Car towed in Connecticut? Start here

1. Find your car

We don't have an official towed-car lookup for Connecticut on our list yet.

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

We haven't verified a Connecticut 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 Connecticut rules we checked are below.

Key towing rules in Connecticut

Hearings

• If a town or city had your car towed for violating a municipal ordinance, you can ask for a hearing before a municipal hearing officer by filing DMV form A-25 with the municipality. No sale or other action may be taken against the car until the hearing decision.

  Official text: “Any owner of a vehicle may request a hearing before a municipal hearing officer”

  Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-150; Conn. DMV towing page. Last checked October 5, 2026.

If the tow company wants to sell the car

• Under the DMV's Consumer Bill of Rights, a wrecker service may start the sale process for an unclaimed car after 15 days if it is worth $1,500 or less (but must store it at least 30 days after the tow), or after 45 days if it is worth more. After a sale, the owner is entitled to the proceeds minus costs and fees, held for one year.

  Official text: “The wrecker service may begin the process of selling a motor vehicle if not claimed within 45 days if valued over $1,500.00.”

  Source: Conn. DMV, Consumer Bill of Rights for Nonconsensual Tows (eff. Oct. 1, 2025). Last checked October 5, 2026.

Fees and caps

• For a private-property trespass tow of a light-duty vehicle (under 10,000 lbs.), the DMV maximum is $130.63, which includes mileage to the scene and the first two loaded miles, plus $6.65 a mile after that up to 13 miles (rates effective January 1, 2026). No fuel surcharge is allowed.

  Official text: “TOW CHARGE $130.63 Includes mileage to scene and two loaded miles.”

  Source: Conn. DMV form K-11, Maximum Nonconsensual Private Property Trespass Towing Charges (eff. Jan. 1, 2026). Last checked October 5, 2026.

• If your light-duty car is hooked to the wrecker but not yet removed from the property, it must be released for a drop fee of no more than $50 (rates effective January 1, 2026).

  Official text: “DROP FEE $50.00 $125.00 $175.00”

  Source: Conn. DMV form K-11 (eff. Jan. 1, 2026). Last checked October 5, 2026.

Signs and permission to tow

• For each tow from private property, the property owner, lessee or their agent must sign a written authorization form prescribed by the DMV. A tow company can sign as the agent only under a written contract.

  Official text: “signs or electronically signs a written authorization form for each such tow”

  Source: Conn. Pub. Act 25-55, § 1 (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-145(b)-(c)). Last checked October 5, 2026.

• Before hooking up a car, the tow company must take at least two photos showing the reason for the tow and the car's condition, and give you copies free on request. If it can't produce the form or photos, the law presumes the tow was not authorized.

  Official text: “the wrecker service shall take at least two photographs of the motor vehicle”

  Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-145(d) (Pub. Act 25-55). Last checked October 5, 2026.

• Private property owners may not boot cars on their property (private colleges and secondary schools are exempt).

  Official text: “render a motor vehicle on such private property immovable through the use of a wheel-locking device”

  Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-145(b)(2) (Pub. Act 25-55). Last checked October 5, 2026.

Paying

• The storage lot must accept cash, credit or debit cards, and must let you redeem the car or get your belongings within four hours of an after-hours request. It may not charge storage for days the car was not available.

  Official text: “not later than four hours after such request”

  Source: Conn. Pub. Act 25-55. Last checked October 5, 2026.

Who regulates tow companies

• The Connecticut DMV regulates tow companies; complaints go to its Consumer Complaint Center.

  Source: Connecticut DMV, towing. Last checked October 5, 2026.