Affairs number, 1-800-242-5846. N.J.A.C. 13:45A-31.6(a)(2) (opens in a new tab)
In a residential community with clearly marked assigned spaces, the full sign is not required if the property owner documented approval for that tow and a sign at each entrance says unauthorized cars in assigned spaces will be towed and gives a number to find the car. This does not cover a commercial lot inside the community. N.J.S.A. 56:13-13(e); N.J.A.C. 13:45A-31.6(c), (d) (opens in a new tab)

If you get back before the tow leaves

If your car has been or is about to be hooked or lifted but has not left the property, the company may not refuse to release it. It can charge only a decoupling fee and no other fee. The statute makes an unreasonable decoupling fee unlawful, but no dollar cap was found. N.J.S.A. 56:13-16(e); N.J.A.C. 13:45A-31.8(b), (c) (opens in a new tab)

Where your car can be taken

The company must take your car to a secure storage facility that is nearest to the site of the tow and has room for it. The statute also says it must be within a reasonable distance. No mileage limit is set. N.J.A.C. 13:45A-31.6(a)(4), 31.4(j); N.J.S.A. 56:13-13(a)(4) (opens in a new tab)
A storage facility must be secure. It must be fully indoors or have a fence or wall at least 6 feet high, lit from dusk to dawn. N.J.A.C. 13:45A-31.2, 31.7(a) (opens in a new tab)
The tow company must have a written contract with the property owner, and the owner must have authorized the removal of your particular car. A company may not patrol a lot on its own to find cars to tow without being asked by the owner. N.J.S.A. 56:13-13(a), 56:13-16(h); N.J.A.C. 13:45A-31.6(a)(1), (3) (opens in a new tab)

Drivers' rights in New Jersey