Towing Laws in Arizona: Your Rights, Costs & Impound Rules

If your car was just towed in Arizona - from a parking lot, a state highway, or a crash scene - this page explains what state law and regulator guidance say about the fees you can be charged, how to get your vehicle back, and where to complain if something feels wrong. Every fact below comes from Arizona statutes and agency pages, each cited so you can verify it yourself.

Who regulates towing in Arizona

Arizona has no statewide tow operator license. Instead, the Department of Public Safety oversees the towing firms used for state highway tows through Tow Service Agreements, along with tow truck inspection and company registration under Arizona Administrative Code Title 13, Chapter 3, Article 12. DPS's Tow Service Program page lists complaint and tow-inquiry contacts if you need to look into a specific tow.

What a tow can cost

Arizona statute leaves nonconsent tow rate caps to local governments rather than setting one statewide figure. Under ARS 9-499.05, an incorporated city or town can regulate the maximum rate and charge for towing or impounding a vehicle taken from private property without the owner's permission; ARS 11-251.04 gives county boards of supervisors that same authority outside of regulating cities. That means what you can be legally charged depends on whether your city, town, or county has adopted its own maximum rate.

Because the applicable cap is set locally, ask the towing company for an itemized invoice and check with your city or county about its towing ordinance. Our towing cost calculator can help you compare the bill against typical rates in the meantime.

Getting your car back from impound

If your vehicle ends up abandoned rather than simply parked somewhere inconvenient, Arizona's process runs through the Motor Vehicle Division. After a vehicle has been abandoned for at least 10 days, an Abandoned Vehicle Application (form 46-4402, with a $10 fee) can be filed with ADOT MVD. MVD then notifies the owner and any lienholder, who have 30 days to reclaim the vehicle before ownership can transfer free and clear to the applicant. If you're the registered owner reclaiming an abandoned vehicle, be aware of the abandonment fee: $500 if it was left on private property or a highway right-of-way, and $600 if it was left on parks or state land.

If you're towed from private property

For a private-property tow to be lawful in Arizona, it generally needs either a law-enforcement request or express written permission from the property owner, and that permission only counts once compliant signs have been posted. Those signs are required to state the maximum towing and storage cost, along with the phone number and address where your vehicle can be located. If the lot you were towed from was missing that signage, it's worth raising with the property owner or local authorities.

After an accident

In Arizona, the investigating officer is required to complete a full written report when a crash involves bodily injury, death, property damage over $2,000, or a citation. Crashes with lesser property damage still generate a specified partial report rather than nothing at all - so in most tow-worthy collisions, some official record gets created.

The Move Over law

Arizona's Move Over law, under ARS 28-775(E), applies when you're approaching a stationary vehicle displaying alternately flashing or warning lights on a highway of at least four lanes. If possible, you must yield by changing into a lane that isn't adjacent to the stopped vehicle; if that's impossible or unsafe, you have to proceed with due caution and reduce your speed. Civil penalties climb with repeat violations: $275 for a first offense, $500 for a second within five years, and $1,000 for a third or subsequent violation within five years.

FAQ

Is there a statewide towing rate cap in Arizona? No. State law hands that authority to cities, towns, and counties, so the maximum rate for a private-property tow depends on local ordinance rather than one statewide figure.

How long do I have before an abandoned vehicle in Arizona can change hands? Once an Abandoned Vehicle Application is filed after at least 10 days of abandonment, MVD gives the owner and any lienholder 30 days from notification to reclaim the vehicle before it can transfer to the applicant.

What has to be posted for a private-property tow to be legal in Arizona? Compliant signage stating the maximum towing and storage cost, plus the phone number and address for locating your vehicle, along with either a law-enforcement request or the property owner's written permission.

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