Towing Laws in Hawaii: Your Rights, Costs & Impound Rules
If your car was just towed in Hawaii - from a private lot, a crash scene, or anywhere else - this page explains what state law says about the fees you can be charged, how to get your vehicle and belongings back, and where to file a complaint. Every fact below comes directly from Hawaii statutes and regulator pages, each cited so you can verify it yourself.
Who regulates towing in Hawaii
The Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) Office of Consumer Protection investigates unfair or deceptive trade practices, and towing is explicitly listed among the consumer complaints it handles. You can file a complaint through its online complaint form, or reach the DCCA Consumer Resource Center by phone at 1-844-808-DCCA (3222).
What a tow can cost
Hawaii sets one of the more detailed statewide rate schedules in the country. State law caps a standard tow at $75, or $85 if a dolly is used, plus $7.50 per mile towed. Storage is capped at $25 per day (or fraction of a day) for the first seven days, then drops to $20 per day after that. On top of those base numbers, a difficult hookup can add a capped $30 surcharge, an overtime charge for tows between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. is capped at $15, and towing an overturned vehicle can add up to $35 more.
Because these are hard statewide caps rather than local guidelines, they're a solid benchmark for checking any bill. Our towing cost calculator can help you add up these capped line items and compare the total to what you were actually charged.
Getting your car back from impound
After a tow, the towing company must notify the legal and registered owners within a reasonable period - not to exceed 15 days. From there, you have 30 days from the mailing of that notice to recover your vehicle before it's legally deemed abandoned. Once that happens, the company can negotiate a private sale or dispose of the vehicle as junk, but only after publishing one newspaper advertisement first. If the vehicle sells for more than what's owed, the excess proceeds are held for you as the owner, or turned over to the state's unclaimed property program if you don't come forward.
If you're towed from private property
Hawaii requires a posted notice that identifies the storage facility and states that unauthorized vehicles will be towed at the owner's expense. There's also a real-time protection built into the law: if you show up before the tow truck actually drives away with your car, the vehicle must be released to you with no fee charged at all.
After an accident
Hawaii requires that a collision involving injury or death, or total apparent property damage of $3,000 or more, be reported immediately, by the quickest means available, to the nearest police officer. That $3,000 threshold is notably higher than the property-damage bar in many other states, so a fender-bender well under that amount may not trigger a mandatory report - but injury or death always does.
The Move Over law
Hawaii's law requires drivers approaching a stopped emergency vehicle - a category that includes tow trucks and freeway service patrol vehicles - to slow to a reasonable and prudent speed. If it's safe, you're also required to change lanes away from the stopped vehicle, moving over two lanes if possible or at least one. The statute itself doesn't specify a dollar fine; violations that cause injury or death are instead prosecuted under Hawaii's negligent injury or negligent homicide laws.
FAQ
What's the most a Hawaii tow company can charge for a standard tow? State law caps a basic tow at $75 (or $85 with a dolly) plus $7.50 per mile, with storage capped at $25 per day for the first week and $20 per day after that.
Can I get my car back for free if I catch the tow truck before it leaves? Yes. If you arrive before the tow truck drives away with your vehicle, Hawaii law requires it to be released to you with no fee.
How long do I have before an unclaimed vehicle in Hawaii is considered abandoned? You have 30 days from the mailing of the owner notification to recover your vehicle before it can be deemed abandoned and sold or disposed of as junk.