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

If your car was just towed in Oklahoma - from a private lot, a crash scene, or a nonconsensual wrecker call - 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 Oklahoma statutes and agency pages, each cited so you can verify it yourself.

Who regulates towing in Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety's Wrecker Services program handles licensing, supervision, administration, and control of wrecker and towing services under 47 O.S. 951-964 and OAC Title 595, Chapter 25; you can reach that program at (405) 425-2312 or wrecker@dps.ok.gov. If your complaint is specifically about a nonconsensual tow rate, that goes instead to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission's Nonconsensual Tow Rate Complaint Form.

What a tow can cost

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission sets maximum nonconsensual wrecker rates statewide. The rate chart effective June 1, 2024 caps hookup at $108.06 for a single vehicle weighing 8,000 pounds or less, with mileage billed at $4.99 per mile for the first 25 miles. Daily storage for a motorcycle, automobile, or light truck up to 20 feet is capped at $23.94 outdoors or $39.90 indoors, and after-hours release is capped at $19.95 per quarter hour.

These are statewide maximums, so a bill above them is worth questioning directly. Our towing cost calculator can help you check an itemized invoice against these specific caps.

Getting your car back from impound

Under 42 O.S. 91A, a wrecker company claiming a possessory lien must request owner and lienholder information within five business days of service, then send a certified-mail Notice of Possessory Lien within seven business days of receiving that information - a $20 processing charge is allowed for this step. Before the vehicle can be sold to satisfy the lien, a Notice of Sale has to be posted in two public places and mailed by certified mail at least ten days before the sale date. Separately, DPS rules require that personal property inside a towed vehicle be released to the owner at no cost during regular business hours - you shouldn't have to pay to get your belongings back even before you settle the tow bill. If you're not sure where your vehicle ended up, DPS's law-enforcement tow locator can look up the storage facility using your VIN.

If you're towed from private property

For a nonconsensual private-property impound, a Class AA wrecker operator is required to have a properly documented DPS Tow Authorization Form in hand before hooking up and transporting the vehicle. If you believe your car was towed from a private lot without that documentation in place, that's a detail worth raising with DPS Wrecker Services or through the Oklahoma Corporation Commission's complaint process.

After an accident

Oklahoma requires you to immediately notify local police after any crash causing injury or death. For crashes away from private property that involve injury, death, or apparent property damage over $300, a written DPS report is required if no settlement is reached within six months of the crash.

The Move Over law

Oklahoma's move-over statute - 47 O.S. 11-314, known as Bernardo's Law - requires drivers approaching a stationary emergency vehicle or a licensed wrecker displaying a flashing amber light to change into a lane that isn't adjacent, when possible on a multilane highway. If a lane change isn't possible, drivers must instead reduce speed to a level that's safe for the existing road, weather, and traffic conditions. No specific fine amount is printed in the statute text itself.

FAQ

What's the maximum an Oklahoma tow company can charge for a nonconsensual tow? The Corporation Commission's statewide rate chart caps hookup at $108.06 for vehicles 8,000 pounds or less, with mileage at $4.99 per mile for the first 25 miles, and daily outdoor storage capped at $23.94.

Do I have to pay to get personal items out of my towed car in Oklahoma? No. DPS rules require that personal property in a towed vehicle be released to the owner at no cost during regular business hours.

Who handles complaints about Oklahoma tow companies? General licensing and conduct complaints go to DPS Wrecker Services at (405) 425-2312 or wrecker@dps.ok.gov. Complaints specifically about a nonconsensual tow rate go to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission's complaint form.

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