Maine Towing Laws: Your Rights When Your Car Is Towed

Primary law: 29-A M.R.S. §§ 1851-1863 · Last verified July 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Maine has relatively thin statewide rules for private-property towing. The abandoned-vehicle subchapter (29-A M.R.S. §§ 1851-1863) supplies the main framework: it defines when a towed or stored vehicle becomes 'abandoned,' requires the premises owner or storage facility to notify the Secretary of State within 14 days once unpaid charges accrue, and sets out how ownership eventually transfers if nobody claims the car. There is no statewide signage mandate, fee cap, or drop-fee rule for non-consent tows of ordinary passenger vehicles; municipalities and local police departments fill many of the gaps through ordinances and approved tow lists.

Charges must be 'reasonable' — the statute defines abandonment by the owner's failure to pay 'all reasonable charges for towing, storing and authorized repair' — but Maine sets no dollar caps for passenger cars. The clock is the real hazard: if you do not retrieve the vehicle and pay within 14 days after notices are sent (or published, when the owner cannot be identified), ownership of the car can pass to the premises owner. For commercial trucks, § 1863 (enacted 2017) requires nonconsensual-tow invoices to be itemized in detail, and the customer is not responsible for any charge that is not itemized.

Call the local police department or county sheriff to locate your car — Maine tows are typically reported and tracked locally. Act well inside the 14-day window: retrieve the vehicle, pay the reasonable towing and storage charges, and get an itemized receipt. If a bill looks padded, pay under protest and say so in writing so you preserve the dispute. Check whether your town's towing ordinance sets rate limits, and review any Secretary of State abandonment paperwork for errors. Complaints about unfair charges can go to the Maine Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division; small-claims court is the usual remedy for an overcharge.

Maine towing rules at a glance

How to get your car back in Maine

1. Call the local police department or sheriff to confirm the tow and find the storage facility.
2. Reclaim the car well within 14 days of any notice — after that, ownership can pass to the premises owner.
3. Pay the reasonable towing and storage charges and insist on an itemized receipt; pay under protest in writing if the bill looks inflated.
4. Check your town's towing ordinance for local rate limits or approved-tower rules.
5. Dispute overcharges through the Maine Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division or small-claims court.

Where to complain about an illegal tow

Maine Attorney General - Consumer Protection Division handles towing complaints in Maine. 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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