Towed Car Help

Home / Rhode Island / Providence

Car towed in Providence

Providence is in Providence County, Rhode Island. 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 Providence, call the Providence Police Department non-emergency line to find out whether your car was towed and which company has it.

Apartment, store, or private lot

Look for a tow-away sign at the lot entrance. It often shows the tow company's name and phone number.

No sign, or you can't find it? The company must report the tow to police within 2 hours, so call the police non-emergency line and ask where your car went.

R.I. Gen. Laws 39-12.1-4(a); 39-12.1-2(7), (10)

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

What they can charge

$125.00
Ceiling to tow a standard car from private property under Rhode Island (statewide, Division of Public Utilities and Carriers) rates; your city may set its own
$35.00
Rhode Island (statewide, Division of Public Utilities and Carriers) ceiling per day of storage, starting after 24 hours

These rates may have changed since this schedule was published. Schedules are often updated once a year, so check the official source before relying on them.

Other Rhode Island (statewide, Division of Public Utilities and Carriers) maximums
ChargeMaximum
Release at scene after hook-up (private-property tow)$60.00
Motorcycle surcharge$25.00
Medium-duty (8,001-15,000 lb) private-property tow$145.00
Storage per day, vehicles over 20 ft$45.00

A private-property tow of a normal car is a flat $125 that includes all mileage and the first 24 hours of storage; storage after that is $35 a day. This is the standard tariff towers may adopt; a tower can instead have its own approved tariff, so ask to see it. See the official Rhode Island (statewide, Division of Public Utilities and Carriers) rates (opens in a new tab).

Estimate your bill

What to bring

  • A government photo ID and proof you own the car, such as the registration or title.
  • The tower must accept cash and at least one other payment type such as a card or personal check. A card fee passed on to you cannot exceed 3% of the tariff charges. Call ahead to ask which types the lot takes.

Paperwork locked inside the car? The tow company must hand over pets and personal items in the car right away on request, even if you have not paid. Its lien covers only the car and its plates.

2021 Non-Consensual Tow Tariff (Div. Order 24243), Docket 18 MC 94, D-1, D-2(b); 815-RICR-50-05-1.13.2

Getting it back

  • The lot must be open to release cars during the same hours it is open to receive them, and must post those hours outside its office.
  • Inspect the car before you drive away, and photograph any damage.

R.I. Gen. Laws 39-12.1-12(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. Charges must follow the tower's tariff filed with the state. Under the standard 2021 tariff, a private-property tow of a car up to 8,000 lb is a flat $125 covering all mileage, the first hour on site and the first 24 hours of storage.
  3. File a complaint.
  4. Go to court if needed. The tow notice says you can contest a tow as improper by filing a complaint within 10 days of the notice with the public utilities commission, with security posted as the commission requires.
  5. Consider small claims or a chargeback. Rhode Island small claims handles money-only claims up to $5,000, not counting interest and costs. 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 tower can start foreclosure after holding the car 30 consecutive days unpaid. The owner then gets a further notice and at least 10 days before a public auction.

The tower must mail notice to the registered owner by registered mail. State rules say storage fees stop accruing for you after 7 days if you were not notified in time.

Rhode Island deadlines, counted from the law

See the dates for your tow

Common questions

Where is my car if it was towed in Providence?

In Providence, call the Providence 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 within 2 hours, so the police non-emergency line can usually tell you where the car is.

How much can a tow company charge in Providence?

For a standard passenger car towed from private property, the Rhode Island (statewide, Division of Public Utilities and Carriers) ceiling is $125.00 for the tow and $35.00 per day for storage. Providence may set its own lower limits, so ask the tow company for its rate sheet.

How long before a towed car is sold in Rhode Island?

A tower can start foreclosure after holding the car 30 consecutive days unpaid. The owner then gets a further notice and at least 10 days before a public auction.

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

No storage fee may be charged if your car was stored less than 24 hours.

Not verified yet for Providence

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
  • 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 Providence County

Sources

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