Car towed in Hawaii? Start here

1. Find your car

• City and County of Honolulu (DTS FAQ): towed from a City street, call 911 (Honolulu; Cars possibly stolen or towed from a City street in Honolulu: call 911 to report or get information). 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

• Recover the car before it is deemed abandoned and sold (private-property tows): 30 days, counted from date the tow company mailed the notice.

  Official text: “When a vehicle is not recovered within thirty days after the mailing of the notice, it shall be deemed abandoned”

  We haven't checked how Hawaii 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: Haw. Rev. Stat. § 290-11(c). 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 Hawaii rules we checked are below.

Key towing rules in Hawaii

If the tow company wants to sell the car

• Within 15 days after the tow, the company must notify the legal and registered owners by registered or certified mail with the maximum lawful charges, the state consumer information phone number, and a warning that the car will be sold if not recovered within 30 days of mailing. If the owners were not notified, the owner may recover the car without paying tow or storage fees.

  Official text: “the vehicle may be recovered by the vehicle owner from the towing company without paying tow or storage fees”

  Source: Haw. Rev. Stat. § 290-11(b)(3). Last checked October 5, 2026.

• A car not recovered within 30 days after the notice is mailed is deemed abandoned and, after one newspaper ad, may be sold or junked. Money left after lawful charges goes to the owner, or to the State unclaimed property program, where the owner can claim it within one year.

  Official text: “after one public advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation in the State”

  Source: Haw. Rev. Stat. § 290-11(c), (d). Last checked October 5, 2026.

Fees and caps

• For tows from private property ordered by the property owner, the tow company may charge no more than $75 for a tow ($85 with a dolly), $7.50 per mile, and $25 per day of storage for the first 7 days, then $20 per day; plus only a $30 difficult-hookup surcharge, a $15 night/weekend charge, and up to $35 for an overturned vehicle. These caps do not apply in a county that has adopted its own towing ordinance (HRS 290-11 as last amended in 2024).

  Official text: “Charge not more than $75 for a tow, or $85 for a tow using a dolly, plus a mileage charge of $7.50 per mile towed”

  Source: Haw. Rev. Stat. § 290-11(b)(1), (h). Last checked October 5, 2026.

• If the owner appears while the car is being hooked up (until the tow truck drives away), the tow company must release the car at a safe location at no charge.

  Official text: “provided that no fee will be charged to the vehicle owner under this paragraph”

  Source: Haw. Rev. Stat. § 290-11(b)(2). Last checked October 5, 2026.

Signs and permission to tow

• A private-property tow requires a posted notice in letters at least 2 inches high, light-reflective on a contrasting background, saying unauthorized vehicles will be towed at the owner's expense and giving the name, address, and phone of the place where the car will be held. It must be visible from each parking space, or posted at each entrance if the whole lot is restricted.

  Official text: “in not less than two-inch high, light reflective letters on a contrasting background”

  Source: Haw. Rev. Stat. § 290-11(a). Last checked October 5, 2026.

Paying

• Tow companies must accept cash, credit cards, and debit cards for these charges and may not send the owner to an on-site ATM instead of taking a card. In a county over 500,000 people (Honolulu), tow companies must offer service and vehicle release 24 hours a day, every day.

  Official text: “no towing company shall direct an individual to use an on-site automated teller machine in lieu of accepting payment by credit card and debit card”

  Source: Haw. Rev. Stat. § 290-11(b)(5), (f). Last checked October 5, 2026.

Getting money back

• A violation of HRS 290-11 counts as an unfair or deceptive practice under HRS 480-2 (with chapter 480 penalties and remedies) and as furnishing services without a license under HRS 487-13.

  Official text: “Engaged in an unfair or deceptive act or practice in the conduct of any trade or commerce within the meaning of section 480-2”

  Source: Haw. Rev. Stat. § 290-11(g). Last checked October 5, 2026.