Connecticut Towing Laws: Your Rights When Your Car Is Towed

Primary law: Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 14-145 to 14-150, as amended by Public Act 25-55 (2025) · Last verified July 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Connecticut went from one of the worst states for towed drivers to one of the most reformed. A CT Mirror/ProPublica investigation showed towers selling working-class residents' cars in as little as 15 days, and in response the legislature passed Public Act 25-55, signed June 12, 2025. Nonconsensual towing was already DMV-regulated - towers must notify local police in writing within 2 hours of a trespass tow, storage charges cannot begin before that notification, and unclaimed vehicles trigger certified-mail notice to owners and lienholders - but the new law dramatically strengthens the consumer side of the system.

The DMV sets maximum rates for all nonconsensual tows, and PA 25-55 replaced the old tiered mileage-based scheme with a uniform statewide rate schedule effective July 1, 2025, posted on the DMV's towing page. Towers must now accept credit and debit cards, must give you access to the belongings inside your car within four hours, and can no longer sell a towed vehicle after just 15 days: the holding period is now 30 or 60 days depending on the vehicle's value. Excessive or unauthorized charges can be challenged through the DMV's Consumer Complaint Center, which is the state's dedicated towing complaint channel.

If you are towed in Connecticut, call the local police department - the tower had 2 hours to report the tow, so police can locate your car. Go to the yard with ID and proof of ownership, pay by credit or debit card if that is easier (they must accept it), and get an itemized invoice to compare against the DMV's posted maximum rates. Ask for your personal belongings immediately; access must be provided within four hours. Respond fast to any certified-mail notice, and file any dispute with the DMV Consumer Complaint Center before the 30- or 60-day sale clock runs out.

Connecticut towing rules at a glance

How to get your car back in Connecticut

1. Call the local police department to confirm the tow - Connecticut towers must report private-property tows to police within 2 hours.
2. Bring ID and proof of ownership to the storage yard and request an itemized invoice.
3. Pay by credit or debit card if needed - PA 25-55 requires towers to accept cards.
4. Get your personal belongings out of the car; the tower must provide access within four hours.
5. Compare charges to the DMV's posted maximum rates and file any dispute with the DMV Consumer Complaint Center well before the 30/60-day sale deadline.

Recent law changes (2024–2026)

Public Act 25-55 (signed June 12, 2025, main provisions effective July 1, 2025) overhauled Connecticut towing law after a CT Mirror/ProPublica investigation: it extended the pre-sale holding period from 15 days (for cars valued at $1,500 or less) to 30 or 60 days depending on value, required towers to accept credit and debit cards, guaranteed access to belongings in the vehicle within four hours, added protections against no-warning private-property tows, and set a uniform DMV rate schedule.

Where to complain about an illegal tow

Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles - Consumer Complaint Center handles towing complaints in Connecticut. 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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