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

If your car was just towed in Connecticut - from a private lot, a highway shoulder, or a crash scene - this page explains what state law and DMV rules say about the fees you can be charged, how to get your vehicle back, and where to file a complaint. Every fact below comes directly from the Connecticut DMV and state statutes, each cited so you can verify it yourself.

Who regulates towing in Connecticut

The Connecticut DMV regulates towing statewide, and only DMV-licensed dealers and repairers are permitted to obtain a wrecker registration. If you think you were overcharged or towed without authorization, you can file a complaint with the DMV's Consumer Complaint Center.

What a tow can cost

The DMV sets maximum rates for nonconsensual towing and storage, and Public Act 25-55 created a temporary schedule of uniform statewide rates effective July 1, 2025. Under that schedule, hourly nonconsensual rates run $400 for medium-duty vehicles (10,000–26,000 lbs GVWR), $700 for heavy-duty vehicles over 26,000 lbs GVWR, and $1,500 for oversize or overweight vehicles; light vehicles under 10,000 pounds are billed at a set rate plus mileage. For private-property trespass tows specifically, Public Act 25-55 (effective January 1, 2026) sets a light-duty base tow cap of $130.63 for 2026, with $6.65 per mile after the first 2 miles, capped at $86.45, plus a $50.00 drop fee and a $50.00 after-hours redemption fee.

Because these figures are set by statewide schedule, an itemized invoice should let you check your bill line by line. Our towing cost calculator can help you compare what you were charged against these caps.

Getting your car back from impound

Connecticut's impound and sale timeline depends on the value of your vehicle. Under CGS 14-150, a stored vehicle worth not more than $1,500 may be sold after at least 15 days of storage, while one worth more than $1,500 must be stored at least 45 days before it can be sold at public auction - and even then, only after diligent owner notice and newspaper advertising at least five days beforehand. If a wrecker removes your vehicle from private property, it must notify local police within two hours, and it can't charge you for storage covering the period before that notification happens.

If you're towed from private property

Nonconsensual private-property trespass tows in Connecticut are subject to DMV-approved maximum charges issued under CGS 14-66 and Public Act 25-55, effective January 1, 2026. As noted above, the light-duty base tow cap is $130.63 for 2026, with mileage charges capped at $86.45, plus a $50.00 drop fee if the tow is stopped before completion and a $50.00 after-hours redemption fee if you need your car back outside normal business hours.

After an accident

Under CGS 14-108a(a)(2), the investigating police officer or agency must complete a uniform accident report for any crash in which someone is killed or injured, or in which damage to any one individual's property exceeds one thousand dollars. That report then has to be forwarded to the Commissioner of Transportation no later than five days after the investigation is completed.

The Move Over law

Under CGS 14-283b, drivers approaching a stationary emergency vehicle or wrecker with flashing lights must immediately reduce speed to a reasonable level below the posted limit and move over one lane, unless doing so would be unreasonable or unsafe. Fines escalate with repeat violations: $200 for a first offense, $375 for a second, and $625 for a third or subsequent violation - climbing to as much as $2,500 if the violation results in injury, and up to $10,000 if it results in death.

Chains & winter traction

Under CGS 14-98, tires with a metal nonskid device - studded tires - are only permitted from November fifteenth through April thirtieth, inclusive; outside that window, wheels aren't allowed to contact the road with metal parts. A first offense is treated as an infraction, and a subsequent offense is fined not more than two hundred dollars.

FAQ

Is there a statewide cap on what a Connecticut tow company can charge? Yes. Public Act 25-55 created a temporary statewide schedule of uniform nonconsensual towing rates, with separate caps for medium-duty, heavy-duty, oversize, and light vehicles, plus a specific private-property trespass tow cap effective January 1, 2026.

How long before a towed car in Connecticut can be sold? It depends on value: a vehicle worth $1,500 or less may be sold after 15 days of storage, while one worth more than $1,500 must be stored at least 45 days, with newspaper advertising at least five days before the sale.

When are studded tires legal in Connecticut? Only from November fifteenth through April thirtieth, inclusive. Outside that window, a first violation is an infraction and repeat violations can be fined up to two hundred dollars.

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