Car towed in Arizona? Start here

1. Find your car

• Phoenix Police: vehicle towing (Vehicle Impounds, 602-495-2096) (Phoenix; police-ordered tows; by phone). Last checked October 5, 2026.

If it isn't listed, call the police non-emergency number for the city or county where you parked. Ask whether the car was towed, by whom and where it was taken. We never charge to help you find your car.

What to do right now

1. Make sure it was towed, not stolen. Use an official lookup if there is one, or call the police non-emergency number for the place where you parked. Ask who towed it, where it is, and the lot's hours.
2. Take photos now. The spot where you parked, every sign at the entrances (or the lack of one), curb paint and meters. When you get the car back, photograph all sides, the inside and the odometer before you leave the lot.
3. Get the paperwork. Keep every notice, receipt and letter, and the envelope it came in. Ask for a copy of anything that shows who asked for the tow.
4. Ask for an itemized bill before you pay. Compare each charge with the posted rates and, where we list one, your state's or city's maximum.
5. Pay by credit card if you can. A card payment leaves a record, and card issuers have a process for disputing charges. Ask for a receipt either way.
6. Write down what happened. Times, names, what people said, and any damage you notice.
7. Note every deadline. Look for dates on every paper you get. Some deadlines to ask for a hearing or to stop a sale are only days long, and storage charges usually grow every day.

This is general information to help you keep track. It is not legal advice, and it does not decide whether a tow or a charge was lawful.

2. Know your deadline

• Ask for a poststorage hearing (police impounds under § 28-3511): 10 days, counted from date on the notice.

  Official text: “within ten days after the date on the notice, shall request an immobilization or poststorage hearing”

  We haven't checked how Arizona counts weekends and holidays, so the calculator never moves the date later. Treat it as the last day and act sooner if you can.

  Source: A.R.S. § 28-3514. Last checked October 5, 2026.

Free deadline calculator

Enter the date from your papers. The calculator only counts days; it doesn't say whether a deadline was met. The dates printed on your notices are the ones that count.

3. Get your money back

Common ways people ask for a refund:

• Ask the tow company in writing to refund any charge you think was wrong, and keep a copy.
• File a complaint with the agency that regulates tow companies, if there is one.
• If you paid by card, ask your card issuer how to dispute a charge.
• Ask for a hearing if your state has one (see the deadlines above), or file in small claims court.
• If you want advice about your own situation, talk to a lawyer or legal aid.

The Arizona rules we checked are below.

Key towing rules in Arizona

Hearings

• When a peace officer impounds or immobilizes a car under A.R.S. 28-3511, you can ask for a poststorage hearing within 10 days after the date on the notice. If the agency can't show reasonable grounds, it pays the towing and storage costs.

  Official text: “within ten days after the date on the notice, shall request an immobilization or poststorage hearing”

  Source: A.R.S. § 28-3514. Last checked October 5, 2026.

• Phoenix Police pages describe the poststorage hearing deadline in two ways: one says 10 days from the date of the impoundment notice (matching state law), and another says ten business days from the date of the tow. The state statute's deadline is 10 days after the date on the notice.

  Official text: “You have ten business days to request a hearing from the date the vehicle was towed.”

  Source: City of Phoenix Police, vehicle impoundment; A.R.S. § 28-3514. Last checked October 5, 2026.

Signs and permission to tow

• Private parking must be posted with signs that state, among other things, the maximum cost to the violator. A private tow needs a police request or the property owner's express written permission, and the tow company may not act as the owner's agent.

  Official text: “Maximum cost to the violator”

  Source: A.R.S. § 9-499.05. Last checked October 5, 2026.