Oregon Towing Laws: Your Rights When Your Car Is Towed
Primary law: ORS 98.850-98.862 (private property towing); ORS 98.853, 98.854, 98.859 · Last verified July 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Oregon has some of the strongest private-property towing rules in the country, codified at ORS 98.850-98.862 and backed by the new Oregon State Board of Towing. A tower needs signed written authorization from the property owner for each tow, cannot tow without proper signage or consent, and is banned from paying kickbacks for towing rights, from towing lots owned by its own employees, and from parking within 1,000 feet of a lot to watch for targets.
Rates are capped locally: ORS 98.859 directs cities and counties to set maximum private-property tow rates and run complaint processes, so the exact dollar limits depend on where you were towed. If you arrive before hookup is complete, the car must be released free. Towed vehicles must be retrievable within 60 minutes of your request during business hours, prices must be disclosed, cash payers must get exact change, and essential items like medication, ID, eyeglasses, and child seats can be retrieved without paying the tow bill.
If you're towed in Oregon, call the tower listed on the lot's sign and demand release of the car within 60 minutes, or retrieve urgent personal items immediately. Ask for the written property-owner authorization, which the tower must provide free. Check the bill against your city or county maximum-rate schedule, then complain to the Oregon State Board of Towing at (503) 871-5481 or the local rate authority if anything is off.
Oregon towing rules at a glance
| Non-consent tow fee cap | Partial — ORS 98.859 requires cities and counties to set maximum rates for private-property tows within their borders, so caps exist nearly everywhere but the dollar amounts are local, not statewide. |
| Drop fee (truck still on scene) | Yes — If the owner shows up before hookup is complete, the tower must release the vehicle at no charge, and hookup fees may only be charged when hookup was actually completed. |
| Kickback ban | Yes |
| Warning signage required | Yes — Towing from a parking facility generally requires proper signage or actual consent under ORS 98.853-98.854, plus written authorization from the property owner for the specific tow. |
| Notice requirement | The tower needs signed written authorization from the parking facility owner for each tow, must keep it for two years, and must give owners its contact information, vehicle location, recovery cost, and accepted payment methods. |
| Personal property retrieval | Yes |
| Credit cards must be accepted | Unclear / not verified |
| Right to challenge the tow | Unclear / not verified — Cities and counties that set maximum rates must also run a complaint process for rate violations. |
| Hold period before sale | unclear |
How to get your car back in Oregon
- If the truck hasn't finished hooking up, demand release on the spot at no charge.
- Call the number on the lot sign; the tower must make the car available within 60 minutes of your request during business hours.
- Retrieve essential items (medication, ID, child seats) even before paying.
- Ask for the property owner's written tow authorization and an itemized bill, then check it against your city or county rate cap.
- File complaints with the Oregon State Board of Towing at (503) 871-5481 or compliance@towboard.oregon.gov.
Recent law changes (2024–2026)
The new Oregon State Board of Towing now licenses towers statewide and handles towing complaints (compliance@towboard.oregon.gov), and it proposed amended administrative rules in 2025.
Where to complain about an illegal tow
Oregon State Board of Towing handles towing complaints in Oregon. 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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