Pennsylvania Towing Laws: Your Rights When Your Car Is Towed
Primary law: 73 P.S. § 1971.1 et seq. (towing standards); 75 Pa.C.S. § 3353 · Last verified July 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Pennsylvania regulates towing lightly at the state level and leans heavily on local ordinances. The statewide towing-standards law, 73 P.S. § 1971.1 et seq., sets baseline conduct rules for tow operators and storage facilities: trucks must display the business name and contact details, storage lots must post fees and hours, charges must be itemized in writing, and vehicles must be released during posted hours unless police order a hold. 75 Pa.C.S. § 3353 addresses when unattended vehicles can be removed from private property.
There is no statewide fee cap, drop-fee right, or kickback ban that we could verify, but towers must accept cash, major credit cards, or insurance checks, cannot charge storage for days they wrongfully denied access, and must allow reasonable access to the vehicle during posted hours. Cities fill in the rest: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Reading, and others license towers and cap private-property tow fees locally, so your real protections depend on the municipality.
If you're towed in Pennsylvania, call local police to locate the car, then look up the city or borough towing ordinance before paying. Demand the itemized written bill required by state law and pay by credit card so the transaction is documented. If access to your car was refused or fees look inflated versus the local cap, complain to the municipal licensing office and the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection.
Pennsylvania towing rules at a glance
| Non-consent tow fee cap | Partial — There is no statewide cap on private-property tow fees; cities including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, and Reading cap or regulate nonconsensual towing charges by local ordinance. |
| Drop fee (truck still on scene) | Unclear / not verified |
| Kickback ban | Unclear / not verified |
| Warning signage required | Unclear / not verified — Statewide law does not clearly mandate lot signage; many municipal towing ordinances require posted tow-away signs, and 75 Pa.C.S. § 3353 governs when unattended vehicles may be removed from private property. |
| Notice requirement | Under 73 P.S. § 1971.3 towers must give itemized written charges and contact information for the storage location; police-notification rules for private-lot tows are largely set by municipal ordinance. |
| Personal property retrieval | Unclear / not verified |
| Credit cards must be accepted | Yes |
| Right to challenge the tow | Unclear / not verified |
| Hold period before sale | unclear |
How to get your car back in Pennsylvania
- Call the local police non-emergency line to find out who towed the car and where it is.
- Look up your municipality's towing ordinance for local fee caps and rules.
- Demand an itemized written bill; state law requires one.
- Pay by credit card, which towers must accept, and photograph the car at pickup.
- Report violations to the city licensing office and the PA Attorney General.
Where to complain about an illegal tow
Pennsylvania Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection handles towing complaints in Pennsylvania. 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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