Colorado Towing Laws: Your Rights When Your Car Is Towed
Primary law: Colo. Rev. Stat. § 40-10.1-405 (nonconsensual tows) · Last verified July 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Colorado is now among the most protective states for towed drivers. Nonconsensual towing carriers are regulated as public utilities by the Colorado PUC under CRS 40-10.1-405, strengthened by the 2022 'Towing Bill of Rights' (HB22-1314) and again by HB24-1051 effective August 2024. Highlights: PUC-set maximum rates that must be posted, mandatory bilingual signage at private lots, 24-hour advance windshield notice before most residential tows, required pre-tow photographs (with legal presumptions against carriers that cannot produce them), and a formal PUC complaint process printed on every invoice.
Colorado's signature protection is retrieval without full payment: you can get your car back by paying just 15% of the towing fee, capped at $60, and signing an acknowledgment that you owe the balance - the carrier cannot hold the car hostage for the whole bill. Carriers must accept cash and major credit cards, cannot charge a drop fee on residential property once the car is hooked but not yet removed, and must let you retrieve the personal property inside your vehicle free of charge for 30 days. Maximum tow and storage rates are set by PUC rule and must be displayed.
If you are towed in Colorado, ask the yard to release your car under the 15%/$60 rule if you cannot pay in full, and get everything in writing. Collect your personal belongings from the vehicle at no charge. Check whether required signage and the 24-hour residential notice were given, and ask the carrier for its pre-tow photographs. Compare your invoice to the posted PUC maximum rates. If anything is off, file a complaint with the Colorado PUC at 303-894-2070 or dora_puc_complaints@state.co.us - the invoice must tell you how - and consider small claims court for damages.
Colorado towing rules at a glance
| Non-consent tow fee cap | Yes — The Colorado Public Utilities Commission sets maximum rates for nonconsensual tows, and carriers must display the current PUC maximum rates at their business and on their website (§ 40-10.1-405(1)(a)). |
| Drop fee (truck still on scene) | Yes — Carriers may not assess a drop charge to release a vehicle after hookup but before it is removed from residential property (§ 40-10.1-405(6)(b)); the PUC advises drop fees remain chargeable on commercial property. |
| Kickback ban | Unclear / not verified |
| Warning signage required | Yes — Signs of at least 2 square feet with one-inch bilingual (English/Spanish) lettering must be permanently mounted 3-10 feet high at the property entrance and inside the property (§ 40-10.1-405(3)(c)). |
| Notice requirement | For most residential-property tows the carrier must give 24-hour advance written notice on the windshield (with exceptions for repeat violations, emergencies, and disabled-parking violations), and invoices must conspicuously disclose the right to complain to the PUC (§ 40-10.1-405(3)-(4)). |
| Personal property retrieval | Yes |
| Credit cards must be accepted | Yes |
| Right to challenge the tow | Yes — The PUC takes towing complaints (303-894-2070) and the statute creates rebuttable presumptions in the owner's favor when the carrier cannot produce required pre-tow photographs. |
| Hold period before sale | unclear |
How to get your car back in Colorado
- Locate your car via local police dispatch or the number on the lot's required signage.
- If you cannot pay in full, invoke the retrieval right: pay 15% of the tow fee (max $60), sign the acknowledgment, and take your car.
- Retrieve personal property from the vehicle free of charge - carriers must allow this for 30 days.
- Compare the invoice to the posted PUC maximum rates and ask for the carrier's required pre-tow photos.
- File a complaint with the Colorado PUC (303-894-2070) if notice, signage, photos, or charges were improper.
Recent law changes (2024–2026)
Building on the 2022 Towing Bill of Rights (HB22-1314), Colorado enacted HB24-1051, with changes effective August 7, 2024, further tightening nonconsensual towing rules including the 24-hour residential notice, photograph requirements, and owner-favorable presumptions.
Where to complain about an illegal tow
Colorado Public Utilities Commission handles towing complaints in Colorado. 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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