Arizona Towing Laws: Your Rights When Your Car Is Towed
Primary law: Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 9-499.05 · Last verified July 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Arizona regulates private-property towing primarily through ARS 9-499.05, which requires express written authorization from the property owner or their agent for each tow (the towing company cannot act as the owner's agent), strict lot signage, and prompt reporting to police. If a lot is not properly signed with the restrictions, maximum costs, and where to find your car, the property owner is legally deemed to have consented to public parking, which makes the tow improper. An unauthorized private-property tow is a class 2 misdemeanor, and a tower that fails to phone law enforcement within one hour of the tow forfeits all towing and storage fees.
There is no statewide fee schedule; instead the statute lets each city or town cap maximum private-property towing rates inside its limits, and larger cities like Phoenix do cap tow, storage, and drop charges by ordinance, so what is legal in one suburb may differ in the next. Towers must accept multiple payment forms including credit and debit cards, and you have the right to visit the storage lot during business hours and remove the personal property inside your vehicle at no charge (vehicle parts and accessories excluded). No statewide drop-fee right or kickback ban could be verified.
If your car vanishes from an Arizona lot, call the local police non-emergency line; the tower was required to report the tow within an hour, so police can tell you where it is. Before paying, photograph the lot's signage (or missing signage) and get an itemized invoice. Compare charges against your city's towing rate ordinance. Retrieve personal belongings from the car even if you cannot pay yet. If the tow was unauthorized or signage was defective, demand a refund, report it to local police as a possible misdemeanor tow, and complain to the Arizona Attorney General.
Arizona towing rules at a glance
| Non-consent tow fee cap | Partial — ARS 9-499.05 authorizes cities and towns to set maximum rates for private-property tows within their boundaries (e.g., Phoenix caps standard tows and daily storage by ordinance), but there is no single statewide cap. |
| Drop fee (truck still on scene) | Unclear / not verified — State statute does not set a drop-fee right; some cities such as Phoenix regulate drop charges by ordinance. |
| Kickback ban | Unclear / not verified |
| Warning signage required | Yes — Signs must be clearly visible and readable from every point in the lot and at each entrance, and must state the restrictions, that vehicles will be towed, the maximum total cost, and the phone number and address where the car can be recovered; without proper signage the owner is deemed to have consented to public parking. |
| Notice requirement | The towing company must notify local law enforcement by telephone within one hour of the tow; failure to do so forfeits all towing and storage fees and is a misdemeanor. |
| Personal property retrieval | Yes |
| Credit cards must be accepted | Yes |
| Right to challenge the tow | Unclear / not verified — Arizona has no statewide administrative hearing for private-property tows; remedies are through city enforcement, civil court, and the misdemeanor penalty for unlawful tows. |
| Hold period before sale | unclear |
How to get your car back in Arizona
- Call the local police non-emergency line - the tower must report tows within one hour, so they can locate your car.
- Photograph the parking lot's signs (or lack of them) at every entrance before you leave the scene.
- Bring ID and proof of ownership to the yard and request an itemized invoice.
- Pay by credit or debit card if you wish - Arizona towers must accept cards - and check charges against your city's rate cap ordinance.
- Remove your personal property from the car for free, and report unauthorized or overpriced tows to city officials and the Arizona Attorney General.
Where to complain about an illegal tow
Arizona Attorney General - Consumer Protection handles towing complaints in Arizona. Keep your receipt, photos of any signage (or lack of it), and notes on dates and times — they decide most fee disputes.
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