Towed Car Help

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Car towed in Wheeling

Wheeling is in Ohio County, West Virginia. 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 Wheeling, call the Wheeling 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, so call the police non-emergency line and ask where your car went.

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

What they can charge

Not published
Tow maximum not stated as a flat amount; see notes below
$27.00
West Virginia (statewide, PSC) ceiling per day of storage

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 West Virginia (statewide, PSC) maximums
ChargeMaximum
After-hours or gate fee$50.00
Hourly tow rate (non-accident, light duty, per hour)$102.00
Evening/weekend/holiday add-on per hour (5 pm-8 am)$19.00
Gate/reopen fee (after hours, flat)$50.00
Inside storage per day (only if required)$37.00
Tow dolly (flat)$50.00

The PSC caps non-consent tows, including private property tows, by the hour: $102 per hour for a car, and no flat per-tow price. Outside storage is capped at $27 per day. If you come back after the car is hooked but before it leaves, the tow charge is limited to half the minimum charge. See the official West Virginia (statewide, PSC) 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.
  • If a company charges extra for paying by card, EFT or ACH, it may pass on only its actual processing cost and must tell you the fee first. Call ahead to ask which types the lot takes.

Paperwork locked inside the car? You or the person you name may get personal items that are not attached to the car during normal business hours without paying any of the bill, unless police put a hold on the vehicle.

PSC Maximum Statewide Wrecker Rates (Case No. 20-0796-MC-GI), section 9; 150 CSR 9 rule 6.9.6

Getting it back

  • A company is not required to release belongings after hours; if it chooses to, it may collect the $50 gate fee when you pick them up.
  • Inspect the car before you drive away, and photograph any damage.

PSC Maximum Statewide Wrecker Rates (Case No. 20-0796-MC-GI), section 9

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. The PSC maximum for a car or truck of 7,000 lb or less towed without the owner's consent (private property tows included) is $102 per hour. The sheet gives no flat per-tow price.
  3. File a complaint.
  4. Go to court if needed. If you think a tow bill is wrong or too high, you can file a complaint with the PSC. Third-party tow complaints go to the PSC's Administrative Law Judges.
  5. Consider small claims or a chargeback. West Virginia magistrate courts hear civil claims up to $20,000, 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. Under that general lien law, goods are sold only through a court case, not by the lienor on its own. You can stop it by paying or posting a bond.

A general West Virginia lien law lets a holder keep goods only after sending written notice that gives at least 7 days to pay. If unpaid, it must sue within 30 days of the notice or the lien is discharged. We did not confirm that this law is the one applied to private-lot tows.

West Virginia deadlines, counted from the law

  • Written notice must give at least this many days to pay: 7 days after the tow company's notice, if text says it was not confirmed this general lien law applies to private-lot tows. W. Va. Code 38-11-14 (opens in a new tab)
  • Holder must sue within this many days of the notice or lien is discharged: 30 days after the tow company's notice, if text says it was not confirmed this general lien law applies to private-lot tows. W. Va. Code 38-11-14 (opens in a new tab)

See the dates for your tow

Common questions

Where is my car if it was towed in Wheeling?

In Wheeling, call the Wheeling 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 Wheeling?

Local maximum rates for private-property tows in Wheeling 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 West Virginia?

Under that general lien law, goods are sold only through a court case, not by the lienor on its own. You can stop it by paying or posting a bond.

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

Ask the tow company when storage charges begin.

Not verified yet for Wheeling

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

Sources

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