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

If your car was just towed in Montana - from a private lot, a highway breakdown, or a crash scene - this page explains what state law says about fees, how to get your vehicle back, and where to take a complaint. Every fact below comes directly from Montana statutes and state agency pages, each cited so you can verify it yourself.

Who regulates towing in Montana

Tow truck complaints in Montana go to the Attorney General's Office of Consumer Protection, reachable at (406) 444-4500 or through an online or mailed complaint form. From there, an AG-appointed Tow Truck Complaint Resolution Committee reviews and resolves the conflicts brought to it - including disputes over towing charges.

What a tow can cost

Montana's professional tow truck law, found in Title 61, chapter 8, part 9 of the Montana Code Annotated, sets classification, insurance, and rotation standards for tow operators, but it doesn't include statewide nonconsent rate caps. Instead, the law directs that same attorney general-appointed committee to review and resolve written complaints about tow truck issues, including towing charges, under department rules.

Because there's no fixed statewide price list to check your bill against, ask the towing company for an itemized invoice and, if the amount seems out of line, take it to the Tow Truck Complaint Resolution Committee. Our towing cost calculator can also help you compare what you were charged against typical rates in your area.

Getting your car back from impound

When a wrecked or disabled vehicle is towed in Montana, the operator is required to send a certified letter to the owner and any lienholder within 15 days of the removal. You can reclaim the vehicle by paying all removal and storage costs owed. If those costs go unpaid for 30 days after the notice letter is postmarked, the state cancels the vehicle's certificate of title and reissues it to the qualified tow truck operator - so it's worth acting well before that window closes.

If you're towed from private property

A local government in Montana may pass an ordinance allowing a private parking service to impound vehicles from private property. One protection applies regardless of location: attaching an immobilizing device - like a wheel boot - to a vehicle is prohibited. If a lot or apartment complex has your car booted rather than towed, that's not allowed under state law.

After an accident

If you're in a crash in Montana, you're required to notify local law enforcement immediately when there's an injury or death, or when apparent property damage reaches $500 or more. If no officer produces a report and the damage exceeds $1,000, the driver must submit a written report within 10 days.

The Move Over law

Montana's Move Over law requires drivers passing stationary emergency or highway worker vehicles - which includes tow trucks working the roadside - to slow down and, on multilane highways, move to a lane that isn't adjacent to the stopped vehicle, or move over as far as safely possible if they can't change lanes. Specific speed reductions apply: 20 mph below the posted limit on interstates, and 30 mph below the posted limit on state highways or county roads, or half the posted limit if you're unable to change lanes. The statute doesn't specify a fine amount for a violation.

Chains & winter traction

Montana law allows the state to require particular tires, tire chains, or other traction devices when highway conditions are dangerous or unsafe. When chains are required and no other traction device will do, the requirement applies to the tires on the driver wheels of one axle. Studded tires remain legal to use from October 1 through May 31.

FAQ

Is there a statewide maximum for what a Montana tow can cost? No. Montana's tow truck law sets licensing, insurance, and rotation standards but doesn't cap nonconsent towing rates statewide. Disputes over charges go to the AG-appointed Tow Truck Complaint Resolution Committee.

How long do I have before an unpaid tow bill affects my title? The tow operator must send you a certified notice within 15 days of towing a wrecked or disabled vehicle. If the removal and storage costs remain unpaid 30 days after that notice is postmarked, the state can cancel your title and reissue it to the tow operator.

Who do I complain to about a Montana tow company? File with the Attorney General's Office of Consumer Protection at (406) 444-4500, or submit an online or mailed complaint. The AG-appointed Tow Truck Complaint Resolution Committee reviews and resolves those disputes.

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