Car towed in Arkansas? Start here
Free steps to find your car, protect your deadlines and ask for your money back in Arkansas.
We checked 8 Arkansas towing rules against official sources. Each one has its citation, a link and the date we checked it.
1. Find your car
- City of Little Rock: Vehicle Storage Facility (police-requested tows) (Little Rock; Vehicles towed at the request of the Little Rock Police Department; retrieval documents and fees: (501) 918-4260). Last checked .
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Write down what happened. Times, names, what people said, and any damage you notice.
- 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 review of whether the tow (or a police hold) was legally justified: 30 days, counted from date of the tow, or date the hold notice was received if later.
Official text: “the owner or lienholder may within thirty (30) days after removal or within thirty (30) days after the receipt of notification of a law enforcement hold from the towing and storage firm, whichever is later, seek a review”
We haven't checked how Arkansas 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: Ark. Code Ann. § 27-50-1207(e)(1). Last checked .
Reclaim the car before the owner's rights are waived and it can be sold: 45 days, counted from date the lien notice was posted (mailed) or published.
Official text: “The failure of the owner or lienholder to exercise his, her, or its right to reclaim the vehicle and its contents within forty-five (45) days of the posting or publication of notice to owners and lienholders constitutes a waiver”
We haven't checked how Arkansas 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: Ark. Code Ann. § 27-50-1209(a)(1). Last checked .
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 Arkansas rules we checked are below.
Key towing rules in Arkansas
If the tow company wants to sell the car
The tow firm has a possessory lien for reasonable charges, perfected by certified mail (return receipt) sent between 2 and 8 business days after it receives the vehicle. The notice must say the car will be sold, dismantled, or destroyed unless claimed within 45 days, and that the owner has 30 days to contest the original taking.
Official text: “The notice shall be posted not sooner than two (2) business days but within eight (8) business days after the date that the towing and storage firm receives the vehicle.”
Source: Ark. Code Ann. § 27-50-1208(b), (c), (e). Last checked .
The tow lien does not cover personal or legal documents, medications, child car seats, wallets or purses, prescription glasses, prosthetics, cell phones, photographs, or books; these must be released without charge to the owner or driver.
Official text: “shall be released without charge by the towing and storage firm”
Source: Ark. Code Ann. § 27-50-1208(a)(2)(B)-(C). Last checked .
Fees and caps
Anyone towing a vehicle without the owner's authorization (including repossession tows) must notify the local police or sheriff within 2 hours, and may not charge storage for the time before that notice.
Official text: “The towing and storage firm may not charge a storage fee for the vehicle, implement, or piece of machinery for the time it is stored prior to the notification”
Source: Ark. Code Ann. § 27-50-1101(a)(2). Last checked .
Counties, cities, and towns may limit private-tow distance and towing, storage, and administrative charges by ordinance and require signs listing the tow firm, charges, and accepted payment methods. Charges above a local limit go to the property owner who asked for the tow, not the car owner.
Official text: “The amount of towing and storage charges, including the towing charge, the storage charge, the administrative fee”
Source: Ark. Code Ann. § 27-50-1101(a)(1)(B), (a)(3)(C). Last checked .
Signs and permission to tow
Getting money back
Directing or carrying out a private-property tow in violation of § 27-50-1101 is a Class B misdemeanor, each vehicle is a separate offense, and convictions are reported to the Towing and Recovery Board.
Official text: “is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor”
Source: Ark. Code Ann. § 27-50-1101(c). Last checked .
Who regulates tow companies
The owner, lienholder, or insurer of a towed vehicle can file a consumer complaint with the Arkansas Towing and Recovery Board, which must resolve it within 45 calendar days and may order restitution of actual losses (no punitive damages). Filing does not bar a lawsuit.
Official text: “the board shall resolve the consumer complaint within forty-five (45) calendar days after receiving the consumer complaint”
Source: Ark. Code Ann. § 27-50-1218. Last checked .
Since July 1, 2025 (Act 932 of 2025), every towing invoice must state in bold that a person damaged or overcharged may file a complaint with the Arkansas Towing and Recovery Board, (501) 682-3801, www.artowing.arkansas.gov.
Official text: “A PERSON DAMAGED OR OVERCHARGED MAY FILE”
Source: Ark. Code Ann. § 27-50-1218(e) (Act 932 of 2025, § 5). Last checked .
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