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

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

Who regulates towing in Nebraska

Towing consumer complaints in Nebraska are handled by the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division, through its Consumer Affairs Response Team. You can file an online consumer complaint, call (402) 471-2785, or email ago.consumer@nebraska.gov.

What a tow can cost

The Nebraska Public Service Commission regulates intrastate transportation for hire by motor carriers of passengers and household goods, but towing isn't among its listed regulated services. That means no statewide nonconsent tow rate caps appear in the state's carrier framework, and rates are effectively left to local or market control.

Since there's no fixed statewide price list, ask for an itemized invoice and compare it to what other local companies charge before you pay. Our towing cost calculator can help you sanity-check a bill, and if a charge still seems out of line, the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division is the place to raise it.

Getting your car back from impound

Under Nebraska Revised Statute 60-1903, whoever takes custody of an abandoned vehicle must notify the last-registered owner and any lienholder within 15 business days. After that notice is mailed, the vehicle may be sold or auctioned as soon as five days later, or retained for up to 30 days after mailing. During that notice window, the owner can reclaim the vehicle by paying the removal and storage costs owed - so acting quickly after a tow matters.

If you're towed from private property

A Nebraska property owner may have an abandoned or trespassing vehicle removed through a private tow service. The towing company is required to notify the designated law-enforcement agency within 24 hours of the removal.

After an accident

If no officer investigates a Nebraska crash involving injury, death, or at least $2,000 in damage to any one person's property, the driver must report it to the Nebraska Department of Transportation within 10 days. If you need an official copy of the crash report afterward, NDOT sells investigator reports online, by mail, or in person for $13 plus tax; call 402-479-4645 with questions about a report or the correct mail-request tax.

The Move Over law

Nebraska's Move Over law requires drivers approaching stopped emergency or road-assistance personnel, along with other vulnerable road users, to move into a lane at least one moving lane apart where two adjacent lanes run the same direction. If that's not possible, drivers must reduce speed and maintain a safe speed for conditions. A first violation is a traffic infraction, and a repeat violation within five years is a Class IIIA misdemeanor.

FAQ

Is there a statewide cap on what a Nebraska tow can cost? No. Towing isn't a service regulated by the Nebraska Public Service Commission's carrier framework, so there's no statewide rate cap - rates are set locally or by the market.

How long do I have before my towed car can be sold? The custodian must notify you and any lienholder within 15 business days of taking the vehicle. It can then be sold as soon as five days after that notice is mailed, or held for up to 30 days after mailing - you can reclaim it during that window by paying what's owed.

Who do I complain to about a Nebraska towing charge? Contact the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division through its Consumer Affairs Response Team - online, by phone at (402) 471-2785, or by email at ago.consumer@nebraska.gov.

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