Car towed in Indiana? Start here
Free steps to find your car, protect your deadlines and ask for your money back in Indiana.
We checked 9 Indiana towing rules against official sources. Each one has its citation, a link and the date we checked it.
1. Find your car
- City of Indianapolis: auto release program (links to the vehicle search) (Indianapolis; City-initiated tows, including IMPD impounds). 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
File a court case over a disputed tow bill (after release on 75% payment and bond): 30 days, counted from date the 75% payment, bond proof, and complaint copy were given to the tow company.
Official text: “The owner shall file a civil complaint in the appropriate jurisdiction not later than thirty (30) days after providing the items required to release the vehicle under subsection (h) if the disputed invoice amount has not been resolved.”
We haven't checked how Indiana 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: Ind. Code § 9-22-1-8(i). Last checked .
Reclaim the car before a lien sale (abandoned-vehicle tows outside Indianapolis/Marion County): 20 days, counted from date the notice was mailed or sent electronically.
Official text: “if the person who owns or holds a lien upon a vehicle does not appear within twenty (20) days after the mailing of a notice or the notification made by electronic service under section 19 of this chapter, the holder of a mechanic's lien may sell the vehicle or parts”
We haven't checked how Indiana 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: Ind. Code § 9-22-1-23(b). Last checked .
Reclaim the car before a lien sale (abandoned-vehicle tows in Indianapolis/Marion County): 15 days, counted from date the notice was mailed or sent electronically.
Official text: “If the person who owns or holds a lien upon a vehicle does not appear within fifteen (15) days after the mailing of a notice or the notification made by electronic service under section 19 of this chapter, the holder of a mechanic's lien may sell the vehicle or parts”
We haven't checked how Indiana 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: Ind. Code § 9-22-1-23(c). 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 Indiana rules we checked are below.
Key towing rules in Indiana
If the tow company wants to sell the car
Within 3 business days after an abandoned-vehicle tow, the police agency or tow company must search title records, then notify the owner and lienholders within 3 business days (certified mail, certificate of mailing, or BMV-approved electronic service). A company that fails to give this notice may not collect storage costs incurred after it obtained the owner's name and address.
Official text: “may not collect additional storage costs incurred after the date of receipt of the name and address obtained”
Source: Ind. Code § 9-22-1-19. Last checked .
If the owner or lienholder does not appear within 20 days after the notice (15 days in Indianapolis/Marion County), the holder of the mechanic's lien may sell the vehicle at a public sale or auction after one published notice. For vehicles worth more than $3,500, the IC 9-22-6 mechanic's-lien steps also apply (newspaper ad plus certified-mail notice at least 15 days before sale).
Official text: “does not appear within twenty (20) days after the mailing of a notice”
Source: Ind. Code §§ 9-22-1-21.5, 9-22-1-23, 9-22-6-2. Last checked .
Fees and caps
Storage charges for an abandoned vehicle may not exceed $2,000 ($2,500 for a vehicle at least 30 feet long). Under IC 24-14-8-1, towing and storage fees for private towing must be reasonable and may not exceed these storage limits.
Official text: “the costs for storage of an abandoned vehicle may not exceed two thousand dollars ($2,000)”
Source: Ind. Code § 9-22-1-4; § 24-14-8-1. Last checked .
For a private-property tow requested by a property owner with no towing agreement, the tow company may charge only the rate set by (or provided to) the local police agency, or else the Indiana State Police district rate. Applies to private towing companies under IC 24-14 (not government or seizure tows).
Official text: “If the towing service is a private property towing requested by a property owner that does not have a towing agreement with the towing company, at the rate applicable under subdivision (2) or (3)”
Source: Ind. Code § 24-14-5-2. Last checked .
If the owner or driver arrives while a car is being towed from a commercial tow-away zone, the tow company must offer to release it for no more than half its normal release fee and give a receipt.
Official text: “not greater than half of the amount of the fee the towing company normally charges for the release of a motor vehicle”
Source: Ind. Code § 24-14-4-4. Last checked .
Signs and permission to tow
A commercial property owner that sets up a tow-away zone must post a conspicuous sign saying it is a tow-away zone, with contact information and who may park there. Starting July 1, 2026, the sign must be more than 5 and less than 7 feet above the ground, and a tow company may not tow from the zone if the sign is not at that height (local ordinances may set different rules).
Official text: “a towing company may not tow a motor vehicle from a tow-away zone if the tow-away zone sign is not at the height required under subsection (a)”
Source: Ind. Code § 24-14-4-2. Last checked .
Paying
Starting July 1, 2026 (HEA 1184, P.L. 81-2026), a towing service or storage yard must accept cash, certified check, insurance check, money order, credit card, and debit card, and may not charge a card fee over 3%. It may not charge an inspection fee to inspect the vehicle or retrieve items from it.
Official text: “may not charge a credit card service fee of more than three percent (3%)”
Source: Ind. Code § 9-22-1-8(b)-(d); § 24-14-7-2. Last checked .
Getting money back
If an owner disputes the bill, the tow company must release the vehicle within 24 hours after receiving 75% of the invoice, proof of a bond for the other 25%, and a copy of a complaint filed with the Indiana AG's office. A court then decides what amount is reasonable and can order a refund of any overpayment.
Official text: “payment of seventy-five percent (75%) of the amount of the invoice”
Source: Ind. Code § 9-22-1-8(h)-(k). Last checked .
Who regulates tow companies
Indiana has no state tow-rate board for private tows. A violation of the towing services law (IC 24-14) is a deceptive act under the Deceptive Consumer Sales Act, and the Indiana AG's office receives and may investigate complaints. IC 24-14 does not cover government agency towing or seizure towing.
Official text: “commits a deceptive act that is: (1) actionable under IC 24-5-0.5”
Source: Ind. Code §§ 24-14-1-2, 24-14-10-1, 24-14-10-2. Last checked .
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