Florida Towing Laws: Your Rights When Your Car Is Towed

Primary law: Fla. Stat. § 715.07 (towing from private property); Fla. Stat. § 713.78 (towing/storage liens) · Last verified July 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Florida regulates private-property towing in detail under Fla. Stat. § 715.07, with the lien and sale process in § 713.78. A trespass tow is lawful only from a properly signed lot: permanent 'tow-away zone' signs with 4-inch lettering must stand at each driveway entrance, posted at least 24 hours before any tow, naming the towing company and its phone number. The tower must notify the local police or sheriff within 30 minutes of completing the tow and must store the car within a set radius of the property (generally 10 miles in large counties, 15 in smaller ones). Serious violations, such as breaking the notification or storage-distance rules, are third-degree felonies.

Florida has no statewide fee schedule, but § 715.07 requires towers to file their rates with local law enforcement and expressly lets counties and municipalities cap nonconsensual rates - and most large Florida counties do, so your county ordinance is the number to check. If you reach your car before it leaves the lot, the operator must release it for no more than half the posted towing rate. After storage, the yard must send certified-mail lien notice within 5 business days; an unclaimed vehicle can be sold after 35 days (if 3 or more model years old) or 57 days (newer). Yards must accept at least two forms of payment under § 713.78(19).

If you are towed in Florida, call the police non-emergency line - the tow had to be reported within 30 minutes, so they can tell you where the car is. At the yard, get an itemized invoice and compare it with your county's maximum-rate ordinance. Photograph the lot's signage; defective signs can invalidate the tow. If you believe the tow was wrongful, you can sue in county court and even post a bond with the court clerk to get the car released immediately while the dispute is decided. File complaints with your county consumer protection office and FDACS.

Florida towing rules at a glance

How to get your car back in Florida

1. Call the local police or sheriff - Florida towers must report a private-property tow within 30 minutes, so dispatch can locate your car.
2. If you catch the tow before the truck leaves, pay no more than half the posted rate for immediate release.
3. Bring ID and proof of ownership, get an itemized invoice, and check it against your county's towing rate cap ordinance.
4. Photograph the lot's tow-away signs (size, placement, company name) - improper signage can make the tow wrongful.
5. To fight the tow, file in county court under § 713.78(5) and post a bond equal to the charges to get your car out immediately; also complain to your county consumer office or FDACS.

Where to complain about an illegal tow

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS); county consumer protection offices handles towing complaints in Florida. 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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