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

If your car was just towed in Indiana - from a private lot, a crash scene, or somewhere you're still trying to track down - this page explains what state law says about the fees you can be charged, how to get your vehicle back, and where to take a complaint. Every fact below comes directly from Indiana statutes and state agency pages, each cited so you can check it yourself.

Who regulates towing in Indiana

Indiana Code Article 24-14, the state's Towing Services law, puts the Attorney General in charge of receiving and investigating complaints against towing companies. Violations of the towing article are treated as deceptive acts, which means they're subject to the same remedies and penalties as other consumer-protection violations. If a tow company overcharged you or handled your vehicle improperly, the complaint goes to the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division.

What a tow can cost

Indiana doesn't publish a statewide dollar cap, but it does require towing charges to be reasonable, and it backs that up with paperwork rules: a tow company must give you an itemized invoice within one business day listing the towing costs and daily storage rates and fees, along with an attestation that everything billed was actually used and necessary. State law also limits how far your car can be hauled - a vehicle can't be towed to a facility more than 40 miles from the tow-away zone it was removed from.

Because there's no single statewide rate sheet to check a bill against, your best move is to request that itemized invoice and make sure every line item is something you can identify. Our towing cost calculator can help you sanity-check what you were charged against typical regional rates.

Getting your car back from impound

Indiana's abandoned-vehicle rules give you a defined window to reclaim a towed car. If your vehicle was tagged and removed from an interstate or state or U.S. highway, it can be towed after just 24 hours; on other roads, the wait is 72 hours. Once it's been removed, you have 20 days from that point to claim the vehicle before it's treated as abandoned. Separately, under the state's impound law a vehicle is considered abandoned once the reasonable value of unpaid repair or storage charges goes more than 30 days without being paid.

If you need a copy of your crash report to sort out what happened, Indiana State Police maintains the statewide crash-report repository and offers electronic reports for a nominal fee through its Crash Report Request service. Reports are also available through the state's BuyCrash portal online, by phone at 317-215-8300, or in person at 374 Meridian Park Lane in Greenwood.

If you're towed from private property

Indiana Code Title 24, Article 14 governs private-property towing statewide, covering both the towing rules and the requirements for getting your vehicle released once it's in a lot. The statute doesn't publish separate dollar figures for private-property tows beyond the general rate and invoicing rules described above - the same reasonable-charge and itemized-invoice requirements apply. If you were towed from a lot and think the company skipped a required step, that's a matter for the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division.

After an accident

If you're in a crash in Indiana, an officer is required to investigate and submit a written report whenever the crash involves an injury, a death, or property damage of at least $1,000 - so most tow-worthy crashes will end up with an official report on file. Once that report exists, you can request a copy through BuyCrash online, by calling 317-215-8300, or by visiting the Indiana State Police's location in Greenwood.

The Move Over law

Indiana's Move Over or Slow Down law requires drivers to change lanes away from stopped vehicles running flashing lights, or, if a lane change isn't safe or possible, to slow to at least 10 mph below the posted speed limit. Since July 1, 2023, the law has also covered disabled vehicles running their hazard lights, and it applies on all road types, including two-lane roads. A violation is a Class B infraction.

FAQ

Is there a statewide maximum tow fee in Indiana? No fixed dollar cap exists, but charges must be reasonable, and you're entitled to an itemized invoice within one business day showing exactly what you're being billed for.

How long do I have before my towed car is considered abandoned in Indiana? If your vehicle was tagged and removed from an interstate, state, or U.S. highway, it can be towed after 24 hours; elsewhere, the wait is 72 hours. Either way, you then have 20 days from removal to claim it.

Who do I complain to about an Indiana tow company? File with the Indiana Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division. Indiana Code Article 24-14 puts complaint handling for towing companies under that office.

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