Car towed in Colorado? Start here
Free steps to find your car, protect your deadlines and ask for your money back in Colorado.
We checked 12 Colorado towing rules against official sources. Each one has its citation, a link and the date we checked it.
1. Find your car
- City and County of Denver: Tow Tracker (Denver; City-owned impound lots only, not private lots). 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
We haven't verified a Colorado deadline yet, so there is no calculator here. Look for dates on every notice or letter you get from the police, the tow lot or the DMV, and act before that date.
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 Colorado rules we checked are below.
Key towing rules in Colorado
Fees and caps
For tows from residential private property (not police tows), you can get your car back by paying 15% of the fees, up to $60, and signing the PUC form that acknowledges the rest of the debt. (This does not apply to lienholders or insurers.)
Official text: “THE OWNER PAYS FIFTEEN PERCENT OF THE FEES, NOT TO EXCEED SIXTY DOLLARS”
Source: C.R.S. 40-10.1-405(5) (HB22-1314). Last checked .
For a private-property tow of a vehicle of 10,000 lbs. or less, the PUC maximum base rate is $250.91; storage is up to $48.19 per 24 hours; the drop charge (car hooked but not yet removed) is up to $97.70. Rates effective March 15, 2026.
Official text: “GVWR (10,000 lbs. or less) - $250.91”
Source: 4 CCR 723-6, Rule 6511; Colorado PUC towing rates (eff. Mar. 15, 2026). Last checked .
Other PUC maximums effective March 15, 2026: $106.06 for an after-hours release and $75 for the required owner notification on private-property tows ($150 for tows from public property).
Official text: “After Hours Release Fee - $106.06”
Source: 4 CCR 723-6, Rule 6511(e), (g); Colorado PUC towing rates. Last checked .
A booting company must release the car within 90 minutes of being contacted during business hours (120 minutes after hours), and must release it right away if you pay at least $60 of the amount owed and sign the required form (not for lienholders or insurers). Booting violations are a deceptive trade practice.
Official text: “PAYS AT LEAST SIXTY DOLLARS OF THE AMOUNT OWED TO THE VEHICLE IMMOBILIZATION COMPANY FOR THE IMMOBILIZATION”
Source: C.R.S. 40-10.1-810, -811, -816 (HB25-1117). Last checked .
Signs and permission to tow
Before hooking up a car for a nonconsensual tow, the tow company must take at least four photos (front, rear and both sides) plus one showing the reason for the tow. Without them, the law presumes the company caused any damage, or that the tow was not authorized. This rule does not cover tows ordered by a peace officer or tows from parking that serves a business on commercial property.
Official text: “TAKING AT LEAST FOUR PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE VEHICLE”
Source: C.R.S. 40-10.1-405(2) (HB22-1314). Last checked .
The tow company needs documented permission for each individual tow, given within the 24 hours before the tow; it may not be automated or preapproved. Tow companies may not patrol or monitor property. This rule does not cover tows ordered by a peace officer or tows from parking that serves a business on commercial property.
Official text: “WHICH MUST NOT BE AUTOMATED OR PREAPPROVED, FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL tow”
Source: C.R.S. 40-10.1-405(3) (HB24-1051). Last checked .
Since June 3, 2025, a booting company generally must leave a written notice on the windshield at least 24 hours before booting a car (exceptions include repeat violations and blocking a fire hydrant). This does not apply to police or city boots or to business parking on commercial real estate.
Official text: “BY PLACING A WRITTEN NOTICE ON THE WINDSHIELD OF THE VEHICLE AT LEAST TWENTY-FOUR HOURS BEFORE IMMOBILIZING THE VEHICLE”
Source: C.R.S. 40-10.1-804, -813 (HB25-1117, Colo. Sess. Laws 2025, ch. 391). Last checked .
Getting money back
A tow company that doesn't follow these rules may not charge or keep any fees for the tow and must return fees it collected.
Official text: “SHALL NOT CHARGE OR RETAIN ANY FEES OR CHARGES”
Source: C.R.S. 40-10.1-406(1)(a) (HB22-1314). Last checked .
Within 48 hours after a tow is found to have broken the law, the tow company must return the car to where it was towed from (or you may choose free pickup at the lot).
Official text: “WITHIN FORTY-EIGHT HOURS AFTER A TOW IS DETERMINED TO HAVE BEEN PERFORMED IN VIOLATION”
Source: C.R.S. 40-10.1-406(1)(c) (HB24-1051). Last checked .
Breaking Colorado's towing rules in part 4 is a deceptive trade practice under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act.
Official text: “A violation of this part 4 is a deceptive trade practice”
Source: C.R.S. 40-10.1-409(2) (HB24-1051). Last checked .
For a tow from residential private property, the tow company must release personal property at no charge if you ask within 30 days of the certified notice.
Official text: “For a residential tow, the towing carrier must release personal property, if requested within 30 days of certified notification, at no charge.”
Source: C.R.S. 40-10.1-405(5); Colorado PUC, residential towing. Last checked .
Who regulates tow companies
The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is the main regulator of tow companies and takes complaints.
Source: Colorado PUC, towing. Last checked .
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