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

If your car was just towed in Oregon - from a private lot, a crash scene, or a spot marked no-parking - 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 Oregon statutes and agency pages, each cited so you can verify it yourself.

Who regulates towing in Oregon

The Oregon State Board of Towing regulates the towing industry, administering and enforcing the state's towing laws and rules. To file a complaint, email compliance@towboard.oregon.gov; the Board sends a link to its online complaint form within two business days.

What a tow can cost

Under ORS 98.859, each city or county may set its own maximum rates for tows done at the request of someone other than the vehicle's owner or operator - covering towing, hookup, storage, gas, mileage, pictures, and unlocking. If a city has established its own maximum rates, county rates don't apply within that city's boundaries, so the applicable cap depends on exactly where your vehicle was towed from.

Since Oregon doesn't set one statewide dollar figure, check with your city or county for its published maximum, and ask the tow company for an itemized invoice. Our towing cost calculator can help you compare that invoice against whatever local rate schedule applies.

Getting your car back from impound

Under ORS 98.812, a tower gets a lien on a towed vehicle and its contents for just and reasonable charges, but only after notifying local law enforcement within one hour of placing the vehicle in storage. Storage charges can't keep accruing beyond three business days without the tower notifying the registered owner and other interested parties. Oregon also protects your belongings specifically: under ORS 98.854, a tower may not hold a towed vehicle for more than 24 hours without inventorying and securing any visible personal property inside it.

If you're towed from private property

A property owner in Oregon may have an unlawfully parked vehicle towed to secure storage, but the tower is required to notify local law enforcement of the vehicle's location within one hour of the tow. That one-hour notification requirement means the fastest way to track down a car towed from private property is usually to call local police and ask if they've logged it.

After an accident

Oregon requires drivers to file a report with the DMV within 72 hours of a crash if there's an injury or death, if damage to your own vehicle exceeds $2,500, if damage to any vehicle exceeds $2,500 and the vehicle had to be towed, or if damage to property other than a vehicle exceeds $2,500.

The Move Over law

ORS 811.147 requires drivers approaching a stopped vehicle displaying warning or hazard lights - which includes tow trucks working the roadside - to make a lane change into a lane that isn't adjacent to the stopped vehicle, or to reduce speed to at least five miles per hour under the posted limit if a lane change isn't possible. On two-lane highways, drivers must reduce speed to at least five miles per hour under the limit. A violation is a Class B traffic violation.

Chains & winter traction

Oregon posts highway signs requiring drivers to carry or use chains or traction tires depending on road conditions and vehicle type. Some four-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive vehicles under 6,500 pounds are exempt if they're carrying chains and not towing anything. Disobeying a posted chain-requirement sign is a Class C traffic infraction, and for commercial vehicles, failing to carry and use required chains can rise to a Class A traffic violation. If you're heading over a mountain pass in winter, it's worth checking current chain-requirement status before you leave.

FAQ

Is there a statewide maximum tow fee in Oregon? No. Cities and counties each set their own maximum rates under ORS 98.859, and a city's rate overrides the county's rate within its boundaries - so the cap depends on where you were towed.

How long can a tow company hold my personal belongings without securing them? Oregon law caps that at 24 hours - after that, the tower must have inventoried and secured any visible personal property left in the vehicle.

Are chains required everywhere in Oregon in winter? No, only where posted highway signs require them based on conditions and vehicle type. Some lighter four-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive vehicles carrying chains (but not towing) are exempt from those signs.

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